Oral Administration of State Assessments

1. Oral Administration of State Assessments Jana Owen Co-Manager of the Accommodations Task Force Student Assessment Division 2010 Texas Assessment Conference Texas Education Agency

2. Disclaimer These slides have been prepared and approved by the Student Assessment Division of the Texas Education Agency. If any slide is amended or revised for use in local or regional trainings, please remove the TEA footer at the bottom of the slide. 2010 Texas Assessment Conference Texas Education Agency

3. Agenda • Oral Administration • Student Eligibility • Data • Test Administrator Responsibilities • Sample Items 2010 Texas Assessment Conference Texas Education Agency

4. Oral Administration • An accommodation in which test questions and answer choices may be read aloud or signed to eligible students. This includes words (and numbers if necessary) on any part of the test: • Charts, tables, graphs, graphics, captions under art, diagrams, pictures, figures • TAKS Mathematics Chart • TAKS Science Formula Chart and Periodic Table • Allowable or approved supplemental aids 2010 Texas Assessment Conference Texas Education Agency

5. Oral Administration • Only allowed for mathematics, science, and/or social studies tests • Oral administration is NOT allowed for reading, writing, or ELA tests; does not apply to: • Dyslexia Bundled Accommodations for TAKS and TAKS (Accommodated) • Reading aloud test questions and answer choices on TAKS–M reading selections • These are not called oral administrations 2010 Texas Assessment Conference Texas Education Agency

6. Oral Administration • Oral administration can encompass different levels of reading support for each student: • Reading only a few words or phrases at student request • Reading multiple sentences throughout the test at student request • Reading the test in its entirety 2010 Texas Assessment Conference Texas Education Agency

7. Oral Administration • The documentation (e.g., IEP, IAP, local paperwork) must describe the level of reading support the student needs as well as whether the student can request a change in the level of reading support provided during testing. • If the student requires reading support for numbers in addition to words, then attention must be given to how the numbers are read aloud so that no cues to the correct answer are inadvertently given. 2010 Texas Assessment Conference Texas Education Agency

8. Student Eligibility A test administrator may read aloud or sign the test questions and answer choices to a student: • Not receiving special education or Section 504 services who is identified with dyslexia • Receiving Section 504 services who is identified as dyslexic or has evidence of reading difficulties as documented in the IAP • Receiving special education services who is identified as dyslexic or has evidence of reading difficulties as documented in the IEP • Receiving special education services who is deaf or hard of hearing and who has evidence of reading difficulties as documented in the IEP 2010 Texas Assessment Conference Texas Education Agency

9. Student Eligibility • Eligibility is determined at the local level by • the student’s committee of knowledgeable persons and documented in accordance with district policies • the student’s Section 504 placement committee and documented in IAP • the student’s ARD committee and documented in IEP • For an English language learner, eligibility should be made in conjunction with the student’s LPAC and documented in the permanent record file 2010 Texas Assessment Conference Texas Education Agency

10. Student Eligibility • For all 4 eligibility criteria, the student must routinely receive this type of accommodation in classroom instruction and testing. • Routinely ≠ Every day • Only students who meet the eligibility criteria may receive an oral/signed administration. • Therefore, no Accommodation Request Forms should be submitted. • Exceptions exist for emergencies (lost glasses or eye injury). 2010 Texas Assessment Conference Texas Education Agency

11. How Many Students Receive an Oral Administration? 2010 Texas Assessment Conference Texas Education Agency

12. How Many Students Receive an Oral Administration? 2010 Texas Assessment Conference Texas Education Agency

13. Test Administrator Responsibilities BEFORE TEST DAY • Receive additional training in oral admin procedures, including guidelines for reading aloud items • Sign Section 1 of the Oath of Test Security and Confidentiality • Be familiar with the content-specific terms and symbols associated with the test • Know the level of reading support required for each student and whether the student can change the level during testing • Plan for small group or individual testing 2010 Texas Assessment Conference Texas Education Agency

14. Test Administrator Responsibilities ON TEST DAY • Use Form 1 of TAKS • Do not work test items, write notes, or discuss test content • Do not rephrase, clarify, or interpret test content • Do not provide nonverbal assistance to students • Keep voice inflection neutral (except words in boldface, italics, or all caps) • Each word or item may be read aloud as many times as necessary 2010 Texas Assessment Conference Texas Education Agency

15. Test Administrator Responsibilities ON or RIGHT AFTER TEST DAY • Sign Section 3 of the Oath of Test Security and Confidentiality • Indicate that the student received an oral administration by marking the “OA” code in the ACCOMMODATIONS (FOR ALL PROGRAMS) field on the scorable document 2010 Texas Assessment Conference Texas Education Agency

16. Oral Administration Appendix 2010 Texas Assessment Conference Texas Education Agency

17. Type A Do not read aloud answer choices that are pictures or geometric figures. Instead, after reading the test question, say to the student, “Look at the pictures (figures, models, graphs) and mark your answer.” 2010 Texas Assessment Conference Texas Education Agency

18. Grade 3 Math 2010 Texas Assessment Conference Texas Education Agency

19. Grade 3 Math First, read the question. Then say: “Look at the pictures and mark your answer.” 2010 Texas Assessment Conference Texas Education Agency

20. Grade 10 Science 2010 Texas Assessment Conference Texas Education Agency

21. Grade 10 Science First, read the question. Then say: “Look at the diagrams and mark your answer.” 2010 Texas Assessment Conference Texas Education Agency

22. Type B If an item contains a table, graph, diagram, or picture that includes words or numbers, say to the student, “Take a few moments to look at the table (graph, diagram, picture) and tell me whether you would like me to read any of the numbers or words to you. Then let me know when you are ready to go on.” It’s important to consider the level of reading support the student needs (based on the documentation) when allowing for student choice. 2010 Texas Assessment Conference Texas Education Agency

23. Three Levels of Reading Support • Reading only a few words or phrases at student request • Reading multiple sentences throughout the test at student request • Reading the test in its entirety 2010 Texas Assessment Conference Texas Education Agency

24. Grade 5 Science 2010 Texas Assessment Conference Texas Education Agency

25. Grade 5 Science First, direct the student’s attention to the diagram. Then… …if reading the test in its entirety… Point and Say: “This says Part of the Carbon Cycle. This says Carbon dioxide goes into the atmosphere. This says…” Then, read the question and answer choices. …or if reading words at student request…Say: “Take a few moments to look at the diagram and tell me whether you would like me to read any of the words to you. Then let me know when you are ready to go on.” 2010 Texas Assessment Conference Texas Education Agency

26. Grade 8 Math 2010 Texas Assessment Conference Texas Education Agency

27. Grade 8 Math First, read the top part of the question. Then… …if reading the test in its entirety… Point and Say: “This says Tuan’s Typing. This says Accuracy in percent. This says…” Last, read the bottom part of the question and the answer choices. …or if reading words at student request…Say: “Take a few moments to look at the scatterplot and tell me whether you would like me to read any of the words to you. Then let me know when you are ready to go on.” 2010 Texas Assessment Conference Texas Education Agency

28. Type C When reading words or numbers from a table, graph, or diagram, be careful not to aid the student in interpreting or analyzing the information, since the ability to interpret and analyze is part of what is being tested. You may only read words or numbers to the student. 2010 Texas Assessment Conference Texas Education Agency

29. Grade 5 Science 2010 Texas Assessment Conference Texas Education Agency

30. Grade 5 Science If reading the test in its entirety…Point and Say: “This word is krill. This word is plankton…” It would NOT be allowable to say: “Krill eat plankton and krill are eaten by the whale,” because that would be interpreting the food chain. 2010 Texas Assessment Conference Texas Education Agency

31. Grade 8 Social Studies 2010 Texas Assessment Conference Texas Education Agency

32. Grade 8 Social Studies If reading the test in its entirety…Be careful not to interpret what the arrows mean in the graphic. It would NOT be allowable to say: “Invention of the cotton gin led to increased cotton production…” 2010 Texas Assessment Conference Texas Education Agency

33. Type D Read content-specific terms and symbols in the way the student hears them in his or her daily instruction. This will ensure that the test is administered accurately. It’s important to consider whether the accuracy will be affected by a test administrator’s speech. Best practice would be that the students are familiar with the test administrator and the test administrator is familiar with the specific terms and symbols used in the subject. 2010 Texas Assessment Conference Texas Education Agency

34. 2010 Texas Assessment ConferenceTexas Education Agency Grade 6 Math

35. This says forty five degrees. Grade 6 Math What is the measure of Angle YZW? A Forty-five degrees B Ninety degrees C Two hundred seventy degrees D One hundred thirty-five degrees 2010 Texas Assessment Conference Texas Education Agency

36. Grade 6 Math 2010 Texas Assessment Conference Texas Education Agency

37. Grade 6 Math These answer choices are correctly read as: A Seven to nine B Sixteen to nine C Seven to sixteen D Nine to seven NOT Seven colon nine, etc. 2010 Texas Assessment Conference Texas Education Agency

38. XL Math 2010 Texas Assessment Conference Texas Education Agency

39. XL Math These answer choices are correctly read as: F y equals the absolute value of x G y equals the square root of x H y equals x squared J y equals x 2010 Texas Assessment Conference Texas Education Agency

40. Type E For items that require knowledge of place value to read or write numbers, read the numbers as individual digits. (Math grades 3–5 only.) If the student requires reading support for numbers in addition to words, then attention must be given to how the numbers are read aloud so that no cues to the correct answer are inadvertently given. 2010 Texas Assessment Conference Texas Education Agency

41. Three Levels of Reading Support • Reading only a few words or phrases at student request • Reading multiple sentences throughout the test at student request • Reading the test in its entirety 2010 Texas Assessment Conference Texas Education Agency

42. Grade 3 Math Which of these numbers is greater than 3,590? Mark your answer. • 3,491 • 3,601 • 3,589 • 3,578 Do NOT Say: “Three-thousand, five-hundred ninety…Three-thousand, four-hundred ninety one…Three-thousand, six-hundred one…” This can give away the answer. Say: “Which of these numbers is greater than three, comma, five, nine, zero? Mark your answer.” TEA Student Assessment Division

43. Grade 3 Math Which of these numbers is greater than 3,590? Mark your answer. • 3,491 • 3,601 • 3,589 • 3,578 For the answer choices: “The first option is three, comma, four, nine, one. The second option is three, comma, six, zero, one…” And so on. OR “Take a few moments to look at the answer choices and tell me whether you would like me to read any of the numbers to you. Then let me know when you are ready to go on.” TEA Student Assessment Division

44. Grade 4 Math 2010 Texas Assessment Conference Texas Education Agency

45. Grade 4 Math Read this just as a student would hear it in instruction: “The model below is shaded to represent two-tenths. However, for the answer choices, do NOT say: A Two and zero-tenths B Two-tenths C Two-hundredths D Two and eight-tenths Rather, say: A Two point zero B Zero point two C Zero point zero two D Two point eight 2010 Texas Assessment Conference Texas Education Agency

46. Grade 3 Math 2010 Texas Assessment Conference Texas Education Agency

47. Grade 3 Math • Say: “In the year two thousand, there were one, seven, three, comma, six, seven, zero people in Texas who walked to work every day. Which answer choice has the same value as one, seven, three, comma, six, seven, zero? Mark your answer. • One, zero, comma, zero, zero, zero plus seven, comma, zero, zero, zero plus…” And so on. • Or if reading words at student request…Say: “Take a few moments to look at the answer choices and tell me whether you would like me to read any of the numbers to you. Then let me know when you are ready to go on.” 2010 Texas Assessment Conference Texas Education Agency

48. Cautions About These Examples • These slides are intended to emphasize the importance of using the Oral Administration Appendix for training test administrators prior to testing. • These slides represent just a few examples of the different types of test items that may appear on a test. • These slides do not represent all of the content-specific terms and symbols that could appear on a test. • Training at the local level may include additional items for practice. 2010 Texas Assessment Conference Texas Education Agency