1. Kristin Ruedel, CTD/AIR and Martha Thurlow, NCEO
Accessibility and Accommodations: Addressing Challenges in Technology-Based State Assessments
Center on Technology and Disability:
-- Funded by the U.S. Department of Education, OSEP, we are a learning and technical assistance center designed to:
1. Increase the capacity of education leaders, teachers, and parents to understand and implement appropriate assistive and instructional technology, strategies, and tools
2. Develop products that promote best practices to enhance teaching and learning
3. Deliver technical assistance to state and district leaders to strengthen programs and services
National Center on Educational Outcomes:
-- Also funded by U.S. Department of Education, OSEP, NCEO helps students with disabilities, English learners (ELs), and ELs with disabilities by:
1. Collecting, analyzing, synthesizing, disseminating, and providing leadership on evidence-based information on inclusive assessments and comprehensive assessment systems.
2. Promoting the use of assessments for instructional decision-making purposes.
3. Assisting states in their efforts to support districts to improve results.
4. Reviewing the participation and performance of students in national and state assessments, including the use of accessibility features and accommodations and alternate assessments.
5. Examining national and state practices in reporting assessment information.
6. Supporting implementation of U.S. Department of Education accountability systems, including ESEA accountability and IDEA State Systemic Improvement Plans (SSIPs) and State-Identified Measurable Results (SIMRs).
7. Bridging general education, special education, English as a Second Language or bilingual education, and other systems as they work to improve results of education for all students.
Kristin Ruedel, CTD/AIR and Martha Thurlow, NCEO
April 21, 2017

2. Topics Technology-based Assessments
Paradigm Shift in Accessibility and Accommodations
Challenges in Technology-based Approaches to Accessibility and Accommodations
The purpose of this session is three fold: 1) to provide research about challenges states and districts have faced in providing appropriate accommodations when implementing online, technology-based assessments; 2) to discuss ideas with state and district leaders and classroom teachers on how to mitigate challenges to providing appropriate accommodations on technology-based assessments; and 3) to share examples and recommendations for aligning instructional and testing accommodations.

3. Aha Moments? Big Questions?
Share with Us……
Aha Moments? Big Questions?

4. Types of Technology-Based Assessments
Based on Every Student Succeeds Act:
General (Regular) Assessments
Alternate Assessments for Students with the Most Significant Cognitive Disabilities (Alternate Assessments based on Alternate Achievement Standards)
English Language Proficiency Assessments
Plus many others (e.g., interim, formative, diagnostic)

5. Technology-based Assessments
Innovative item types promoted (a sample)
Drag and drop
Audio and/or video stimuli
Multiple responses
Possibility of adaptivity
Possibility of timely reporting
Embedded accommodations**

6. Accommodations Redefined
Paradigm shift in thinking about meeting the “accommodations” needs of all students, not just students with disabilities.
Each of the consortia of states, and many states not in a consortium, now have a range of accessibility features.
All assessments incorporate (to greater or lesser extent) a “universal design” approach.

7. New Paradigm
Universal features – accessibility supports available to all students as part of the technology platform (may need to be turned off for some)
Designated features – accessibility supports available to students for whom the need has been indicated by an adult or team of adults
Accommodations – accessibility supports that are available only to students with disabilities and/or English learners

8. Individualized Features
Personal Needs Profile: Digital version of accessibility features and accommodations needed by an individual student, formatted to an international standard that allows it to be sent electronically with other student information (PARCC Definition).
ISAAP: Individualized Student Assessment Accessibility Profile (Smarter Balanced)

9. Lessons Learned About Instruction
Reading
Writing
Justification of answers
Getting the research and essay done in one day
# 1. Reading:
Reading extended passages of text in time available
Understanding assessment questions
Extracting supporting text from documents and video
Unfamiliar with “authentic” texts
# 2. Writing:
Extended responses to assessment questions
Composing online responses
Keyboarding and scrolling skills
# 3. Justification of Answers
Using evidence to justify answers
Providing written justification for math responses
# 4. Getting the research and essay done in one day:
Basic research skills
Timely completion of research

10. Lessons Learned About Assessment
Unfamiliarity with item types
Accessibility challenges
Technical challenges
# 1. Unfamiliarity with Item Types:
Students (and their teachers) had never seen some of the item types that were on the assessment.
Students were not provided with opportunities to practice responding to some item types.
Students found the essay to be particularly challenging, and did not know how to allocate their time across the activities required to complete the essay (researching, outlining, drafting, etc.) and other performance tasks within the allowed time.
# 2. Accessibility Challenges:
Students have needs that make it difficult for them to meaningfully access the assessment without the use of accessibility features and accommodations.
Teachers do not know how to confidently select and implement appropriate accessibility features and accommodations for their students.
Sometimes things do not go smoothly on test day, and students do not receive their accessibility features and accommodations.
# 3. Technical Challenges
Students struggle to demonstrate what they know on an assessment when some accessibility features and accommodations are not available or do not work as intended.
Students have difficulty using embedded technology (e.g., keyboarding, scrolling) that differs from what they use in instruction.

11. Other Lessons
Decision making about which accessibility supports and accommodations are needed by an individual student remains a challenge
Adults often are more challenged by the technology than are the students

12. Technology Challenges
Many lessons, though, were about the technology itself, for example:
Scrolling requirements were a big issue
Accessibility features and accommodations did not work as intended
Use of accessibility features and accommodations was not tracked

13. Successfully Using AT
Students need to be familiar with AT they will use on the assessment.
Ensure that students using AT have access to a practice test session that enables them (and their teachers) to see that the AT works as intended in the test environment.
AT compatibility issues should be checked before test day.
Tools and procedures should be developed to make it easy for LEAs to report any compatibility issues. Procedures also are needed that address how reported issues will be addressed.
Require vendors to demonstrate their capabilities before signing a contract!
Ensure that practice tests have the same embedded (and non-embedded) accessibility features and accommodations as the actual assessment.
Check out the technology, not just the assessment items.
Involve students in cognitive labs and usability studies.
Include students with disabilities in infrastructure trials prior to testing.

14. Why Assess?
GOAL: At all levels, our education system will leverage the power of technology to measure what matters and use assessment data
to improve learning.
National Education Technology Plan (

15. Instructing with Accessible Educational Materials (AEM)
Materials are designed or enhanced in a way that they are usable across the widest possible range of student variability regardless of format (print, digital, graphical, audio, video)
Content may be “born print” and require retrofitting for accessibility or…
Content may be “born digital” and difficult to retrofit if not broadly usable or accessible from the start

16. Master Text Complexity
ORIGINAL TEXT
EXTRACTED HIGHLIGHTS
Assuming the prospect is familiar with CCSS, the combination of special needs and ELL means that likely 25%+ of their students will not be able to handle the primary source language arts curricula. As this curricula is designed to grow with the student on a “staircase of complexity”, these students will likely sit at the bottom step unless they have some assistance with this material. RWG acts as the “handrail” on this staircase, allowing them to succeed to new levels independently.
Our existing and growing customer base of higher ed users is proof that RWG is not only an appropriate tool for transition into the workplace and post-secondary, but that it is an effective solution for students at these levels.

17. Digital is Not Always Accessible
Though many aspects of digital content are fairly easy to make accessible with readily available tools, challenges remain:
STEM content – formulas, charts, graphs can be difficult for screen readers
While users can add descriptive text to images, adding the right kind of description takes knowledge, practice and understanding of the content
Digital content is a great start towards accessibility with options for built-in accessibility features (text to speech, magnification, etc.) but we cannot assume that the work ends there

18. Born Digital to Born Accessible
Content that is “digital first” or “born digital” should also be “born accessible” – that is, any digitally created content should be created accessible from the start.
Emerging technologies make this easier than ever before for content creators. User-friendly tools exist to easily add:
Captioning to videos
Alternative text (Alt-text) to images on websites and in ebooks
Standard headers in websites, forms, ebooks and documents
Adjust colors and contrast

19. Everyone is Responsible for Accessibility
Ensuring equal access to learning opportunities and programs is a system-wide (school, district, institution) responsibility; commitment, vision, and leadership is critical
Accessibility considerations must be a priority at all levels, not just thought about when problems arise or special educators must make accommodations

20. CTD Resources on Accessibility
Digital Accessibility Toolkit: What Education Leaders Need to Know 
Getting Started with Accessibility
5 Things to Know About Your Role in Ensuring Accessibility
Accessibility is More Than a Checklist
Making Content Accessible for All Students
Accessibility Tools and Resources: Getting Started with Accessibility
Digital Accessibility and Compliance: Building LEA Capacity
Accessibility, Assessment, and the Law: What State Leaders Need to Know
Pt I of II: The ABCs of Accessibility and Accommodations in State Assessments
Pt II of II: Accessibility and Accommodations Challenges in Technology-Based State Assessments