Master Training for Educators
Working with ELLs
THIS VERSION IS FOR THE
TRAINER ONLY
See the notes view of this slide for the materials
you’ll need for the training.
DC OSSE Testing Accommodations
Manual Training
Winter 2012
OSSE policy and guidance on the
appropriate assignment of testing
accommodations for SWDs and ELLs in the
DC CAS
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Group Expectations
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Cell phones on silent/vibrate
Be present
Speak loud enough for all to hear
Phrase questions for the benefit of everyone
Challenge ideas, not people
Share talk time
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Today's Agenda
• Background on the Need for Refinements
• OSSE Testing Accommodations Manual
1. Introduction
2. Section 1: Accommodating Students with
Disabilities
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Background on the
Need for 2011-2012
Refinements
U.S. Dept. of Ed. Feedback on
DC State Standards and Assessment:
3 Main Accommodation Issues
• OSSE must ensure the read aloud accommodation
cannot be provided during the reading assessment.
• OSSE must create accommodation guidelines on
those accommodations that do not invalidate
student’s scores.
• OSSE must create trainings designed to ensure
appropriate use of accommodations by general
education teachers, special education teachers, ELL
teachers, and test administrators.
Overview of Revisions
1. Improve Introduction section
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Coordinated information OSSE state Assessment Program
General information on accommodations and test
practices
Clearer quick reference list of accommodations
2. Customized and updated Section 1:
Accommodations for Students with Disabilities
3. Coordinated and updated Section 2: English
Language Learners
4. Updated Tools and Resources in each section
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Overall Goal: Messages to Share
with Your Schools and Staff
OSSE’s goal is to ensure
• consistent participation in national and state
assessments in all District of Columbia districts,
schools and programs;
• accommodations are provided to all eligible
students;
• accommodations used in assessment do not
invalidate the construct of the assessment; and
• accommodations used for assessments are also used
in instruction.
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Introductory Section
of the OSSE Testing
Accommodations
Manual
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OSSE Testing Accommodations
• Applicable to students in
– all public schools and
– non-public settings whose education is supported
by District of Columbia public funding.
• Applicable to eligible
– students with disabilities, i.e., students who have
an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or a
Section 504 Plan (504 plan); and
– students who are English language learners.
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OSSE State Mandated Assessments
• DC CAS
• DC CAS Alternate
– Links to information on the portfolio approach used with
students with significant cognitive impairments
• WIDA ACCESS for ELLs®
– links to WIDA accommodations guidelines for the English
language proficiency test
• NAEP
– links to NAEP accommodation guidelines
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Test Security Must Be Ensured for
All Assessments
• Adhere to uniform
administration procedures and
conditions during an
assessment
• Maintain the confidentiality of
test questions and answers
• See page 4 in the Test
http://osse.dc.gov/sites/default/files/d
Accommodations Manual for c/sites/osse/publication/attachments/
2011_DC_CAS_Security_Guidelines.pdf
additional reminders
Introduction Appendix A: Overview
of NAEP and State Accommodations
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Activity 1
Practice
• Here are four specific scenarios related to
state assessments and accommodations.
• Using Appendix A as a reference, discuss with
your partners and develop a response to each.
Be prepared to share with the larger group
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Four Scenarios
• Mrs. Carter (parent) calls and says her son’s IEP says he gets the
math section read to him. She wants to be sure that will
happen.
• Mr. Venzuela calls through his interpreter to find out what kind
of help his daughter will get for the state reading test next
month.
• Ms. Dubois is requesting testing so her child can have
accommodations next week on the state assessment.
• Mr. Carbon (science teacher) has stated he does not believe in
allowing extra time for the science test even though he has 3
students whose IEP requires such.
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Group Sharing
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Section 1
Students with Disabilities
OSSE Testing Accommodation Manual
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Introduce the 5 Step Decision-Making
Accommodation Process
1. Expect Students to Achieve Grade-Level
Academic Content Standards;
2. Learn About Accommodations for Instruction
and Assessment;
3. Select Accommodations for Individual
Students;
4. Implement Accommodations During
Instruction and Assessment; and
5. Evaluate and improve accommodation use.
Step 1 – Expect
Students to Achieve
Grade level academic
content standards
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Who Qualifies?
• A student with a disability (SWD) is one who
has been found eligible for services under
either:
– The IDEA and has an Individualized Education
Program (IEP) in effect
– Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and has a
504 plan in effect
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Authority
The Elementary and Secondary Education Act
• Requires a measure for all students of their academic
achievement relative to the state academic content
and achievement standards
• State guidelines must result in valid assessments,
including the accommodations allowed.
– a student taking an assessment with accommodations that
invalidates results shall not be counted as a participant.
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Authority
The Individuals with Disabilities Education
Improvement Act (IDEA)
• Students must be included in state and district-wide
assessment programs with appropriate
accommodations.
• The state’s guidelines must identify only those
accommodations that do not invalidate the score and
instruct IEP teams to select only those
accommodations that do not invalidate the score.
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Authority
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act
Eligible students
• have the right to aids and services to meet their
educational needs.
• is considered an individual with a disability and
guaranteed the protections thereof.
• have a 504 plan that MAY identify
accommodations for instruction and assessment.
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District and School Responsibility
• Must engage in a planning process that
addresses:
– The provision of accommodations for assessments
– The appropriate use of alternate assessments to
assess for students with the most significant
cognitive disabilities.
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Equal Access to Standards
• All students receive instruction in the state
and district grade level standards
• To assure equal access, IEP and 504 team
members must:
– Be familiar with the state and district learning
standards
– Know where to locate standards and updates
– Collaborate between general and special
education to plan and provide instruction
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Achievement of Standards
Requires:
• Instruction provided by teachers who are qualified in
the content area and who know how to differentiate
instruction for diverse learners
• IEPs and 504 plans are developed to ensure
specialized instruction
• Appropriate accommodations are provided to access
grade level content
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Resources
• The District of Columbia Educational
Standards and the Common Core State
Standards may be found at the following link:
http://osse.dc.gov/service/dc-educationalstandards.
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Step 2: Learn about
Accommodations for Instruction
and Assessment
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Accommodations
• Reduce effects of a disability while
maintaining learning expectations
• Are identified for individual students on a case
by case basis and documented in the IEP or
504 plan
• Disability category does not dictate type of
accommodation.
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Accommodations
• Used in classroom instruction and
assessments
– Student are familiar and comfortable with
accommodation BEFORE it’s use on an assessment
– Some accommodations used in the classroom may
not be appropriate for state assessments
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Accommodation Categories
• Presentation accommodations
• Response accommodations
• Setting accommodations
• Timing and Scheduling accommodations
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Accommodations vs. Modifications
• Do not reduce
learning
expectations
• Provide access to
the standards and
objectives being
taught through the
curriculum
• Change, lower, or
reduce learning
expectations
• May result in
implications that
could adversely
affect students
throughout their
educational career
Students with Disabilities who are also
English Language Learners
• Disability and English language learning each
create different and unique needs for
accommodations.
– Must be considered separately
– Collaboration of the IEP or 504 team and the ELL
accommodations committee
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Step 3: Select Accommodations for
Instruction and Assessment for
Individual Students
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Selecting Accommodations
• The IEP team or the 504 team selects the
accommodations for each student on an
individual basis.
• Appendix B-3 provides detailed information
about the usage and implementation of
allowable accommodations for SWD.
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IEP Documentation
• The IEP must clearly document the need for:
accommodations during
– Instruction
– Classroom assessments
– District or state testing
• Be specific to content areas
• May differ from one content area to another.
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504 Plan Documentation
• The definition of disability is much broader
and may include students with:
– Communicable diseases, temporary disabilities,
medical conditions, drug or alcohol addictions,
environmental illnesses, or attention difficulties
• The 504 plan must clearly document the need
for accommodations during
– Instruction
– state and district testing
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Decision-Making
• Effective accommodation decisions begin with
effective instructional decisions.
– Instruction based on District of Columbia
Educational Standards and the Common Core
State Standards
– Accommodations to ensure access to the
standards
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Decision-Making
• For DC-CAS accommodation decisions are
based on:
– Student characteristics
– Individual test characteristics
– OSSE accommodations policies and allowable
accommodations for the assessment
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Guiding Questions
• What are the student’s learning strengths and areas
for further improvement?
• How do the student’s learning needs affect the
achievement of grade-level content standards?
• What specialized instruction does the student need
to achieve grade-level content standards?
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Guiding Questions
• What accommodations increase access to instruction
and assessment by addressing learning needs and
reducing the effect of the disability?
• What accommodations are regularly used by the
student during instruction and assessments?
• What were the results of assignments and
assessments when accommodations were used and
not used?
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Guiding Questions
• What is the student’s perception of how well an
accommodation worked?
• What are the perceptions of parents, teachers, and
specialists about how the accommodation worked?
• Should the student continue to use an
accommodation, are changes needed, or should the
use of the accommodation be discontinued?
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Selected Accommodations
• Must be used regularly by the student and be
effective in providing access
– New accommodations require time to become an
effective tool for the student
• Must involve students in the selection and
evaluation process
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Selected Accommodations
• Must be allowable by District of Columbia so
as not to result in invalidation.
• Requesting the Use of an Accommodation
– B-6 Selecting Nonstandard Accommodations for
students with an IEP or 504 Plan
– Submit request to Michelle Blakey-Tuggle at
michelle.blakey-tuggle@dc.gov by March 23,
2012
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Step 4: Implement Accommodations
during Instruction and Assessment
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Accommodations During
Assessment
• Plan for the implementation of
accommodations during test administration.
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Accommodations During
Assessment
• All test administrators need to understand
who needs accommodations and how to
administer them.
– Appendices B-3 provides details about each
allowable accommodation and how to implement.
– Appendices B-4 and B-5 provide tools for planning
the implementation and administration of
accommodations.
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Before Test
• Be certain test administrators and proctors:
– Know what accommodations each student will be
using for each content areas
– How to administer them appropriately
• How to “read” the test to the student (and not to read
the reading section)
• Where the separate setting is and who will administer
in that location
• How to scribe the assessment
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During Test
• Ethical testing practices and standardization
– Unethical practices not allowed include editing
student responses or giving clues with voice or
gestures
• Appendix B-3 provides guidelines for
implementing the accommodations to
maintain standardization.
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After Test
• Specific procedures are required
– To store or return test materials
– To document and report any irregularities during
testing
– To document the provision of accommodations
• These must be followed as outlined in the test
directions manual
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Activity 2
Practice
Using Appendix B-3 as a reference and the
Accommodations for Students with Disabilities
Questions on the handout, table talk with a
partner and develop responses to the questions.
Be ready to share with the larger group.
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• Is it allowable to use a screen reader for the
science test?
• May a student with a physical disability which results
in very slow processing have extra time in the
amount of 2.5 times?
• If a student is using a noise buffer during testing,
what does the test administrator need to consider?
• If using a scribe for a high school math test, what do
you think the word “trained:” implies?
• When may the reading section of the test be read
aloud?
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Group Sharing
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Step 5: Evaluate
and Improve
Accommodations
Use
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Data
Collect and analyze data to:
• Evaluate the use or overuse of accommodations or
certain types of accommodations
• Determine if test was administered as required by
the IEP or 504 plan
• Determine effectiveness for students
• Indicate areas where personnel need more training
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Activity 3
Putting Guidelines into Practice
With your group, describe
• Guidelines and requirements you have to
pay particular attention to
• Processes and procedures you will need to
put in place and what resources you will
use.
• How to use the resources to implement
guidelines
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Group Sharing
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Final Thoughts
OSSE Testing Accommodation Manual
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Key Messages
• You are part of the DC State Assessment
Program. It has a unified focus and the rules
and regulations must be adhered to.
• The guidelines in the Test Accommodations
Manual are to be followed.
• There are allowable accommodations and
there are accommodations that are not
allowed because they impact test validity.
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Key Messages
• You need to be thoughtful when determining
accommodations for students.
• Accommodations break down barriers to
accessing the assessment by minimizing the
impact of the linguistic need or disability.
• Accommodations need to be implemented
with fidelity and evaluated to see whether or
not they are appropriate.
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QUESTIONS?
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Resources
• B-2: Do’s and Don’ts When Selecting
Accommodations for Students with Disabilities
• B-3: Accommodation Conditions for Students with
Disabilities
• B-4: Assessment Accommodations Plan for Students
with Disabilities
• B-5: Logistics Planning Checklist for Accommodations
for Students with Disabilities
• B-6: Selecting Nonstandard Accommodations for
students with an IEP or 504 Plan
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Contact Information
Tamara Reavis
Director of Assessment and Accountability
Office of the State Superintendent
Tamara.reavis@dc.gov
202.654.6100
Michelle Blakey-Tuggle
Special Populations Assessment Specialist
michelle.blakey-tuggle@dc.gov
202.741.6499
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OSSE Website Resources
Testing Accommodations Manual
and Policy
http://osse.dc.gov/service/accommodations
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Technical assistance support on the OSSE Test
Accommodations Manual provided by the MidAtlantic Comprehensive Center (MACC) and the
Mid-South Regional Resource Center.
SWD Specialists:
Dr. Allison Layland
Nancy O’Hara
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ELL Specialists:
Dr. Lynn Shafer Willner
Lottie Marzucco
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