ACCOMMODATIONS for Students with Disabilities Taking STAAR, STAAR Spanish, STAAR Modified, STAAR L, or TELPAS TETN Event #10416 October 13, 2011 TEA Student

ACCOMMODATIONSfor Students with Disabilities

Taking STAAR, STAAR Spanish, STAAR Modified, STAAR L, or TELPASTETN Event #10416

October 13, 2011TEA Student Assessment Division

Disclaimer SlideThese 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.

10/13/2011 TETN #10416 TEA Student Assessment Division 2

Agenda• Webpage Updates• Critical Information about

Accommodations for Students with Disabilities• Optional Test Administration

Procedures and Materials• The Accommodation Triangle• Specific Accommodation Policies• Former Dyslexia Accommodations• What’s Left?


Webpage UpdatesAccommodations for Students with

Disabilities (SWD) taking STAAR, STAAR Spanish, STAAR Modified, STAAR L, and TELPAS

http:// www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/accommodations/s

taar-telpas/

What will be posted?◦ Critical Information about Accommodations

for SWD◦ Optional Test Administration Procedures

and Materials◦ The Accommodation Triangle (with some

live links)


Critical Information about Accommodations for Students with DisabilitiesFor the purposes of statewide testing,

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


Critical Information about Accommodations for Students with DisabilitiesWho makes decisions about

accommodation use during statewide assessments for students with disabilities and where should the decisions be documented?◦Special education services: the ARD

committee; IEP◦Section 504 services: the 504

placement committee; IAP


Critical Information about Accommodations for Students with Disabilities

◦No special education or Section 504 services: the appropriate team of people at the campus level; documentation determined at local level Response to Intervention (RTI) team and

student assistance team are just examples

This applies to a small group of students


Optional Test Administration Procedures and Materials

Referred to as Related Testing Procedures in TETN #10414 Includes some procedures and materials that have been

called testing accommodations in previous years Related to best practices for instruction Available to any student who needs them Use of these procedures or materials is not recorded on

the student’s answer document Authority for decision is the same as for accommodations;

there must be a body of people in place to make decisions The campus testing coordinator will need to know in order

to plan for test days Descriptions and guidelines for use included in document

on Accommodations for SWD webpage and in test administrator manuals


Optional Test AdministrationProcedures and Materials A student may use the

following procedures and materials during the statewide assessments:

1. Procedures or materials to minimize distractions (e.g., stress ball, noise-reducing headphones)

2. Reading test aloud to self (e.g., reading into a voice-feedback device or voice recorder)

3. Signing or translating test administration directions

4. Reading assistance on grade 3 mathematics

If distracting to other students, an individual administration may be required.

5. Individual or small-group testing

6. Colored overlays

7. Magnifying devices

8. Place markers

9. Highlighters or colored pencils

10. Preferential seating

11. Scratch paper /

other workspace


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2

3The Accommodation Triangle

10/13/2011 TETN #10416 TEA Student Assessment Division

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The Accommodation Triangle

Type 1 accommodations are for a larger number of students. As the triangle narrows, the policies become more restrictive, addressing fewer students who have these specific needs. Type 3 accommodations are intended for a small number of students.

Type 1 Accommodation: for students with a specific need who routinely, independently, and effectively use it during classroom instruction and testing; no ARF

Type 2 Accommodation: Type 1 requirements plus additional specific eligibility criteria; no ARF

Type 3 Accommodation: appropriate team of people at campus level determines eligibility for listed accommodations or “other” accommodations not listed in the triangle AND submits an ARF to TEA


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Here’s What’s Ready to Post

Type 1 Accommodations◦Projection Devices

◦Amplification Devices

Type 2 Accommodations◦Large Print◦Calculation Devices◦Dictionary◦Manipulating Test

Materials◦Oral / Signed

Administration◦Math Manipulatives◦Supplemental Aids


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The next several slides only include the highlights of some accommodations.

Special instructions and considerations are not shown here today.

These slides should not be used as the sole source of accommodation training.

Educators must access the actual accommodation policy pages from the Accommodation Triangle.


Calculation Devices Reminder Gr. 3-8 math & science tests for STAAR, STAAR Spanish,

STAAR Modified, STAAR L Eligibility Criteria

◦ Special education or Section 504◦ Routinely, independently, & effectively uses this

accommodation during classroom instruction and testing

◦ Gr. 3-4: physical disability that prevents student from writing or an impairment in vision that prevents student from seeing the numbers used in computations

◦ Gr. 5-8: meets one criteria from Gr. 3-4 or has a disability that affects math calculations (unable to memorize basic facts or perform steps in an algorithm)


Calculation Devices ReminderRequired for STAAR, STAAR

Modified, and STAAR L Algebra I, geometry, biology; STAAR and STAAR L Algebra II, chemistry, physics

Not an accommodation for these tests


Calculation Devices Examples/TypesThis accommodation may ONLY

include◦Four-function calculator◦Scientific calculator◦Graphing calculator◦Large-key calculator◦Abacus or Cranmer modified abacus◦Audio-graphing calculator◦Speech output calculator

This is an exhaustive list. No other calculators are allowed.


Dictionary ReminderGr. 3-5 reading tests for STAAR,

STAAR Spanish, STAAR ModifiedEligibility Criteria

◦Special education or Section 504◦Routinely, independently, & effectively…◦Disability that affects memory retrieval

and/or decoding skillsRequired for STAAR and STAAR

Modified gr. 6-8 reading, gr. 7 writing, English I & II; STAAR English III; not an accommodation


Dictionary Examples/TypesThis accommodation may ONLY include

◦Standard/general dictionary in English (or Spanish)

◦Dictionary/thesaurus combo◦Electronic dictionary (no Internet access)◦Bilingual dictionary◦ESL dictionary◦Picture dictionary◦Sign language dictionary

This is an exhaustive list. No other dictionaries are allowed.


Oral/Signed Administration

STAAR, STAAR Spanish, STAAR Modified, & STAAR L◦Test questions and answer choices for all math,

science, and social studies tests, including EOCSTAAR, STAAR Spanish, & STAAR

Modified◦ Gr. 3-8 reading test questions and answer choices

only; NEVER the reading selections◦ English I, II, III test questions and answer choices

from the reading section; NEVER the reading selections; NEVER the revising & editing passages, questions, or answer choices; OK to read the writing prompt (more specific info to come)


Oral/Signed AdministrationEligibility Criteria

◦ Routinely and effectively…◦ Meets one of the following:

The student receives special education services and is identified with dyslexia or has evidence of reading difficulties

The student receives Section 504 services and is identified with dyslexia or has evidence of reading difficulties.

The student does not receive special education or Section 504 services but is identified with dyslexia.


Oral Administration Examples/TypesTWO levels of reading support:

◦Reading parts of the test questions and/or answer choices at student request

◦Reading all test questions and answer choices throughout the test

Removed the level of “reading the test in its entirety” because reading selections can never be read aloud

For other subjects, all words in the test questions and answer choices can be read aloud (includes tables, graphs, etc.)


Mathematics ManipulativesSTAAR, STAAR Spanish, STAAR Modified,

STAAR L mathematics testsEligibility Criteria

◦Special education only◦Routinely, independently, and effectively…◦Has a disability that affects memory

retrieval, focus, or organization such that he or she cannot learn and retain information as effectively as non-disabled peers despite multiple opportunities to learn, varied instructional strategies, and high-quality instruction.


Math Manipulatives Examples/TypesThis accommodation may ONLY include

◦ Real or play money◦ Clocks (instructional clocks, not a wall clock)◦ Base-ten blocks◦ Counters◦ Algebra tiles◦ Fraction pieces◦ Geometric figures

This is an exhaustive list. No other manipulatives are allowed.Be sure to read the complete

accommodation policy for guidelines regarding labeling and other details.


Supplemental AidsSTAAR, STAAR Spanish, STAAR

Modified, STAAR LEligibility Criteria

◦Special education only◦Routinely, independently, & effectively…◦Has a disability that affects memory

retrieval, focus, or organization such that he or she cannot learn and retain information as effectively as non-disabled peers despite multiple opportunities to learn, varied instructional strategies, and high-quality instruction.


Supplemental Aids Examples/TypesThis accommodation may ONLY include

◦ All subjects: mnemonic devices, blank graphic organizers

◦ Math: addition & multiplication charts,100 chart, place value chart, pictorial models of fraction bars/circles & geometric figures

◦ Writing: grammar and mechanics rules◦ Science: graphics, formula triangles◦ Social studies: blank maps, timelines

This is an exhaustive list. No other supplemental aids are allowed.Be sure to read the complete accommodation

policy for guidelines regarding labeling and other details.


Want additional manipulatives and supplemental aids?For the 2011-2012 school year,

these lists represent what eligible students can use.

TEA will not accept ARFs for additional manipulatives or supplemental aids.

TEA encourages feedback from educators about additional manipulatives and supplemental aids that can be added to the lists for future years. This will be requested after spring testing.


Be Sure to Carefully Read…

This section provides detailed information that is integral to the appropriate use of each accommodation. For instance, the section may include test administration instructions, security precautions, and training requirements.

The intent of this section is to assist districts in making accommodation decisions. It will be updated as needed based on educator feedback. This section will not be included on all accommodations.


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Former Dyslexia Accommodations

The Dyslexia Bundled Accommodations were part of the TAKS program for reading grades 3 through 8.

The bundle of 3 accommodations does not exist for the STAAR program.

However, there are several accommodations that could be useful for a student with dyslexia.

Oral administration will now be expanded to include allowing the TA to read aloud the questions and answer choices from the reading tests to students who meet the eligibility criteria; the TA can never read aloud the reading selections.


Former Dyslexia AccommodationsExtra time to complete the test (until the end

of the published school day) may be allowed if the student meets the eligibility criteria. Students identified with dyslexia will most likely be included in the eligibility criteria. However, this policy has not yet been finalized or posted.

Having an extra day to complete the test is reserved for students with serious medical conditions or other unique and severe situations. Students identified with dyslexia will most likely NOT be included in the eligibility criteria. However, this policy has not yet been finalized or posted.


What’s Left to Finalize and Post?Transcribing by

Test AdministratorSpelling

Assistance BrailleExtra TimeExtra Day(s)Photocopy“Other”

Accommodations

Point Size and Font Matrices

Braille / Large PrintAppendix

Deaf / Hard of Hearing Appendix

Accommodation Request Form Process

Guidelines for Recording Accommodation Use on the Answer Document


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Contact InformationCheck the webpages for latest postings before calling.

http://www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/accommodations/staar-telpas/

E-mailtest. [email protected]

Call if you need quick answers512.463.9536


Documents

ACCOMMODATIONS for Students with Disabilities Taking STAAR, STAAR Spanish, STAAR Modified, STAAR L, or TELPAS TETN Event #10416 October 13, 2011 TEA Student