1. Creating a Standard Process for Identifying Students for Designated Supports
1 minute Running time = 1 minute
Slide intent: The purpose of this slide is to introduce the session.
Presenter says:
Welcome to our break-out session on creating a standard process for identifying students for designated supports.
(Introduce session presenters)
The goal of today’s session is to help you identify the steps involved in creating a standard process for identifying students for designated supports and then matching appropriate and available supports to those students.
Materials required:

2. California Department of Education
Learning Goals
Participants will understand
the need for a systematic, equitable process for the identification of students who can benefit from the use of designated supports;
the Individual Student Assessment Accessibility Profile (ISAAP) process;
the broad range of students who might benefit from the use of designated supports; and
procedures for matching identified student learning characteristics/needs to available designated supports.
1 minute for slides 2-4 Running time = 2 minutes
Slide intent: Introduce goals and success criterion for the session.
Presenter says:
Take a minute and review the learning goals and success criteria for this session on this and the next slide.
As you can see, this session is focused on the effective, equitable use of designated supports by students to enhance the teaching and learning process.
Materials required:
California Department of Education

3. California Department of Education
Success Criteria
Participants can
describe the ISAAP process for implementing a systematic, equitable process for the effective use of designated supports;
give examples of student learning characteristics/needs that might be addressed through the use of designated supports;
describe possible procedures for matching identified student learning characteristics/needs to available designated supports; and
establish and implement a standard process at their LEA.
1 minute for slides 2-4 Running time = 2 minutes
Slide intent: Provide brief agenda/road-map for the session.
Presenter says:
In order to meet the learning goals and success criteria, we will focus on these key topics in today’s session:
There will be a brief review of the available accessibility supports.
We will look at the seven steps of the Individual Student Assessment Accessibility Profile (ISAAP) process with a focus on the key steps involved in identifying students that might benefit from the use of designated supports and in selecting appropriate supports to meet individual student needs.
The ISAAP process represents a thoughtful and systematic approach to addressing student needs for the Smarter Balanced assessments and for the California Alternate Assessments (CAA).
Materials required:
California Department of Education

4. California Department of Education
Session Overview
Review categories of supports
Review the ISAAP process guidelines
Systematic identification and selection process
1 minute for slides 2-4 Running time = 2 minutes
Slide intent: Provide brief agenda/road-map for the session.
Presenter says:
As a guideline for today’s session, we will be focusing our attention today on:
Reviewing the existing categories of supports
Reviewing the ISAAP process we just mentioned and
Considering a systematic process of identification and selection of designated supports for students.
Materials required:
California Department of Education

5. Accessibility Supports: Key Questions
Why are accessibility supports important?
What is involved in the effective implementation of the Smarter Balanced system of accessibility supports for all students who can benefit from them?
1 minute for slides 5 – 7 Running time = 3 minutes
Slide intent: The purpose of this slide is to lead into the purpose and implementation of accessibility supports.
Presenter says:
Accessibility supports represent a set of tools that help a student better access classroom instruction. They are also provided in a testing environment so that students can do their best to demonstrate their knowledge and skills.
On this slide are two key questions for consideration as a part of the implementation of the Smarter Balanced assessment system. We will address both of these questions specifically around designated supports in this session, and you will have time to reflect about how students in your school or school district are being provided supports. We will also discuss the use of accessibility supports in the classroom during instruction and assessment.
Materials required:
California Department of Education

6. Purpose and Importance of Accessibility Supports
Equal opportunity for all students to demonstrate learning:
During daily instruction
On classroom assessments
On Smarter Balanced assessments (both summative and interim)
1 minute for slides 5 – 7 Running time = 3 minutes
Slide intent: The purpose of this slide is to discuss why accessibility supports are important to meet the needs of all students
Presenter says:
Equal opportunity for all students to access instruction and demonstrate learning is a fundamental principle of public education.
The Smarter Balanced assessment system was designed to maximize accessibility for all students. An array of universal tools, designated supports, and accommodations is available to help ensure that Smarter Balanced summative and interim assessments, and any formative assessment practices in place generate a fair and accurate estimate of each student’s achievement and that the usability, accessibility, and accommodations needs of all students are met.
Materials required:
California Department of Education

7. General Guidelines for Use
General guidelines for use of all accessibility supports on Smarter Balanced assessments and California Alternate Assessments (CAA):
Student is familiar with the support(s).
Supports are the same or similar to those used for instruction and classroom assessment.
Student has multiple opportunities to practice with the support in a testing environment.
1 minute for slides 5 – 7 Running time = 3 minutes
Slide intent: To call attention to the importance of providing students structured opportunities to use accessibility features in daily classroom learning activities and in a testing environment.
Presenter says:
There are some general guidelines for the use of all of the levels of accessibility supports.
Students should be familiar, comfortable, and confident with using available supports. That means the student needs to have experience using the same or similar tools during daily classroom learning and assessment activities.
In addition, students are most successful using accessibility supports on the summative assessment when they have had multiple opportunities to practice with the support(s) in a testing environment, such as on the practice and training tests and/or the interim assessments. Students can be provided with one-on-one targeted instruction on the use of support tools using the training tests. Teachers can also make the accessibility features available on the practice tests and the interim assessments.
Materials required:
California Department of Education

8. Types of Accessibility Supports
Universal tools
Available to ALL students based on student preference and selection
Designated supports
Available to ALL students, with a documented decision made by an adult who is familiar with student’s instructional needs
Accommodations
Available to students with the need documented through Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) and Section 504 Plans
1 minute for slides 8 & Running time = 4 minutes
Slide intent: Review multi-level design of accessibility supports and three categories of supports.
Presenter says:
The CAASPP system utilizes a multi-level approach to providing supports for students.
This new paradigm of accessibility for all students involves universal tools.
(click)
Which students can use universal tools?
(Click)
They may be used by all students.
Which students can use designated supports?
Those are available to all students that it is determined might benefit from the use of designated supports.
Which students have access to the accommodations?
Accommodations are only available to students for whom the need has been identified by an adult or team of adults who are familiar with student’s needs and characteristics, and whose need is documented through an active Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) or Section 504 plans.
Materials required:

9. Categories of Accessibility Supports
Accessibility supports generally fall into one of four categories:
Presentation
Response
Timing/Scheduling
Setting
1 minute for slides 8 & Running time = 4 minutes
Slide intent: Review multi-level design of accessibility supports and three categories of supports.
Presenter says:
Available supports fall into four main categories:
how material is presented
how students respond
the timing and/or scheduling of the assessment
and the setting for the assessment
Most important for our discussion today, these supports are available to a broad range of students based on identified student needs. As we look at the available accessibility supports for the California Assessment of Student Progress and Performance (CAASPP) assessments, we will take a closer look at the possibilities for each of these categories of supports.
Required materials:

10. Accessibility Supports -Mathematics
4 minutes for slides Running time = 9 minutes
Slide intent: Review accessibility supports for CAASPP and connect them to the general categories of supports previously noted (presentation, response, time/scheduling, setting.
Presenter says:
As you can see on this graphic for the mathematics content area, universal tools may be embedded in the test interface, requiring no action to make the tools available to students. Or they may be non-embedded, provided by the test administrator, such as breaks and scratch paper. Students choose which tools to use and when to use them, although some universal tools are only available for selected items.
Designated supports, the largest category of supports, are available by educator recommendation to any student, based on individual need. Again, the tools may be embedded in the test interface or may be non-embedded, provided by the test administrator. A selected designated supports must be turned on in the TOMS system for each individual student prior to test administration. We’ll talk more about the process for selecting supports and turning them on in the Test Operations Management System (TOMS) later in this session.
Accommodations may also be embedded or non-embedded but are only available to students with IEPs or Section 504 plans. Note the information in the graphic on resources for use by students taking the California Alternate Assessment (CAA). This assessment, which is designed to be used with students with the most significant cognitive disabilities, is a one-on-one administered test and supports and/or accommodations on this assessment are to be in alignment with the supports used in daily instruction in accordance with the current IEP.
In the next slide, you will see this graphic structure applied to English language arts/literacy. A similar graphic is available for the Science Pilot test and the Standards Test in Spanish. The categories of the accessibility supports remain the same for all content areas but specific supports available vary somewhat based on content area.
Materials required:
Accessibility supports graphic for mathematics (handout)
California Department of Education

11. Accessibility Supports - English Language Arts
4 minutes for slides Running time = 9 minutes
Slide intent: Review accessibility supports for CAASPP and connect them to the general categories of supports previously noted (presentation, response, time/scheduling, setting).
Presenter says:
On this slide, you see the same graphic structure applied to English language arts/literacy. A similar graphic is available for science and the new Standards Test in Spanish. The categories of the accessibility supports remain the same for all content areas but specific supports available vary somewhat based on content area.
Materials required:
Accessibility supports graphic for ELA (handout)
California Department of Education

12. Activity: Reviewing Available Accessibility Supports
Take a few minutes to read through the list of accessibility supports for mathematics and English language arts/literacy (ELA).
Which ones relate to how the test item/material is presented to the student?
Which ones relate to how the student responds to an item?
Are there any supports related to time/scheduling?
Which supports are related to setting?
4 minutes for slides Running time = 9 minutes
Slide intent: To provide participants an opportunity to review the accessibility supports graphics and identify the four categories of supports discussed on a previous slide.
Presenter says:
Now, I’d like you to spend few minutes with the accessibility supports graphics for both mathematics and English language arts/literacy.
Both of these graphics are available on the flash drive under the folder for this session (or maybe these are printed handouts).
As you review the graphics, consider the questions on this slide.
(Popcorn around the room asking for examples for each category and level of support)
Materials required:
Accessibility supports graphic for mathematics
Accessibility supports graphic for ELA
California Department of Education

13. Accessibility Support Resources – Matrix One
4 minutes for slides Running time = 9 minutes
Slide intent: To provide resource information to participants on accessibility supports
Presenter says:
You my have noticed while reviewing the graphics that the availability of some accessibility supports varies by content area. There is variability in which supports may be used on particular sections of the Smarter Balanced/CAASPP assessments and, in some cases, at which grade levels supports are available.
Matrix One is an important resource that provides detailed information on each accessibility support, noting which content area(s) and/or grade levels for which supports may be used. It is important that you know who at your school site or in your district is knowledgeable about the content of Matrix One to help ensure appropriate use of the accessibility supports.
Materials required:
California Department of Education

14. Activity: Assigning Designated Supports
Individually assign appropriate designated supports to each student based on the description provided.
Compare your assigned supports with your table group. Discuss your findings.
Be ready to share your conclusions with the whole group.
6 minutes (Slides 14-15) Running time = 15 minutes
Slide intent: The intent of this activity is for participants to understand the need for a consistent process to ensure equity. This should not be an individual decision.
Presenter says:
Now we are going to do a short activity to begin to evaluate student needs and select available designated supports to individual students.
Using the provided handouts, take three minutes to assign designated supports to each student based on their profile.
After three minutes, you will talk about the supports you assigned and compare with other people at your table.
We will then go around the room asking for a few volunteers to talk about their ideas.
Now spend three minutes working individually on this activity.
(At the end of three minutes guide the group into sharing time with others at their table.)
Materials needed:
Equity activity handout
California Department of Education

15. Activity: Assigning Designated Supports (cont.)
Did each of the people at your table assign the same supports for each student?
Did you change the supports assigned based on information from someone else at your table?
Did you feel you had enough information to make an informed decision?
6 minutes (Slides 14-15) Running time = 15 minutes
Slide intent: The intent of this activity for for participants to understand the need for a consistent process to ensure equity. This should not be an individual decision.
Presenter says:
Now spend the next two minutes sharing at your table.
When you are talking at your table, consider the questions on this slide.
At the end of two minutes, I’ll bring the whole group back together.
(Popcorn around the room asking for volunteers to address the following questions)
(Based on the sharing from the room offer the following observations)
The supports assigned differed for the same student, highlighting need for a systematic process which includes training and a team approach.
There was not enough information provided to make an informed decision. This illustrates the need for teachers to know their students.
Materials needed:
Equity activity handout
California Department of Education

16. Developing a Standard Process for Identifying Student Needs, Making Decisions, and Providing Opportunities for Practice
1 minute for slides Running time = 16 minutes
Slide intent: The purpose of this slide is to introduce the next session of the presentation.
Presenter says:
Now let’s start talking about the steps involved in developing a process for identifying student needs, making decisions, and providing opportunities for practice.
Materials required:
California Department of Education

17. California Department of Education
Key Question
What is the systematic, consistent, appropriate, and effective process in your LEA to ensure that all students have a fair and equitable opportunity to demonstrate what they know and can do?
1 minute for slides Running time = 16 minutes
Slide intent: Introduce reflective questions to frame the rest of the session and introduce resource available from the California Department of Education (CDE).
Presenter says:
As we move through this session, this is the question we want you to consider.
Pay attention to the words in bold on this slide.
What is the current process in your LEA to promote the and effective use of designated supports to improve teaching and learning? consistent, equitable, appropriate
Each LEA needs a systematic process for identifying students who might benefit from the use of designated supports and for selecting appropriate supports for the identified students.
The process should be applied consistently across all schools and classrooms in the district to ensure that all students have an equal opportunity to access classroom instruction and to accurately demonstrate their learning through the use of designated supports.
The supports provided should be appropriate to address the individual needs of each student.
As we continue through this section of the session think about the steps you might take in your LEA to strengthen the process you have in place to better meet the needs of your students?
Materials required:
California Department of Education

18. California Department of Education
The Individual Student Assessment Accessibility Profile (ISAAP) Process
1 minute for slides Running time = 16 minutes
Slide intent:
Presenter says:
This is a screen shot of great resource available on the CDE Web site. This one page document gives a short overview of the importance of a systematic process for the effective use of designated supports. It also lists the seven steps in the Smarter Balanced ISAAPP process. We will be focusing on the first four steps of the process in this session.
Materials required:
“Effective Use of Designated Supports” document (flash drive)
California Department of Education

19. Designated Supports Seven Step ISAAP Process
Who
When
Notes/Reflections
Next Steps
1. Roles & Responsibilities
2. Information & Training
3. Identification
4. Selection
5. TOMS Entry
6. Pre-admin. Check
7. Testing Session Check
5 minutes for slides Running time = 21 minutes
Slide intent: Introduce handout for guided reflection and notetaking on the seven step process.
Presenter says:
This is a screenshot of a handout in your training materials. You can use this matrix during this session to take notes and reflect on what is in place in your LEA for the steps in the ISAAP process and to identify possible next steps to strengthen consistent, equitable use of designated supports across the LEA.
Materials required:
Seven Step ISAAP Process Matrix (handout)
California Department of Education

20. ISAAP Step 1: Roles and Responsibilities
Identify key staff roles and responsibilities:
Designate lead staff member
Establish implementation team
Development of LEA-wide process
Develop communication plan
Support and monitoring system
5 minutes for slides Running time = 21 minutes
Slide intent: Highlight key components of roles and responsibilities related to designated supports and importance of having a lead staff/point person at the LEA level to facilitate process.
Presenter says:
Step one of the ISAAP process involves designating staff with key responsibilities for effectively implementing the system of accessibility supports at the classroom level as well as for the Smarter Balanced interim and summative assessments. LEAs are encouraged to have one individual that is focused on the use of accessibility supports to improve teaching and learning in all classrooms.
It is recommended that an LEA level implementation team be established with representation from school sites and that the team members develop a clear process for the use of designated supports to be implemented at all schools. That process would address how information will be communicated to the various audiences across the district such as parents, teachers, administrators, and students. Communication is critical to effective implementation—both face-to-face verbal communication and written communication. A plan for how the LEA staff will provide support to the sites as they implement the process and how equitable, appropriate use will be monitored would also be critical to effective implementation of the district process.
The roles and responsibilities will vary from district to district, but establishing clarity on who is responsible for what is the most important first step.
Materials required:
California Department of Education

21. ISAAP Step 2: Information and Training
2. Provide information to parents and training to all staff, as appropriate:
Who will be provided information and/or training?
What will be the content of the training?
What training resources are available?
What resources/materials need to be developed locally?
What will the timeline be for disseminating information and providing training?
Who will provide the training?
5 minutes for slides Running time = 21 minutes
Slide intent: Highlight key issues to be addressed in providing critical information and training on designated supports.
Presenter says:
Ensuring that accurate information and explicit training is provided to the different stakeholder groups in the LEA is step 2. Ideally, this step would occur early in the year and would help prepare the educators in the LEA to make sound decisions regarding classroom and assessment use of the tools There are some key questions to be answered as step 2 is addressed.
Who in the LEA needs information and who needs explicit training? Parents need to be provided with basic information on the availability of supports and on who the site or LEA contact person is if they have questions. All instructional and assessment staff need training on what supports are available to which students, with an emphasis on the designated supports available to all students based on need.
What information needs to be included in the training sessions and what materials and/or resources can be used? CDE and Educational Testing Service (ETS) have a variety of resources that can be used for local training, including short video clips demonstrating how the designated supports work. We will look at a few of these training resources in just a minute.
Once you review the resources available from CDE and ETS, you’ll need to determine if there are any resources or materials you need to create locally and decide who will complete that task.
When will information be disseminated to parents?
When will training occur and in what structure or format?
Who will provide the training?
All of these are questions that the LEA implementation team will need to address to ensure that everyone has the knowledge needed to consistently and equitably identify students that might benefit from designated supports and to select appropriate supports for individual students.
Materials required:
California Department of Education

22. Resources to Support ISAAP Step 2
Embedded Universal Tools, Designated Supports, and Accommodations Video Tutorials
CAASPP in Action Series:
These are short summaries of how districts are implementing different components of the CAASPP system
Sample Training Timeline document
5 minutes for slides Running time = 21 minutes
Slide intent: Make participants aware of available resources
Presenter says:
Now let’s review at some training resources that will help you in your training work at your school or school district.
ETS has developed a series of video clips with dynamic demonstrations of how the available designated supports work in the testing interface. Let’s look at one of the video clips.
Another valuable resource is the CAASPP In Action series. The CAASPP in Action page on the CDE Web site has profiles of how some districts have planned for and provided training on accessibility supports. In particular, San Diego Unified School District and Centinela Valley Union High School District have done a lot of work on training staff on the accessibility supports. Each CAASPP In Action profile is five pages long and describes action steps that you might implement in your district.
On your flash drive, you also have a sample training timeline document. This form includes a list of tasks to be completed to plan for and implement training, with start and end date columns and a column for listing the person responsible for each listed task. This form can easily be adapted to meet the needs of your LEA.
Materials required:
Sample Timeline document (flash drive)
California Department of Education

23. Guiding Questions Step 1: Roles and Responsibilities
Who in your LEA is responsible for the implementation of a systematic process for the effective, equitable use of designated supports?
Who establishes a team to develop, implement, and monitor a consistent LEA-wide process?
Who ensures team members are adequately trained?
Who supports and monitors implementation of process across LEA?
5 minutes for slides Running time = 26 minutes
Slide intent: Provide reflection time for individuals/teams to consider their current status and needs in regards to ISAAP Step 1.
Presenter says:
Take some time now to use the seven step matrix ISAAP process handout that I introduced a few minutes ago to reflect on the questions on this and the next slide with regard to Steps 1 and 2 of the ISAAP process.
Where are you currently in your district with the implementation of Step 1, roles and responsibilities?
What is going well in your district with regard to this step?
What do you see as needs and next steps to strengthen the implementation process in your LEA?
Take two minutes to individually think about the questions on this slide and jot some notes to yourself on the notetaking guide.
(After two minutes move to the next slide.)
Materials required:
Seven Step ISAAP Process Matrix (handout)
California Department of Education

24. Guiding Questions Step 2: Information and Training
What information on designated supports has been provided to parents in your LEA? How has it been provided?
What training on designated supports has been provided to administrators, teachers, and support staff across your LEA?
What training needs to be planned for this school year?
Who needs to be trained?
What do they need to know?
When should the training occur?
5 minutes for slides Running time = 26 minutes
Slide intent: Provide reflection time for individuals/teams to consider their current status and needs in regards to ISAAP Step 2.
Presenter says:
Now consider the questions on this slide for Step 2 of the ISAAP process related to information and training.
How has information on designated supports been provided to stakeholders in your district?
How have key staff been trained?
What other training is needed for staff who are key to implementing a systematic process in your school or school district?
Take two more minutes to jot down some notes to yourself about Step 2.
(Bring the group back together after two minutes.)
(Popcorn around the room asking for 1-2 examples of needs or next steps)
Those are great ideas and examples. One thing I want to stress is that implementation of the steps will look different in every district based on local needs and resources.
Materials required:
Seven Step ISAAP Process Matrix (handout)
California Department of Education

25. ISAAP Steps 3 and 4: Identification and Selection
Identify students who will benefit from designated supports and students who will need accommodations per IEP and Section 504 Plans.
Select the designated supports and accommodations for all identified students.
5 minutes for slides Running time = 26 minutes
Slide intent: Introduce the next two steps in the process.
Presenter says:
Now let’s move on to the next two steps in the process, identifying students who might benefit from the use of designated supports, including special education students with IEPs and those students with Section 504 plans and selecting appropriate supports or accommodations.
Materials required:
California Department of Education

26. California Department of Education
A Model of the Accessibility Support Identification and Selection Process
1 minute for slides Running time = 27 minutes
Slide intent: Give overview of the identification and selection process for designated supports.
Presenter says:
This graphic illustrates the key steps in the cycle of identifying students who may benefit from designated supports and the selection of appropriate supports for those students.
It begins with the identification of individual student needs and matching those needs to the available accessibility supports.
In the next section of this presentation, we will address each of the steps in this cycle.
Materials required:
California Department of Education

27. Identifying Student Needs
Establish identification procedures that consider individual student needs:
Classroom level
Grade/department level
Program level
Use of existing structures/formats
Use multiple sources of information
Include multiple stakeholders
Document the process
1 minute for slides Running time = 27 minutes
Slide intent: Increase awareness of elements of the identification process.
Presenter says:
As districts establish their local system for identifying students that might benefit from the use of designated supports, there is a variety of formats or structures that might be used.
Most likely, once teachers have been trained on accessibility supports and how the use of supports can improve teaching and learning, they will be the ones to make initial identification of potential students that may benefit from the use of designated supports. They know the most about students’ learning characteristics--individual strengths and challenges in daily instruction and classroom assessment.
It may be that teachers within a grade level or department then bring their lists of potential students to a team meeting for discussion as a next step. Or that cross grade level meetings are held so that the students’ previous and current teachers can discuss the individual student needs and whether the use of designated supports will be of benefit.
Consider program level input into the identification process, asking instructional staff in intervention, EL, migrant, or other specialized programs for their ideas on students that might benefit from the use of designated supports.
Think about what existing structures or formats you have in place in your district that might be used as part of the identification process, such as student study teams, EL re-designation teams, or RtI/intervention teams. There is probably not a need to create a new structure or format for the identification of students for the use of designated supports. It is likely that you can use one or more of your existing teams for the identification and selection process.
A variety of sources of information should be involved in this decision making process and there should be some type of documentation of the identification and selection process. This might include:
Educational history, language proficiency information, language of instruction, academic performance, physical/medical information, the supports currently or previously provided in the classroom, as well as information solicited from key stakeholders
While the ISAAP process steps we are talking about today are offered as the framework for the local system, each LEA will want to develop procedures and processes for their use as they fully implement the use of designated supports at the classroom level and on the Smarter Balanced assessments.
Materials required:
California Department of Education

28. California Department of Education
reflect
Which existing structures or formats do you think might be useful for identifying students who might benefit from the use of designated supports in daily classroom instruction and on assessments?
4 minutes Running time = 31 minutes
Slide intent: Allow participants to process content and relate to their own district.
Presenter says:
Take three minutes individually or in pairs to think about what existing structures or formats you have in your district that might be used for identifying students that might benefit from the use of designated supports.
(After three minutes, bring group back and elicit examples from participants.)
Materials required:
California Department of Education

29. ISAAP Categories of Need
Executive control: attention, cognition control, and processing
Persistent calculation disability
Reading related disabilities, print disabilities, struggling readers
Need for access in language(s) of translation
Significant motor difficulties and recent injury
Vision impairment/blindness
Hard of hearing/deafness
3 minutes Running time = 34 minutes
Slide intent: Provide some examples of student needs related to the use of designated supports.
Presenter says:
Once you determine the structure and/or format that will be used to consider student learning characteristics and needs related to the use of designated supports, you are ready to think about what kinds of needs might be met by the use of the available supports.
The ISAAP tool that was developed by Smarter Balanced established these categories of need for consideration in the identification and selection process of accessibility supports and these categories may be helpful in ensuring that a wide range of student needs are considered in the identification process. Remember that it is not necessary to use the ISAAP tool to enter information in TOMS to be able to use the tool for guidance in this identification and selection process.
Students do not have to be in special education or have a Section 504 plan to use the designated supports, as this list of needs demonstrates. For example, the first category of executive control could include students diagnosed with ADD that are not special education eligible, or a student with language processing difficulty. Students may have these characteristics but be performing at or above grade level expectations. The use of designated supports will simply allow them to better access, process, and respond to information during classroom instruction or on assessments. However, students with IEPs and Section 504 Plans may use designated support and have those written into their plans, including students that will be taking the CAA.
Notice that students with persistent math difficulties and struggling readers are listed in the categories of need. Most of you have some struggling readers in your classrooms or intervention programs that are not special education eligible but who might benefit from the use of designated supports to enhance their learning.
The need “for access in language of translation” would include English learners in the district. There are a wide variety of designated supports that might be appropriate for those students acquiring English.
(Comment on the last three bullets briefly)
Consider a student with a recent injury—e.g. broken arm— He or she would have a temporary need for support. There may be students with motor, vision or hearing impairments that are performing at or above grade level expectations that would also benefit from designated supports access and respond to instruction and assessment.
Materials required:
California Department of Education

30. A Team Approach to Decision Making: The Educator Role
An educator or team is responsible for decisions about an individual student’s designated supports.
The educator or team must be familiar with the student’s characteristics and needs.
1 minute for slides Running time = 35 minutes
Slide intent: Reinforce importance of team approach to selecting appropriate designated supports.
Presenter says:
There are no specific or detailed requirements for the decision making process. These two points are the key requirements to keep in mind: an educator or team is responsible for the decisions and the educator or team must be knowledgeable about the individual student’s needs and characteristics. Using a team approach will help to ensure that a wide range of information about the student is considered in the decision making process.
Materials required:
California Department of Education

31. A Team Approach to Decision Making: The Parent/Guardian Role
Parents/guardians:
Should be provided resources/information to enable them to provide input to the identification and decision-making process.
Can provide information on the specific needs of their children.
Can provide information about supports used at home.
1 minute for slides Running time = 35 minutes
Slide intent: Stress importance of including parents in this process.
Presenter says:
Parents need to be provided with information on the available designated supports so that they can be meaningfully involved in the identification and selection process. Remember in Step 2 of the ISAAP process, your LEA will be providing information to all parents/guardians about accessibility supports. Once educators begin to identify students that might benefit from the use of designated supports, more specific, targeted information might be provided to the parents of those students.
Communication with parents about the use of designated supports should be a two way street—parents can contribute information about their students needs and about strategies they have found helpful at home to meet those needs. This information may help the team to make appropriate choices of particular designated supports for the benefit of the student.
Materials required:
California Department of Education

32. A Team Approach to Decision Making: The Student Role
Elicit students’ opinions about whether designated supports might be helpful.
And which specific supports might be helpful.
1 minute Running time = 36 minutes
Slide intent: Increase awareness of involving students in the process early on.
Presenter says:
Students also play a critical role in the selection of appropriate designated supports.
Talk with students about the possible use of designated supports. Show them how the supports work and ask whether they think particular supports might be helpful. Ask them which ones they might like to try.
There is a sample student interview form on the flash drive for this session that might be a useful tool for use with students. It can easily be modified to meet the needs of your LEA.
Materials required:
Student Interview form (pre) flash drive
California Department of Education

33. A Team Approach to Decision Making: The Student Role (cont.)
Provide practice opportunities for students via the training tests, practice tests, or Smarter Balanced interim assessments.
After practice opportunities, obtain student input :
Which designated supports were used?
Were there any problems with the designated supports?
What was the impact of the use of the supports on student performance?
Should the support(s) be used again?
1 minute Running time= 37 minutes
Slide intent: Stress importance of post-test evaluation through student input.
Presenter says:
Not only can the student have a role in the initial conversations about whether some designated supports might be helpful, students can also play a pivotal role in providing you input after they have had the opportunity to practice with the designated supports.
Remember that there are several ways that students can get practice using accessibility supports. They can use the training tests or practice tests, or they can take an interim assessment. Remember one of the neat features of the interim assessments is that designated supports can be turned on and off during the process.
After the student has had the opportunity to practice with the selected designated supports, it is important to have a conversation about which ones the student actually used and how it went. The teacher can analyze what the impact of the use of the support was on student performance which can help determine whether the support or supports should be used in the future.
Materials required:
California Department of Education

34. Guiding Questions Step 3: Identifying Students for Supports
What is the LEA process for identifying students who may benefit from the use of designated supports?
Who is involved in the identification process?
What procedures are in place to ensure equitable consideration to all students across the LEA?
8 minutes for slides 34 – 36 Running time = 45 minutes
Slide intent: Allow participants to reflect and plan using handout matrix.
Presenter says:
The next two slides pose some guiding questions for your reflection as you consider where you are in your LEA in regard to having a systematic, equitable process for the identification of students that might benefit from the use of designated supports and the selection of specific supports.
Take some time now to use the seven step matrix handout provided to make some notes on what is in place and possible next steps.
Materials required:
Seven step ISAAP Process matrix (handout)
California Department of Education

35. California Department of Education
Step 3: Team Matrix
This is a sample document that may be used for team planning at your LEA
8 minutes for slides 34 – 36 Running time = 45 minutes
Slide intent: Introduce participants to Team Matrix tool.
Presenter says:
The resource folder on the flash drive for this session has a sample team matrix document that might be a useful tool for this process.
Materials required:
Sample team matrix (flash drive)
California Department of Education

36. Guiding Questions Step 4: Decision-Making Process
How will appropriate decisions about the specific needs of individual students for designated supports be made?
Who should be involved in the decision- making process?
8 minutes for slides 34 – 36 Running time = 45 minutes
Slide intent: Allow participants to reflect and plan using handout matrix.
Presenter says:
Now think about Step 4 of the ISAAP process – the decision making process that goes into selecting appropriate designated supports for students.
Take three minutes and use the seven-step matrix as a guide to think/talk individually or in pairs about what is in place and possible next steps.
(After three minutes wrap up this activity.)
Materials required:
Seven step ISAAP Process matrix (handout)
California Department of Education

37. Applying Your Learning: Selecting Designated Supports for Case Study Students
1 minute Running time = 46 minutes
Slide intent: The purpose of this slide is to introduce the next section of the presentation.
Presenter says:
Let’s now focus on applying your learning and start selecting designated supports for case study students.
Materials required:
California Department of Education

38. Learning Characteristics of Case Study Students
Lilia, an English Learner
James, a below grade-level reader
Martin, a student diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Katie, below grade level mathematics
None of these students is eligible for special education services.
3 minutes Running time = 49 minutes
Slide intent: Revisit sample students representing a variety of potential student needs providing more detailed data.
Presenter says:
Let’s take time now to revisit the students you met earlier in the session.
Note that the slide indicates none of these students is eligible for special education services. Think about whether you have students with these characteristics in your classrooms.
Given the designated supports available in the Smarter Balanced system, what more would you need to know about each of these students to determine whether they might benefit from the use of designated supports in daily instruction and assessments?
In the next two minutes, think about what information you would want to have if you were part of the team deciding whether designated supports should be made available to these students.
Materials required:
California Department of Education

39. Information Needs for the Decision Making Process
What do we need to know about each student to make appropriate decisions?
Educational history
Language proficiency information
Language of instruction
Academic performance
Physical/Medical information
Supports currently being provided in classroom/provided previously
2 minutes Running time = 51 minutes
Slide intent: Focus attention on what information would need to be considered in making decisions regarding designated supports.
Presenter: says
Were some of these information points on your quick write list?
We would want to know the student’s relevant educational history—for example, how many years have they attended this school? Attended school in the U.S.?
What information is available on the student’s language proficiency? If the student is an RFEP, how long have they been re-classified? If they are currently an English learner, what is their overall proficiency level on the CELDT? What are their domain scores? How long have they been at the current proficiency level?
Is the student being instructed in English? Has the student ever been instructed in another language?
What is his/her past and current academic performance level in English language arts/literacy? In mathematics? In other core content areas? We are not just looking for standardized test scores here, but considering local data and daily classroom performance.
Are there any physical or medical considerations that need to be addressed for this student?
What supports have been used to assist this student in the past and with what impact on student learning and performance? What supports are currently being provided during daily classroom instruction and assessment?
There may be other factors that you listed that would be important to consider in the decision making process. The key point here is that multiple sources of information are needed to make appropriate decisions on the question of whether the student might benefit from designated supports and, if so, what particular supports might be most helpful.
As we consider student profiles over the next few minutes, we will be using a sample Identification-Selection Data Sheet form as a tool for considering student learning characteristics and needs.
Materials required:
California Department of Education

40. Case Study: Lilia English Learner
Grade five student designated as an English learner
Intermediate level on the California English Language Development Test (CELDT)
In U.S. schools since Kindergarten
Language of instruction is English
Independent reading level is at grade three
Partner reading, teacher read-aloud, glossaries (both English and translated), English and bilingual dictionaries, visuals and simplified directions are used to support classroom learning and assessment
4 minutes for slides Running time = 55 minutes
Slide intent: Focus attention on what information would need to be considered in making decisions regarding designated supports.
Presenter says:
If I am Lilia’s teacher or a part of the team exploring her need for designated supports, I would be involved in gathering relevant information and analyzing that information to decide what supports would be most beneficial to her. While I want to be sure she has appropriate supports during classroom instruction and on assessments, I want to be strategic selecting only those that I think will meet her individual identified needs and learning characteristics. I don’t want to overwhelm her with too many supports that could actually hinder her performance.
Take out the Identification-Selection Data Sheet from your handout packet. Look over the data provided there as I talk through my analysis of Lilia’s learning characteristics and needs.
As I review the Identification-Selection Data Sheet that the team has completed for Lilia, I see that she is a fifth grade student that has been designated an English learner since she entered school in this district as a kindergartener. Her most recent CELDT score places her at the intermediate English proficiency level and she has been at that level for two years. Her domain scores show that she is strongest at listening and speaking in English and is less proficient at reading and writing in English. She has been instructed in English throughout her school career. She is currently reading at the third grade level based on classroom reading assessments.
I am using partner reading and teacher read aloud in the classroom to give Lilia full access to the curricular content. She also regularly has access to glossaries and dictionaries, both in English only and English-Spanish. I use visuals frequently during instruction and provide simplified directions for Lilia on most classroom assignments.
Materials required:
Lilia case study document on Identification-Selection Data Sheet (handout)
California Department of Education

41. Case Study: Lilia Selection of Supports
Based on what we know about Lilia, which of the available designated supports might be beneficial to her on the Smarter Balanced assessments?
Which available designated supports best match the supports she is using during classroom instruction and assessment?
Are there other supports that should be considered to enhance her learning and assessment experiences?
4 minutes for slides Running time = 55 minutes
Slide intent: Apply student information to decision making/selection process.
Presenter says:
Based on that information, which available designated supports might be beneficial to Lilia during classroom instruction and on the Smarter Balanced assessments?
In English language arts/literacy, I believe the use of a bilingual dictionary for writing would be helpful to Lilia since that is working well right now in the classroom. I would like to try the use of text to speech for ELA items. If needed, I can provide simplified directions.
I think it would be appropriate to use the same designated supports for mathematics with the addition of the translated glossary. Because Lilia has not been taught in Spanish, I don’t think stacked translations will be of benefit to her.
It is important to remember that there is not a “suite of EL supports” that would be assigned to all English learners. Decisions must be made student by student by adults knowledgeable about the student’s learning needs and characteristics.
I also want to be sure to provide Lilia with guided practice on the use of the universal tools of the English glossary that she can access in both ELA and mathematics and of the English dictionary she can use for writing. Since these are used in the classroom, it would be worthwhile to try them out with Lilia in the test interface to see if they are helpful to her.
I want to try these supports out with Lilia on the Smarter Balanced training test and practice tests, as well as on the interim assessment blocks. That will help Lilia and me to know which ones are helpful to her and result in improved performance.
Materials required:
Lilia’s Identification-Selection Data Sheet (handout)
California Department of Education

42. Accessibility Worksheet
4 minutes for slides Running time = 55 minutes
Slide intent: Apply student information to decision making/selection process.
Presenter says:
Once I have decided which supports I believe will be helpful to Lilia, I can use the Accessibility Worksheet form to check the selected supports. You have a sample Accessibility Worksheet in your handout packet that you will be using for another student in a few minutes .
Some of the instructional supports I am currently providing in the classroom (such as visuals and partner reading) will not be available to Lilia on the Smarter Balanced assessments because they would change the construct of the assessment. I will continue to use those in the classroom since they are working well for Lilia.
Materials:
Accessibility Worksheet (handout)
California Department of Education

43. Case Study: Martin Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
Grade eleven student designed as Reclassified Fluent English Proficient (RFEP)
Above grade level reading, writing skills, and mathematics
Takes medication for ADHD
Limited amount of text/graphics on page, separate setting for some independent work and testing, noise buffers used to support classroom learning and assessment
3 minutes for slides Running time = 58 minutes
Slide intent: Provide guided practice activity for participants in the selection of appropriate designated supports.
Presenter says:
Let’s look at Martin’s profile. Take out Martin’s Identification-Selection Data Sheet as we work as a team to decide what designated supports we want to consider for use during classroom instruction and on assessments.
We can see on the Identification-Selection Data Sheet that Martin was reclassified as Fluent English Proficient when he was in 5th grade. Since that time he has demonstrated above grade level reading and writing skills in English, as well as in mathematics.
He was diagnosed by his family doctor with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder at the age of 9 and has been on medication to manage his ADD since the age of 11. His parents and previous teachers report that the medication does help Martin to be more focused at school and at home.
The classroom teacher limits the amount of stimuli, both text and graphics, when presenting information in class and provides customized copies of instructional materials to Martin that have limited amounts of text and/or graphics on a page. Martin has also been taught to block off parts of the text on a page with a piece of paper when reading in his textbooks. That has been successful in helping him to stay focused on curricular content. The teacher tried the use of color cues and highlighting to increase Martin’s ability to focus on key content, but he seemed to be distracted by those supports. On days when he has difficulty focusing on independent work in the classroom, he sometimes goes to the library with an aide to complete assignments. Martin sometimes requests the use of headphones to block out environmental noise when he is working independently and that has been a successful strategy for him.
Materials required:
Martin case study document on Identification-Selection Data Sheet (handout)
California Department of Education

44. Case Study: Martin Selection of Supports
Based on what we know about Martin, which of the available designated supports might be beneficial to him on the Smarter Balanced assessments?
Which available designated supports best match the supports he is using during classroom instruction and assessment?
Are there other supports that should be considered to enhance his learning and assessment experiences?
3 minutes for slides Running time = 58 minutes
Slide intent: To consider what supports would be appropriate for Martin.
Presenter says:
So as a team, let’s consider these questions.
Which designated supports best match what has proven successful in the classroom that might be beneficial for Martin to use on the Smarter Balanced assessments? What are your ideas?
(Ask for volunteers from the audience for ideas.)
(Prompt if needed with these ideas: masking; turn off highlighting; noise buffers; separate setting)
Are there any other supports you think should be considered for Martin, either at the classroom level or on the Smarter Balanced Assessments?
As a team, we could now complete an Accessibility Worksheet document for Martin to document our decisions.
Materials required:
Martin’s Identification-Selection Data Sheet
California Department of Education

45. Case Study: James Struggling Reader
Grade eight student designated as English Only
Independent reading level is at grade four
Teacher read-aloud, CDs, low level-high interest texts, highlighting key words/vocabulary, limited amount of text per page used to support classroom learning and assessment
8 minutes for slides Running time = 66 minutes
Slide intent: Provide time for independent practice by participants of the selection of appropriate designated supports.
Presenter says:
In your handout packet, you have two other Identification-Selection Data Sheets—one for James, a struggling reading, and one for Katie, a student with a persistent calculation disability.
Take out those sheets now. You also have a blank Accessibility Worksheet document that you need to take out of the packet.
This slide highlights some of the learning characteristics for James.
Materials required:
Identification-Selection Data sheet for James (handout)
Identification-Selection Data sheet for Katie (handout)
Blank Accessibility Worksheet document (handout)
California Department of Education

46. Case Study: Katie Persistent Calculation Difficulty
Grade six student designated as English Only.
Limited recall of basic math facts; inefficient use of computational strategies; difficulty in spatial representation skills; difficulty explaining her thinking.
Calculator, multiplication chart, number talks, representing math with pictures/drawings/arrays, manipulatives, masking.
8 minutes for slides Running time = 66 minutes
Slide intent: Provide time for independent practice by participants of the selection of appropriate designated supports.
Presenter says:
This slide highlights some of the learning characteristics for Katie.
Materials required:
California Department of Education

47. Case Study: Selecting Supports for James and Katie
Based on what we know about these students, which of the available designated supports might be beneficial to each of them on the Smarter Balanced assessments?
Which available designated supports best match the supports they are using during classroom instruction and assessment?
Are there other supports that should be considered to enhance their learning and assessment experiences?
8 minutes for slides Running time = 66 minutes
Slide intent: Provide time for independent practice by participants of the selection of appropriate designated supports.
Presenter says:
Take the next few minutes to review these two data sheets for James and Katie and answer the questions on this slide.
Which of the designated supports would most benefit these students based on their individual learning characteristics?
Which best match the supports that have proven successful in the classroom?
Would you recommend targeted practice with any universal tools?
I’m going to give you six minutes to think about these questions. As you are thinking and reviewing resources, write down your ideas on the Identification-Selection Data Sheet in the space provided for team decision. You can use the blank Accessibility Worksheet to document your decisions.
At the end of six minutes I’ll bring the group back together and ask for your ideas.
(Bring the group back together after six minutes and popcorn around the room first asking for information about James and then asking for information about Katie.)
(Provide some possible answers if needed:
Possible answers for James: Masking, text to speech for items (universal tools highlighting, expandable passages)
Possible answers for Katie: Masking (Targeted training on Universal Tools scratch paper, highlighting)
One thing that I hope you see from participating in this activity is that not all classroom supports are available on the Smarter Balanced assessments., Examples include low level-high interest/adapted text, multiplication tables, and, manipulatives.
Materials required:
Data sheet for James
Data sheet for Katie
Accessibility Supports Graphics (ELA and math)
Blank Accessibility Worksheet document
California Department of Education

48. California Department of Education
A Model of the Accessibility Support Identification and Selection Process
2 minutes Running time = 68 minutes
Slide intent: Summarize identification and selection process.
Presenter says:
We have just had an opportunity to examine case studies for four students and assign appropriate designated supports.
Let’s now revisit this graphic that describes all the steps in the process from identifying student needs, matching those needs to available supports, providing students with practice opportunities to use the designated supports, and refining the choices.
Please remember that this process should be done annually for all students. Each year it is important to reassess student needs and reconsider which, if any, designated supports might be beneficial to the student for daily instruction and on assessments.
The ultimate goal is to improve teaching and learning in classrooms for all students. Designated supports are a tool to further that goal.
Materials required:
California Department of Education

49. California Department of Education
reflect
How are individual student needs matched up with available designated supports?
What procedures are in place to ensure access to all students across schools and classrooms in the district?
6 minutes Running time = 74 minutes
Slide intent: Provide reflection and planning time to participants.
Presenter says:
Take the next few minutes to go back to the Process Matrix handout.
Consider these two questions for step 4—what does this process currently look like in your district and what procedures/processes do you think might strengthen equitable access to appropriate designated supports across your LEA? What next steps do you think make sense for your district?
Materials required:
Seven Step ISAAP Process Matrix
California Department of Education

50. Timeline for Use of Accessibility Supports
1 minute for slides Running time = 75 minutes
Slide intent: Make participants aware of resources available to support them in their continuing work.
Presenter says:
There are multiple resources available to support your continuing work to implement a systematic, equitable process for the use of designated supports in your LEA. This timeline document is available on the flash drive for this presentation. It lays out some key tasks that need to be completed by site administrators and teachers, suggests a timeline for task completion, and indicates when you can access CDE tools for the work.
Materials required:
California Department of Education

51. Usability, Accessibility, and Accommodations Guidelines
1 minute for slides Running time = 75 minutes
Slide intent: Make participants aware of resources available to support them in their continuing work.
Presenter says:
This Smarter Balanced guidelines document has extensive detail on all levels of accessibility supports and is a great resource for your use.
Materials required:
California Department of Education

52. Accessibility Resources
CDE’s Student Accessibility Supports Web page:
Smarter Balanced Accessibility and Accommodations Web page:
students/support-for-under-represented-students/
1 minute for slides Running time = 75 minutes
Slide intent: Make participants aware of resources available to support them in their continuing work.
Presenter says:
And here are links to CDE and Smarter Balanced resources to support the effective use of accessibility supports.
Thank you so much for your participation in this session. You should all be leaving with concrete ideas for next steps to be addressed in your LEA to increase the appropriate, equitable use of designated supports.
Materials required:
California Department of Education

53. California Department of Education
Thank You!
1 minute for slides Running time = 75 minutes
Slide intent: This slide is intended to close the session.
Presenter says:
Thank participants, encourage attendance at EL and classroom use sessions if this is a key interest and they want more information.
Materials required:
California Department of Education