December 12, 2012 3:45 – 5:00 p.m.

1. Accommodations for Statewide Assessments: Oral Administration, Transcribing, and Supplemental Aids December 12, 2012 3:45 – 5:00 p.m.

2. Agenda General Information about Accommodations Accommodation Triangle LEP Student’s Accommodations Oral Administration Transcribing ARF Approval/Denial Activity Supplemental Aids Questions?

3. General Information about Accommodations

4. FYI!!!!! There is no longer a printed Accommodations Manual!!!!

5. Accommodations… • Arechanges to instructional materials, procedures, or techniques that allow a student with a disability to participate meaningfully in grade-level or course instruction • Are not changes to the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) • Should be effective in allowing a student access to the TEKS • Should not be provided to a student without evidence of effectiveness, because student need is likely to change from year to year • Must be individualized for each student • Should not be provided to an entire group of students (e.g., all students in a classroom, all students within the same disability category)

6. Any accommodation may be appropriate for classroom use. BUT some accommodations may not be appropriate or allowed for use on a statewide assessment.

7. Students needing accommodations due to a disability include… A student with an identified disability who receives special education services and meets established eligibility criteria for certain accommodations A student with an identified disability who receives Section 504 services and meets established eligibility criteria for certain accommodations A student with a disabling condition who does not receive special education or Section 504 services but meets established eligibility criteria for certain accommodations (i.e., general education)

8. Type 1 Accommodations Specific need Routinely, independently, effectively • Available for students who have a specific need and who routinely, independently, and effectively use the accommodation during classroom instruction and testing. • Local decision (e.g., ARD committee, Section 504 committee, RTI committee) based on specific eligibility criteria • Do NOT submit an Accommodation Request Form

9. Type 2 Accommodations • Includes the requirements of Type 1, along with additional specific eligibility criteria. • Local decision (e.g., ARD committee, Section 504 committee, RTI committee) based on specific eligibility criteria • Do NOT submit an Accommodation Request Form Specific need Routinely, independently, effectively Specific eligibility criteria

10. Type 3 Accommodations Specific need • If it is locally determined that the student meets all of the specific eligibility criteria, an Accommodation Request Form must be submitted. • Request must be approved by TEA before student can use accommodation on a statewide assessment • Should be documented in student’s paperwork as “pending TEA approval” • In the event that a request is denied, the campus should be prepared to meet the student’s needs with allowable accommodations. IF the student meets these specific eligibility criteria, THEN submit an Accommodation Request Form

11. Type 3 Accommodations: Evidence of Need Describe the disability that prevents the student from completing the test within four hours. Be specific about the characteristics of the condition, symptoms, and level of severity the student experiences. Phrases like “severe fatigue” and “shuts down” are not sufficient. The description should be specific and individualized. Explain how the provision of an Extra Day accommodation has proven effective. Does the student require frequent breaks? How long are the student’s breaks? How often are the student’s breaks? How much work does the student accomplish during periods of productivity? Does the student have an alternate school schedule or location (e.g., attends school only two hours a day, is hospitalized, is homebound, has academic work in the A.M. and social skills in the P.M.)? What Type 1 or Type 2 accommodations have been tried and what is the student’s level of success with these? Why are they not effective? What Optional Test Administration Procedures and Materials have been tried and what is the student’s level of success with these? Why are they not effective?

12. Accommodations Triangle Type 1 Accommodations Type 2 Accommodations Type 3 Accommodations

13. Accommodations Triangle

14. Accommodations in Unexpected or Emergency Situations • Unexpected or emergency situations may occur just prior to or on the day of the statewide assessment, and necessitate the use of a testing accommodation. • Procedures for testing coordinators to follow in these cases • First review Optional Test Administration Procedures and Materials to see if anything can meet student’s needs  if so, use it… no need to contact TEA • Then review Accommodation Triangle to see if a Type 1 or 2 accommodation can meet student’s needs  if so, use it… no need to contact TEA • Finally, review Type 3 accommodations  if one of these will be effective, immediately contact TEA’s Accommodations Task Force for permission and additional instructions

15. Accommodations in Unexpected or Emergency Situations • Encouraging student independence should be a priority • Example Scenarios • Student arrives at school without prescribed eyeglasses  try a Projection Device or Large Print before an Oral Administration • Student arrives at school with dominant arm broken see if student can write math computations on a white board with non-dominant hand (“scratch paper or another workspace” in Optional document) and dictate responses for the test administrator to transcribe (Basic Transcribing) before requesting Type 3 accommodation-Mathematics Scribe

16. Recording Accommodation Use on the Answer Document After statewide testing, the accommodation type must be recorded in the ACCOMMODATIONS field on the student’s answer document or in the Assessment Management System for online administrations, if applicable. The accommodation type is indicated in the triangle at the top of each accommodation policy document. Mark the accommodation type for each accommodation that is documented and made available to a student, even if the student did not use the accommodation during testing.

17. LEP Student’s Accommodations

18. Linguistic Accommodations for ELLS Participating in the STAAR Program • Linguistic accommodations guide available at http://www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/accommodations • No changes to linguistic accommodations policies this year • Policies address accommodation needs related to the unique second language learning processes of ELLs

19. Linguistic Accommodations for ELLS Participating in the STAAR Program • Remember: An ELL with a disability may be eligible for both linguistic accommodations and accommodations that address a disability or other special need • For ELLs receiving special education services or Section 504 services, the LPAC and applicable ARD or Section 504 committee work in conjunction to make test accommodation decisions

20. Linguistic Accommodations for ELLS Participating in the STAAR Program • Please note: Beginning in spring 2013, STAAR L will be administered as an online testing program in grades 3–8 and EOC • Clarification in English and reading aloud will be provided in online interface • No test administrator-provided accommodations • Students will need headphones if testing in a group • STAAR L paper test booklets will be approved by TEA in rare circumstances. Detailed information about the STAAR L paper request process will be posted on Coordinator Manual Resources page at http://www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/manuals/dccm

21. Oral Administration

22. Oral Administration: Eligibility Student meets this criteria AND ONE of these

23. Oral Administration: Eligibility What does “evidence of reading difficulties” mean?

24. Oral Administration: Eligibility • Evidence of reading difficulty = a problem with reading • The problem could be caused by a learning disability in reading • The problem could be caused by other conditions, for example • ADHD • Emotional or behavioral disability • Processing or memory issue • The ARD or Section 504 committee decides if the student exhibits evidence of a reading difficulty.

25. Oral Administration: Levels of Support • Two levels of reading support are available • Read questions and answer choices at student request • Read all questions and answer choices Remember to document the level of reading support.

26. Oral Administration: Grouping Students • Consider • Level of reading support • Pace at which students work • Number of students one test administrator can handle • Plan for mixtures of support level and pace • Know what level of support each student receives • Remember the four-hour time limit • Move around room and read aloud to students individually or to small groups of students working at a similar pace

27. What may be read aloud during an Oral Administration?

28. How are test questions read aloud?

29. Items Containing Boxed Information (Mathematics, Science, Social Studies) All parts of the question and answer choice may be read aloud.

30. Items Containing Passage Excerpts (Reading) All parts of the question and answer choice may be read aloud.

31. Items Containing Graphics Read aloud the text. Do not interpret the graphics.

32. Items Containing Content-specific Terms and Symbols Read aloud the terms and symbols the way the students hear them in class.

33. Required Reference Materials • Test administrators may read, but not interpret or help apply, the reference material. • Reference Material Example: Dictionary • The student must independently locate the dictionary entry. • The test administrator may then read aloud the entry the student indicates. • The test administrator may not help the student find a word in the dictionary.

34. Allowable Supplemental Aids • Test administrators may read, but not interpret or help apply, the supplemental aid. • Supplemental Aid Example: List of grammar rules or Math Chart • The student must point to the information (i.e., rule or formula) and request that it be read aloud. • The test administrator may then read aloud the information the student indicates. • The test administrator may not tell students which rule/formula is needed to answer the question.

35. Transcribing Basic Transcribing: Local Decision Complex Transcribing: Accommodation Request Form

36. Basic Transcribing: Examples/Types

37. Basic Transcribing: Eligibility Student meets this criteria AND ONE of these

38. Basic Transcribing: Eligibility What are some examples of students who MAY or MAY NOT meet this criterion?

39. Basic Transcribing Student Eligibility Criteria Student Scenario #1 • Student is not receiving Section 504 or special education services, but loses his place easily when reading or writing in small spaces • Student records his own answers, but uses a place marker to ensure accuracy • Teacher wants the student to mark his answers in the test booklet for her to record on the answer document to ensure accuracy. • “The student has a disabling condition… • that prevents him or her from independently and effectively recording responses on the lined pages of the answer document… • despite multiple unsuccessful attempts to indicate responses on a format similar to an answer document.” NO

40. Basic Transcribing Student Eligibility Criteria Student Scenario #2 • Student is identified with an emotional disturbance • Student can physically write for short assignments, but types on a computer for longer writing assignments. Observational data shows that when given a long writing assignment to handwrite, student becomes loud and agitated, crumbles paper, and refuses to write. • “The student has a disabling condition… • that prevents him or her from… effectively recording responses… on the lined pages of the answer document despite multiple unsuccessful attempts to indicate responses on a format similar to an answer document.” YES

41. Complex Transcribing • This accommodation applies ONLY to the test administrator scribing an eligible student’s dictated or signed response to the writing prompts (including any prewriting or drafts). • Grade 4 and 7 writing tests – written composition • English I, II, and III writing tests – written composition

42. Complex Transcribing: Eligibility Student meets this criteria AND this criteria AND ONE of these

43. Remember… IF the local decision is that the student meets all of the Student Eligibility Criteria for Complex Transcribing, THEN an Accommodation Request Form must be submitted to TEA for a determination.

44. Complex Transcribing: Denial Example #1 • Rationale: A doctor has diagnosed this student with a developmental coordination and anxiety disorder. The developmental coordination disorder affects handwriting. The student has trouble properly forming letters and is slower at writing. The student uses a laptop daily in the classroom to produce written work. The student has high levels of anxiety when rushed with handwriting. Handwriting is very difficult to read. When asked to handwrite assignments, the student gets frustrated and slows down. The student reports hand hurting and/or getting tired if writing for extended amounts of time.

45. Complex Transcribing: Denial Example #1 • Denied because every word in the student’s response can be identified. In addition, the student uses a laptop (Basic Transcribing) routinely, so the school should review the eligibility criteria for Basic Transcribing.

46. Complex Transcribing: Denial Example #2 Rationale: The student was recently evaluated by an occupational therapist and was found to have major deficits in fine motor skills and visual perceptual skills that severely impact the student's writing abilities. According to the -- Test of Motor Proficiency, this student has a 2 year 4 month delay in fine motor skills. On the -- Visual Perception Test, this student has a delay of 4 years 9 months. This affects letter/word formation, spacing, and writing in confined spaces. Basic Transcribing was used several times throughout the year, but with no success.

47. Complex Transcribing: Denial Example #2 Denied because individual letters are recognizable for the most part. Although the student produces strings of letters, the student can physically write. Complex Transcribing is not intended to address spelling deficits. Deficits in “spacing and writing in confined spaces” can be addressed by using the Optional Test Administration Material-scratch paper (i.e., large-lined paper) .

48. Complex Transcribing: Denial Example #3 Rationale: This student has significant developmental delays in gross motor, fine motor, and visual motor skills, and sensory processing. The student has been diagnosed with dysgraphia, autism, and speech impairment. The student has low tone overall with diminished hand strength bilaterally. Pencil grasp is weak and student tends to fatigue easily. The student demonstrates poor eye tracking skills and can localize on a target for approximately three seconds. Loss of target, blinking, and eye rubbing was present and remains present when attempting to write. Ability to type with text-to-speech and word prediction has helped somewhat. This student has significant difficulty with attention span and attention to detail. The student becomes easily frustrated and will avoid both typing and writing. However, when asked to give verbal responses, the student is much more productive and accurate.

49. Complex Transcribing: Denial Example #3 Denied because every letter/word in the student’s response can be identified. In addition, the rationale shows that Basic Transcribing (typing) is successful. If the student works slower when typing because of fatigue due to a physical disability, then the school should review eligibility criteria for Extra Time.

50. Complex Transcribing: Approval Example #1 This student has Muscular Dystrophy which severely limits his fine motor ability. The student has lost the use of all major muscle groups. His arms rest on his motorized wheelchair and he is only slightly able to move his fingers to manipulate the joy stick. This student is not able to hold a pencil or type and must dictate his responses to an adult on a daily basis. Without this accommodation this student is unable to complete any type of written assignment. The district has not tried any type of Basic Transcribing, since it is inappropriate.