Guidelines on Tools, Supports, & Accommodations

95 Pages·2017·1.42 MB·English

2017-18

Published November 8, 2017: Revised January 17, 2018

Office of Superintendent 2016-17 GTSA
of Public Instruction
Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction
Old Capitol Building
P. O. Box 47200
Olympia, WA 98504-7200
This document is available online at: www.http://wa.portal.airast.org/
This material is available in alternate format upon request. Document 14-0096
Contact the Resource Center at [phone], TTY [phone].
Copyright © 2017‒18 by the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, Olympia, Washington.
Portions of the materials included in this document are provided, in whole or part, by the Smarter Balanced Assessment
and English Language Proficiency Assessment of the 21st Century (ELPA21) Consortiums to support the Office of
Superintendent of Public Instruction in implementing Washington’s state assessment system, a part of which includes
use of the assessments developed by the Smarter Balanced Assessment and ELPA21 Assessment Consortiums. The
original Smarter Balanced and ELPA21 documents were aided through assistance and input from the National Center on
Educational Outcomes.
As a member of Smarter Balanced and ELPA21, the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction has authorization to
make available all content within this document for reproduction and distribution for educational purposes without
permissions.
OSPI provides equal access to all programs and services without discrimination based on sex, race, creed, religion, color,
national origin, age, honorably discharged veteran or military status, sexual orientation including gender expression or
identity, the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by
a person with a disability. For questions and complaints of alleged discrimination, contact OSPI’s Equity and Civil Rights
Director (Title IX/Section 504 Coordinator) at [phone]/TTY: [phone] or P.O. Box 47200 Olympia, WA 98504-
7200.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Structure of This Document 1
Acronyms 2
Introduction 3
Purpose of the 2017-18 Guidelines 3
Intended Audience and Recommended Use 4
Recognizing Access Needs in All Students 4
Intention of this Document 8
Key Changes to the 2017-18 Guidelines 8
Section I: Universal Tools 9
What Are Universal Tools? 9
Embedded Universal Tools 9
Non-Embedded Universal Tools 9
Paper-Pencil Universal Tools 9
Section II: Designated Supports 17
What Are Designated Supports? 17
Who Makes Decisions About Designated Supports? 17
Embedded Designated Supports 17
Non-Embedded Designated Supports 17
Paper-Pencil Designated Supports 17
Section III: Accommodations 28
What Are Accommodations? 28
Who Makes Decisions About Accommodations? 28
Embedded Accommodations 28
Non-Embedded Accommodations 28
Paper-Pencil Accommodations 28
Policies, Laws, & Practices 40
Test Security Protocols 40
Issues Related to Fair and Ethical Assessment Administration 40
Evaluating and Improving the Use of Accessibility Features 40
Planning for Tools, Supports, Accommodations, and Coordinating Testing Logistics 41
Appendices
Appendix A: Materials Available for Student Access 42
Appendix B: Scratch Paper Log 45
Appendix C: Read-Aloud, Test Reader Guidelines—English and Translation 46
Appendix D: Translated Mathematics Style Guide 56
Appendix E: Scribing and Transcribing Guidelines 58
Appendix F: Simplified Test Directions Guidelines 62
Appendix G: Braille and Large Print Guidelines 65
Appendix H: 100s Number Table 67
Appendix I: Multiplication Table 68
Appendix J: Periodic Table 69
Appendix K: Frequently Asked Questions 70
Appendix L: Non-Standard Accommodation or Designated Support Request 78
Appendix M: Domain Exemption 80
Appendix N: Glossary 81
Resources 86
Revision Log 88
Acknowledgments 89
Structure of This Document
This document is divided into several parts. The following
information provides a brief description of each section.
Introduction: This section introduces the document and
the conceptual model that is the basis for the universal
tools, designated supports, and accommodations.
Section I: This section features the universal tools available
on assessments to all students.
Section II: This section features the designated supports
available on assessments.
Section III: This section features the accommodations
available on assessments to students receiving services.
Policies, Laws, and Practices: This section covers topics
related to maintaining test security, validity, professional
standards, ethical testing practice, and reliability
associated with administering state assessments and
implementation of the accessibility features.
Appendices: This section provides a variety of
summarizing, implementation guidelines, and clarifying
information.
Resources: This section provides the resources that have
contributed to the consortiums tools, supports, and
accommodations.
Revision Log: This section will be used to identify any
changes that may be necessary in this guide.
Acknowledgements: This page features the units within
OSPI that have provided guidance on information within
these guidelines.
Page 1
Acronyms
The first time that one of the following labels is used in this document, it will then be followed by use only of the
acronym.
• AAM: ELPA21 Accessibility and Accommodations • ORS: Online Reporting System
Manual
• OSPI: Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction
• AIR: A-I-R American Institutes for Research
• PNP: Personal Needs Profile provided by ELPA21
• ASL: American Sign Language
• PT: Performance Task
• AT: Assistive Technology
• RCW: Revised Code of Washington
• CAA: Certificate of Academic Achievement
• SC: School Test Coordinator
• CAT: Computer Adaptive Test
• SEA: State Education Agency
• CCSS: Common Core State Standards
• TA: Test Administrators (Proctors)
• CEDARS: Comprehensive Education Data and Research
• TAM: Test Administration Manual
System
• TBIP: Transitional Bilingual Instructional Program
• CIA: Certificate of Individual Achievement (IEP
• TDS: Test Delivery System
required)
• THSS: Teacher Hand Scoring System (Interims)
• DA: District Administrator
• TIDE: Test Information Distribution Engine
• DC: District Test Coordinator
• TSBP: Test Security and Building Plan
• EALRS: Essential Academic Learning Requirements
• UAAG: Smarter Balanced Usability, Accessibility, and
• EDS: Education Data System
Accommodations Guidelines
• ELA: English language Arts
• WA-AIM: Washington Access to Instruction &
• ELLs: English language learners
Measurement
• ELP: English Language Proficiency
• WAC: Washington Administrative Code
• ELPA21: English Language Proficiency Assessment for
• WAMS: Washington Assessment Management System
the 21st Century
• WCAP: Washington Comprehensive Assessment
• EOC: End-of-Course
Program
• ESSA: Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of 2016
• WCAS: Washington Comprehensive Assessment of
• GTSA: Guidelines on Tools, Supports, & Accommodations Science
• IDEA: Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
• IEP: Individualized Education Program
• ISAAP: Individual Student Assessment Accessibility
Profile by Smarter Balanced
• ISR: Individual Score Report
• LEA: Local Education Agency
• LEP: Limited English Proficiency
• NAEP: National Assessment of Educational Progress
• NCLB: No Child Left Behind Act
• NGSS: Next Generation Science Standards
• OGL: Off-Grade Level
Page 2
Introduction
Purpose of the 2017-18 Guidelines of state guidelines). Members may elect not to make
available to its students, any universal tool, designated
As Washington looks to implement assessments, various
support, or accommodation that is otherwise included
supporting guidelines will require transition to better align
in the guidelines when the implementation or use of the
with new and expected administration protocols. To that
universal tool, designated support, or accommodation is
end, Washington has adopted the Usability, Accessibility,
in conflict with a members law, regulation, or policy, but
and Accommodations Guidelines (UAAG) created by the
a state is not to relax the protocols associated with an
Smarter Balanced Consortium and the Accessibility and
accessibility feature or to add new features.
Accommodations Manual (AAM) created by the English
Language Proficiency Assessment for the 21st Century When identifying the appropriate accessibility features
(ELPA21) Consortium, enacting state-specific adjustments for students, it is important to evaluate whether a student
(paper-pencil and/or online) particular to the Washington needs greater aid in accessing the assessment. The goal
Comprehensive Assessment of Science (WCAS) and math of selecting appropriate accessibility features is to allow
end-of-course (EOC). the student improved interaction with the assessment
and an opportunity to enhance the demonstration of skills
Washington, in acknowledging the depth of process and
and knowledge of the content. There will be accessibility
the design tenets employed by Smarter Balanced and
features used within the classroom for instructional
ELPA21 to provide every student with a positive and
purposes, but only those identified in the member’s
productive assessment experience, leading to results
guidelines, and under the applicable criteria, should be
that are a fair and accurate estimate of each student’s
used on state assessments.
achievement, is providing a comprehensive set of
accessibility guidelines for implementation in state testing. The purpose of the Guidelines on Tools, Supports, &
In doing so, Washington is leveraging the efforts taken by Accommodations (GTSA) for state assessments is to:
Smarter Balanced and ELPA21 in building a framework of • Assist schools in providing students with the best
accessibility for all students, including English language opportunity to show what they know within the state
learners (ELLs), students with disabilities, and English assessment environment.
language learners with disabilities, but not limited to
• Make information available to assessment staff and
these groups. In the process of developing next-generation
other administrators who oversee the decisions that
assessments measuring students’ knowledge and skills
are made in instruction and assessments.
as they progress toward college and career readiness,
• Provide assessment staff and administrators with
Smarter Balanced and ELPA21 recognized that the
a way to evaluate the effectiveness of assessment
validity of assessment results depends on each and every
accommodations.
student having appropriate universal tools, designated
• Ensure that a uniform process is followed for
supports, and accommodations when needed, based
administrating the provision of accommodations for
on the constructs measured by the assessment; in turn,
eligible students.
Washington State desires to emulate these approaches
through the use of these same guidelines where it applies This document identifies assessment accessibility
to other state testing. This document is developed features for eligible students designed to improve student
through the concerted undertaking of Smarter Balanced interaction with state assessments. The expectation is
and ELPA21 members, and Washington uniquely, where that improved interaction will result in better confidence
state-specific testing warranted, in an effort to guide and in the inferences made about students regarding the
support the selection and administration of universal tools, content knowledge without compromising the validity
designated supports, and accommodations. of the testing instrument. The accessibility features in
this document have been approved by the Office of
For the secure summative assessments provided as part
Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) and include
of the Smarter Balanced and ELPA21 systems, a state
those approved, within the constraints where delineated,
can only make available to students the universal tools,
for all state testing.
designated supports, and accommodations that are
included in the UAAG and AAM (incorporated in this set Student access to the state assessments falls into a matrix
of three categories and two delivery methods.
Page 3
• The categories are: (1) universal tools, (2) designated participation and performance on state assessments.
supports, and (3) accommodations. Specific information to support the available assessments
• The delivery methods are: (1) embedded, meaning by grade and student eligibility is available at: bit.ly/
built into the computer-based test delivery system or StateTestingCalendars. As an example, all students enrolled
(2) non-embedded, meaning the technology either in grades 3-8 and 10 are required to participate in the
does not support integration into the computer-based state’s mathematics assessment except:
test delivery system or because of the testing format • Students with the most significant cognitive disabilities
(i.e., paper-pencil) the accessibility feature must be who meet the criteria for the mathematics alternate
provided separate from the testing instrument. assessment based on alternate achievement standards
(approximately 1% or fewer of the student population).
Intended Audience and Recommended Use
All students enrolled in grades 3-8 and 10 are required
These guidelines are intended for district and school- to participate in the state’s English language arts/literacy
level personnel and decision-making teams, including assessment except:
Individualized Education Program (IEP) and 504 plan
• Students with the most significant cognitive disabilities
teams, as they prepare for and implement state
who meet the criteria for the English language arts/
assessments. These guidelines provide information for
literacy alternate assessment based on alternate
classroom teachers, English development educators,
achievement standards (approximately 1% or fewer of
special education teachers, and related services personnel
the student population).
to use in selecting and administering universal tools,
• English language learners who are enrolled for the first
designated supports, and accommodations for those
time in a U.S. school. These students are still required
students who need them.
to participate in their state’s mathematics assessment.
The guidelines are also intended for assessment staff and
Figure 1 and Figure 2 on the following pages, represent
administrators who oversee the decisions that are made in
the conceptual models that serve as the basis for the
instruction and assessment.
UAAG and the AAM, respectively. Washington's GTSA
The guidelines apply to all students, emphasizing incorporated these models. Smarter Balanced and
individualized approaches to the implementation of Washington's universal tools, designated supports, and
assessment practices for those students who have accommodations are shown in Figure 1. ELPA21 and
diverse needs while participating in large-scale content Washington's universal tools, designated supports, and
assessments. This document focuses on universal tools, accommodations are shown in Figure 2. Both figures
designated supports, and accommodations for the portray aspects of the assessment features. Each also
content assessments of English language arts/literacy, portrays the additive and sequentially-inclusive nature
mathematics (math), and science, as well as the state’s of these three aspects. Universal tools are available to all
English language proficiency assessment. This document students, including those receiving designated supports
also acknowledges the unique situation where the mode and those receiving accommodations. Designated supports
of testing (computer-based versus paper-pencil) needs are available only to students for whom an adult or team
to be addressed. At the same time, it supports important has indicated the need for these accessibility features (as
instructional decisions about accessibility for students well as those students for whom the need is documented).
who participate in the state assessments. It recognizes the Accommodations are available only to those students with
critical connection between accessibility in instruction and documentation of the need through a formal plan (i.e.,
accessibility during assessments. Professional development IEP or 504 plan). Those students also may use designated
materials that support the guidelines and this critical supports and universal tools.
instruction-assessment link will be available through the A universal tool for one content focus may be an
WCAP Portal: WCAPportal and the state’s website: bit.ly/ accommodation for another content focus (see, for
StateTesting. These guidelines also are supported by the example, calculator). Similarly, a designated support
Test Administration Manual. may also be an accommodation, depending on the
content target (see, for example, scribe). This approach
Recognizing Access Needs in All Students
is consistent with the emphasis that Smarter Balanced,
All students (including students with disabilities, English ELPA21, and Washington have placed on the validity of
language learners, and English language learners with assessment results coupled with access.
disabilities) are to be held to the same expectations for
Page 4
As shown below in Figure 1, for each category of adopted assessment features – universal tools, designated supports,
and accommodations – there exist embedded, non-embedded, and paper-pencil versions, depending on whether they
are provided as digitally-delivered components of the test administration system or separate from it as non-embedded
and paper-pencil.
Figure 1: Conceptual model includes Smarter Balanced, WCAS, EOC
Universal Tools
Designated Supports
Embedded
Breaks, Calculator, Diction-
ary–English, Expandable Items
Embedded
& Passages, Glossary–English,
Color Choices, Glossary Transla-
Highlighter, Keyboard Navigation, Accommodations
tions, Masking, Mouse Pointer,
Line Reader, Mark for Review, Text-to-Speech, Tools–Turn Off,
Notepad–Digital, Notes–Global, Translated Test Directions, Trans-
Periodic Table, Spell Check, lations–Stacked Embedded
Strikethrough, Thesaurus, Tools– American Sign Language, Audio
Math, Tools–Science, Tools–Writ- Transcription, Braille, Closed
ing, Zoom Captioning, Emboss, Permis-
sive Mode, Streamline, Text-to-
Non-embedded
Amplification, Color Choices, Col- Speech
Non-embedded or Overlay, Dictionary–Bilingual,
Magnification, Noise Buffers,
Dictionary–English, Scratch and/
Read-Aloud, Scribe, Separate Set-
or Graph Paper, Technological
Non-Embedded
ting, Simplified Test Directions,
Assistance with Test Navigation,
Translated–Test Directions 100s Table, Abacus, Alternate
Thesaurus
Response Options, Braille, Calcu-
lator, Multiplication Table, Print
on Demand, Read-Aloud, Scribe,
Speech-to-Text, Word Prediction
Paper-Pencil
Paper-Pencil
Color Overlay, Dictionary–Bi-
Breaks, Calculator, Dictionary
lingual, Magnification, Mask-
English, Glossary–English, Line
ing, Noise Buffers, Read-Aloud, Paper-Pencil
Reader, Periodic Table, Scratch Scribe, Separate Setting, Sim-
100s Table, Abacus, American
and/or Graph Paper, Thesaurus, plified Test Directions, Text-
Sign Language, Braille, Calculator,
Tools–Math, Tools –Science to-Speech, Translated Test
Large Print, Multiplication Table,
Directions, Translations–Glossary,
Paper Test, Read-Aloud, Scribe,
Translation–Test
Speech-to-Text, Text-to-Speech,
Word Prediction
Page 5
The ELPA21 Consortium supports the development of an • monitoring ELLs’ yearly progress in the attainment of
assessment system for ELLs that reflects the research and English for academic purposes;
progress made in the development of English Language • measuring districts’ success in meeting Title III
Proficiency (ELP) assessments. The approach of ELPA21 to accountability benchmarks; and
assessment is rooted in the belief that ELLs are a diverse
• informing decisions about exiting students from
group; all ELLs are capable of making progress toward
English Language Development (ELD) services provided
English language proficiency; and ELLs must acquire
under Title III.
discipline-specific language practices that enable them to
For more information on ELPA21, visit www.elpa21.org.
produce, interpret, and effectively collaborate on content-
related grade-appropriate tasks. As shown below Figure 2, for each category of assessment
features—universal tools, designated supports, and
The ELPA21 assessment system, which includes a screener
accommodations – there exist embedded, non-embedded,
and a summative assessment of reading, writing, speaking,
and paper-pencil versions, depending on whether they
and listening, supports individual ELLs and their schools
are provided as digitally-delivered components of the
and districts by:
test administration system or separate from it as non-
• determining initial identification of ELLs through the
embedded and paper-pencil.
screener;
Figure 2. Conceptual Model of ELPA21
Universal Tools
Designated Supports
Embedded
Audio Support, Breaks, Ex-
pandable Items & Passages, Accommodations
Embedded
Highlighter, Keyboard Navi-
Color Choices, Line Reader,
gation, Mark for Review,
Masking, Mouse Pointer,
Notepad–Digital, Striketh- Embedded
Tools–Turn Off, Zoom
rough, Tools–Writing, Zoom Domain Exemption,
Permissive Mode, Re-
cordings and Replays–
Unlimited
Non-embedded
Amplification, Color Choices,
Non-embedded Color Overlay, Magnification,
Non-embedded
Scratch Paper, Technological Noise Buffers, Read-Aloud,
Alternate Response
Assistance with Test Naviga- Print on Demand, Separate
Options, Scribe, Speech-
tion Setting, Simplified Test Direc-
to-Text
tions, Translated Test Direc-
tions
Paper-Pencil Paper-Pencil
Breaks, Scratch Paper Paper-Pencil Braille, Large Print,
Color Overlay, Line Reader,
Paper Test, Recordings
Magnification, Masking,
and Replays–Unlimited,
Noise Buffers, Read-Aloud,
Scribe, Speech-to-Text
Separate Setting, Translated
Test Directions
Page 6