Georgia Participation Criteria
1. The student has been classified as an EL.
2. The student has been classified as a special education
student and is receiving special education services.
3. The student has a significant cognitive disability.
4. The student participates in the Georgia Alternate
Assessment (GAA).
Importantly, students shall not be administered both the
Alternate ACCESS for ELLs and the ACCESS for ELLs.
Georgia Test Examiners
It is recommended that the examiner be an educator
who is familiar with the student and their special
needs – and with whom the student feels comfortable.
As with the “general” ACCESS for ELLs, all Examiners are
required to complete an WIDA online course (that will
be specific to the Alternate ACCESS) and earn a
qualifying score to administer the assessment.
Georgia’s Accommodation Guidance
Georgia Accommodations
• Always defer to GaDOE’s accommodation
policies for language proficiency.
• The Alternate ACCESS TAM provides only
recommendations on accommodations.
• The Student Assessment Handbook, 20122013
• Table 4 – Approved Accommodations for
Students with Disabilities
Accommodations
Section 4 of the
Test Administration
Manual
GA Assessment Resources
The Student Assessment Handbook, 2012-2013 is located on the
GaDOE website Assessment Page in the ‘For Educators’ portlet.
http://www.gadoe.org/Curriculum-Instruction-and-Assessment/Assessment/Pages/default.aspx
• Participation of EL Students in State Assessments, pages 133137.
• Additional Considerations for Accommodations, pages 139141.
• Table 4 – Approved Accommodations for Students with
Disabilities, pages 142-145.