USING ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY TO
PREPARE STUDENTS FOR ONLINE
TESTING
Janice Reese OT/L, ATP
Little Tennessee Valley Educational Cooperative
jreese@taat.org
www.at4kids.com
Assistive Technology
“For Americans without disabilities, technology
makes things easier. For Americans with disabilities,
technology makes things possible”
(Radabaugh, 1988).
AT includes technology devices, strategies,
and techniques that enable students to
master tasks at home, school or work.
They increase independence and improve quality of life—
use of computers, toys, controls, equipment,
communications, modifications, etc.
Guiding Principles
 Goal of AT is to enhance capabilities and remove
barriers.
 A team approach is required to choose AT.
 AT does not eliminate the need for instruction in social
or academic skills.
 Assessment and intervention are an ongoing process.
*The Provision of Assistive Technology Services in Rehabilitation, Arkansas Research and
Training Center, U of Arkansas
Learner Objectives
 Become familiar with PARCC accessibility
features and accommodations
 Be able to identify, locate and use comparable
supports within the curriculum
 Offer support for student use with Web 2.0 or
integrated tools
 Support identification of Personal Need Profile
tools
Access in Testing Before…
A Look at PARCC
These tests will evaluate student progress according to the
newly adopted Common Core State Standards (CCSS)
1. Online evaluation format
2. Will offer a range of accessibility supports
3. Demands expanded instruction with computer use and
accessibility tools
4. Must establish student Personal Need Profiles (PNP)
PARCC alliance = shifting perspectives
 Assess full range of CCSS
 Applies principles of UDL
 Expands use of technology
 Offers integrated accessibility features
 Opens use of general accommodations
 Fosters greater independence in assessment
Who Benefits?
ALL students will have access to SOME features
Special Access Features for others…
 Students with disabilities (with IEP’s)
 Students with 504 plans
 ELL students
 ELL students who also have disabilities (and
an IEP)
Personal Needs Profile
 Required for ALL students
 Determines which access supports are
necessary (allowed) for online testing
 Based upon history and use, teacher
observations, IEP or 504 documentation
*Determinations made by IEP & 504 teams,
general educators, parents
PARCC is due to release practice tests.
This will allow preview of the toolbar so
students may begin looking at the supports they
feel might be beneficial
PARCC COMPREHENSIVE
ACCESSIBILITY POLICIES
Features for
All Students
Accessibility
Features*
Identified in
advance
**
Accommodations
* Available to all
participating students
**For students with
disabilities, English
learners, and English learners
with disabilities
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ACCESSIBILITY FEATURES FOR ALL STUDENTS
 Tool, support, or preference that is built into the assessment system that
can be activated by any student, at his or her own discretion.
 Universal Design features expected to benefit a diverse array of students
and are available to all students.
 Provided onscreen, stored in a toolbar, or are accessible through a menu
or control panel, as needed.
 During the assessment, students can choose which accessibility features
they need for specific items. Examples include: audio amplification,
highlighting, pop-up glossary, etc.
13
Accessibility Features for All Students
Audio Amplification
Blank Paper (provided by test administrator)
Eliminate Answer Choices
Flag Items for Review
General Administration Directions Clarified (by test administrator)
General Administration Directions Read Aloud and Repeated (by test
administrator)
Highlight Tool
Headphones
Magnification/Enlargement Device
NotePad
Pop-Up Glossary
Redirect Student to Test (by test administrator)
Spell Checker
Writing Tools
14
 Common classroom supports
 Students need exposure prior to testing use
 They decide which tools to use
 Can be turned on/off during test
Other Accommodations…
 Timing and Scheduling
Breaks or Time of Day
Extended time for completion
 Settings are now considered standard
accommodations available to all students.
Separate Location
Small Group Testing
Special Seating or space in room
PARCC COMPREHENSIVE
ACCESSIBILITY POLICIES
Features for
All Students
Accessibility
Features*
Identified in
advance
**
Accommodations
* Available to all
participating students
**For students with
disabilities, English
learners, and English learners
with disabilities
17
Special Accessibility Tools
 Must be documented in 504 or IEP
 Must be used routinely in class/with testing
 Can be turned on/off by test administrators
Special Features
Accessibility Feature
Must be Identified in Advance by the
PNP (During Test Registration Process)
Answer Masking
✔
Audio Amplification
Background/Font Color (Color Contrast)
✔
Blank Paper (provided by test admin)
Eliminate Answer Choices
Flag Items for Review
General Admin Directions Clarified (by test
admin)
General Admin Directions Read Aloud or
Repeated as Needed (by test admin)
General Masking
Highlighting Tool
✔
Accessibility Feature
Must be Identified in Advance by the
PNP (During Test Registration Process)
Headphones or Noise Buffers
Line Reader Tool
✔
Magnification/Enlargement Device
Note Pad
Pop-Up Glossary
Redirect Students to Test (by test admin)
Spell Checker
Text-to-Speech for Mathematics
Assessment
Writing Tools
✔
Different Kinds of
Accommodations
 For general Use
 For presentation
 For responding
 To modify timing or scheduling
 Unique or emergency accommodations
Presentation Accommodations for Students with Disabilities
Braille Edition of ELA/Literacy and Mathematics Assessment
Closed-Captioning of Multimedia Passages on the ELA/Literacy Assessments
Descriptive Video
Paper-and-Pencil Edition of the ELA/Literacy and Mathematics Assessments
Tactile Graphics
Text-to-Speech or Video of a Human Interpreter for the LA/Literacy Assessments,
including items, response options, and passages.
ASL Video for the Mathematics Assessments for a Student Who is Deaf or Hard
of Hearing
ASL Video of Test Directions for a Student Who Is Deaf or Hard of Hearing.
Response Accommodations for Students with Disabilities
Braille Note-Taker
Calculation Device and Mathematics Tools (on Non-calculator Sessions of
Mathematics Assessments)
Scribing or Speech-to-Text (i.e., Dictation/Transcription or Signing) for the
Mathematics Assessments; and for selected response (not constructed response)
items on the ELA/Literacy assessments.
Scribing or Speech-to-Text (i.e., Dictation/Transcription) for constructed responses
on the ELA/Literacy Assessments
Word Prediction on the ELA/Literacy Performance-Based Assessment (PBA)
Accommodations for English Language Learners
Extended Time
General Administration Directs Clarified in Student’s Native Language (by test
admin)
General Administration Directs Read Aloud and Repeated as Needed in Students
Native Language (by test admin)
Scribe or Speech-to-Text: Responses Dictated for Mathematics Assessment in English
Word-to-Word Dictionary (English/Native Language)
Similar Accessibility Tools
 Software supports
 Web 2.0 tools
 Built-in accessibility features
 Digital content
Student Uses for Special Access
Features
 Must be documented (504 or IEP)
 Given daily/weekly access
 Opportunities for recreational use
 Used during assessments
 Document their progress; collect samples
*Example: use of prediction software or apps
(Co:Writer)
General Instruction and Use
of Tools
 Should be available on all systems
 Use for web access and general texts
 Encourage student exploration of tools
 Create PNP for each student
Writing Test Sample
 http://www.parcconline.org/samples/english-
language-artsliteracy/grade-7-elaliteracy
What is AIM?
 Accessible instructional materials (AIM) are materials that
are designed or converted in a way that makes them usable
and accessible across the widest range of student needs
(print, digital, graphical, audio, video).
 The term AIM refers to print instructional materials that have
been transformed into new formats:
Large print
Braille
Audio
Digital text
http://aim.cast.org/learn/accessiblemedia
/allaboutaim
SOFTWARE PROGRAMS
 Microsoft and Apple Accessibility Tools
An array of built-in access features to accommodate those
with vision, hearing, and/or mobility impairments.
Includes: Narrator, Magnifier, Mouse and keyboard
control adaptations
 Word Prediction
Provides word choices and prompts for correct writing
Keystroke Reduction
Text-to-Speech provides auditory feedback
Examples:
Text-To-Speech / Word Prediction
 Read-Aloud feature online
 Library or text books
 Free web toolbars
 Bookshare (www.bookshare.org)
 http://aim.cast.org/experience/training/aim_i
mplementation_guide#.UsXgK_RDvTo
 WordQ
 Co:Writer (or other apps)
Integrated Supports
Accessibility
Feature
Background/
Font Color
(Color
Contrast)
-Mac (System Preferences>Accessibility>Seeing> Display)
-Windows 7 (START>Control Panel>Ease of Access>Optimize
Visual Display)
-Windows XP (START>Control Panel>Accessibility
Options>Adjust the contrast…)
Magnification/
Enlargement
-Mac (System Preferences>Accessibility>Seeing> Zoom )
-Windows 7 (START>Control Panel>Ease of Access>Ease of
Access Center>Magnifier)
-Windows XP (START>All Programs> Accessories>
Accessibility> Magnifier
Highlighter
Highlighters available in Microsoft Word and other Word
Processing Programs
Accessibility
Feature
Note Pad
All computer support word processing programs- Microsoft
Word, WordPad, OneNote, Notes (Mac), Pages (Mac), etc.
Pop-Up
Glossary
Mac- Right click any word and select “Look Up”
Word- Review Tab>Click “Research”>enter a word or phrase to
look up
Spell Checker/
Writing Tools
Word processing program standard features:
spell check, copy, paste, underline, bold, italicize, bullets, tables,
graphs, etc.
General Resources
 www.udltechtoolkit.wikispaces.com (Web 2.0 tools)
 www.eduapps.org (MyStudyBar)
 www.atbar.org
(ATBar)
 www.mits.cenmi.org/resources/MITSFreedomStick.aspx (Freedom
Stick)
 www.access.ecs.soton.ac.uk/projects/access-tools (Access Tools
Flash Drive)
 www.bookshare.org (digital books for SpEd students)
 www.dropbox.com (cloud storage for docs)
 www.donjohnston.com (Co:Writer software and app)
 Chrome Webstore / Google Play
Google Chrome Apps
 Read & Write for Google
 Keyboarding instruction
 Note taking
 Mind mapping
 Calculators
 Text To Speech readers
Apple Apps
*lists on resource sites
Audio Exam Creator
PDF/doc management
Document annotation and editing
TTS readers, highlighting
Magnification options (limited)
**Do NOT use typing instruction apps
Tutorial Resources
www.livebinders.com (TAAT 2013 file)
www.spectronicsinoz.com
www.freetech4teachers.com
www.makeuseof.com
www.ipadacademy.com
http://www.inclusivetlc.com/Resources.aspx
Blogs to Follow
AT4Kids (me)
www.at4kids.com
Assistive Technology Blog
Spectronics
http://bdmtech.blogspot.com/
http://www.spectronicsinoz.com/blog/
Teaching All Students
http://teachingall.blogspot.com/
Software options
 Simon SIO
 Roller Typing
 FirstKeys 2
 WordQ
 ReadPlease
 Chrome apps
 Apple apps
 Web 2.0 Supports