Tom Reuss – Instructor Bowling Green State University
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Tom Reuss – Instructor Bowling Green State University
Accommodations are changes made in how a student has
access to the curriculum or demonstrates learning.
Accommodations provide equal access to learning, do not
substantially change the instructional level or content, are
based on individual strengths and needs, and may vary in
intensity or degree. In testing situations, accommodations
are changes in format, response, environment, timing, or
scheduling that do not alter in a significant way what the
test measures or the comparability of the scores.” (Batshaw,
M. “Children With Disabilities”, 2002, p. 603)
The accommodation is specified in a student with
disabilities’ IEP (or 504 Plan) and is provided for
classroom and district-wide assessments. The
accommodation must be documented in writing on the
testing page of the IEP or 504 Plan BEFORE the student
takes a test.
(Ohio Statewide Assessment Rules Book, September 25,
2013) Page 41
The accommodation does not change the content or
structure of an assessment. The accommodation does
not change what type of knowledge or skill that an
assessment is intended to measure. For example, the test
administrator may not convert open-ended questions to
multiple-choice questions.
(Ohio Statewide Assessment Rules Book, September 25,
2013) Page 41
The accommodation does not change what type of
knowledge or skill that an assessment is intended to
measure. For example, the test administrator is not
permitted to read the passages from a reading test,
because this would change the test from a measure of
reading skills to a measure of listening skills. Similarly,
calculators are not allowed on the grades 3 and 4
mathematics test. Grammar checkers and spell checkers
are not allowed on the OGT writing test.
(Ohio Statewide Assessment Rules Book, September 25,
2013) Page 41
The accommodation does not change what type of
knowledge or skill that an assessment is intended to
measure. For example, the test administrator is not
permitted to read the passages from a reading test, because
this would change the test from a measure of reading skills
to a measure of listening skills. Similarly, calculators are
not allowed on the grades 3 and 4 mathematics test.
Grammar checkers and spell checkers are not allowed on
the OGT writing test.
(Ohio Statewide Assessment Rules Book, September 25, 2013) Page 41
The Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers
(PARCC) is a consortium of 18 states plus the District of Columbia and
the U.S. Virgin Islands working together to develop a common set of K12 assessments in English and math anchored in what it takes to be
ready for college and careers. These new K-12 assessments will build a
pathway to college and career readiness by the end of high school,
mark students’ progress toward this goal from 3rd grade up, and
provide teachers with timely information to inform instruction and
provide student support. The PARCC assessments will be ready for
states to administer during the 2014-15 school year.
(PARRC Home Page)
(PARRC Overview PowerPoint)
May need to use Keyboard Arrows
to advance slides.
Ohio is a Governing State in the PARCC Consortium
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Richard Ross serves on the
PARCC Governing Board. Jim Wright, Director of the Office of
Assessment at the Ohio Department of Education, is the K-12 Lead for
PARCC in Ohio. John Carey, Chancellor of the Ohio Board of Regents,
serves on the PARCC Advisory Committee on College Readiness.
Stephanie Davidson, Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs,
and Rebecca Watts, Associate Vice Chancellor for P-16 Initiatives at the
Ohio Board of Regents, coordinate PARCC-related postsecondary
engagement activities in the state.
(PARCC - Ohio - 2013-10-21)
Guidance for Districts and Decision-Making Teams to
Ensure that PARCC Mid-Year, Performance-Based, and
End-of-Year Assessments Produce Valid Results for All
Students.
(Link to page)
(Link to Manual) Second Edition
(Link to PowerPoint) Based on First Edition
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 English Language Arts/Literacy
assessments. * The student dictates responses either verbally, using a
speech-to-text device, an augmentative/assistive communication device (e.g.,
picture/word board), or by signing, gesturing, pointing, or eye-gazing. The
student must be tested in a separate setting.
Student’s responses must be transcribed exactly as dictated/signed.
*This accommodation applies to Evidence Based Selected Response, and
Technology Enhanced Constructed Response items (not Prose Constructed
Response items) on the English Language Arts/Literacy assessments.
PARCC Manual Page 31 (Link to Manual) Second Edition
Scribing or Speech-to-Text (i.e., Dictation/Transcription) for
constructed responses on the English Language Arts/Literacy
Assessments*
*This accommodation applies to Prose Constructed Responses on the
ELA/Literacy assessments.
PARCC Manual Second Edition Page 36 – 40 for a Detailed
Description (Link to Manual)
Also see the PARRC Manual for Speech-to-Text
as an accommodation for English Learners
PARCC Manual Second Edition Page 31 - 32 for a
Detailed Description (Link to Manual)
Also see Appendix A: Accessibility Features
and Accommodations
for Students Taking the Paper-and-Pencil
PARCC Assessments
Appendix A (Link to Appendix A)
Appendix C: Protocol for the Use of the Scribe
Accommodation (to be released late fall 2013)
Not yet there !
PARCC Accessibility Features and Accommodations
Manual (Second Edition) Reference List
(Link to Reference List)
Students who have it documented on their IEP/504 Plan may use
speech to text software. However, the same requirements and
processes apply as for the standard word processor method. The devise
must not be able to access the internet, dictionaries and thesauri must
be disabled for all tests and for writing tests, spell checker, grammar
checker and word prediction must be disabled. Responses must be
printed out, transcribed and returned with test materials.
Ohio Statewide Assessment Rules Book Page 76.
(Link to Ohio Rules Book)
Since use of Speech-to-Text requires a scribe, it is useful to
consider all of the rules in Ohio for Scribes
Ohio Statewide Assessment Rules Book Page 73 - 76.
(Link to Ohio Rules Book)
Ohio Department of Education
Accommodations Manual: Selection, Use, and
Evaluation of Accommodations that Support Instruction
and Assessment of Children with Disabilities (February,
2011)
In this manual you will find several references to “Type on or speak to a word
processor.”
See Page 45, 47, 51, and 53 (Link to Accommodations Manual)
Ohio Department of Education: Fact Sheet
On this Fact Sheet you not find specific references to using “Speech-to-Text.”
There are references to Dictation/ Scribe and Word Processor.
(Link to Fact Sheet)
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and
Secondary Education: Requirements for the Participation
of Students with Disabilities in MCAS
See Pages 15 and 21 (Link to Massachusetts requirements)
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and
Secondary Education: Principal’s Administration Manual
See Page 87. (Link Massachusetts Principals Manual)
Indiana Department of Education: Office of Student
Assessment (Link to Home Page)
Also see Appendix C: Accommodations Guidance
See page 6 and 14 (Link to Appendix C)
Many other states have similar rules. You can a simple
search of the Web to find more results.
If you are new to or would like more information about Speech-to-Text, also
known as Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) or just Speech Recognition,
you are encouraged to visit the Ohio Center for Autism and Low Incidence
(OCALI) website.
One of the many Assistive Technology Internet Modules available at this site is
Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR). (Link to OCALI ATIM)
You can create an account which will give you access to the ATIM modules as
well as the Autism Internet Modules (AIM).
There is no charge to create an account and use the modules.
An exciting update for Macintosh users since the ATIM Automatic Speech
Recognition module was published, is the availability of Dictation built in to
the Macintosh operating system (OS).
A limited version of Dictation was first made available Mountain Lion (OS
10.8). The latest Macintosh operating systems, OS X Mavericks , makes an
enhanced version of Dictation available.
For more information on Dictation see: http://support.apple.com/kb/ht5449
The are many articles about Dictation. For example see the Macworld article:
http://www.macworld.com/article/2066026/mavericks-dictation-vs-dragondictate-how-good-is-os-xs-built-in-tool-.html
For more good news for Macintosh users interested in Dictation, see the next
slide.
The latest version of the Macintosh operating system, OS X Mavericks, is
available as a free* update for current users of Macintosh Snow Leopard
(10.6.8), Lion (10.7), or Mountain Lion (10.8).
For more information on how to upgrade to OS X Mavericks with the
enhanced version of Dictation see: http://www.apple.com/osx/
*You will also find instructions for upgrading from older Macintosh operating systems which may
include some upgrade fees.
I hope this information was helpful for you in understanding Speech
Recognition as an accommodation for testing.
I believe there are still many questions to be answered on this topic.
There has been a lot of progress made in the use of assistive technology for
high stakes testing, but there is still a long way to go.
If you have any additional questions, I can best be reached through email at:
treuss@bgsu.edu
Tom Reuss – Instructor Bowling Green State University