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 2012OSSE policy and guidance on the

appropriate assignment of testing accommodations for SWDs and ELLs in the

DC CAS

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Group Expectations

• 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. Introduction2. Section 1: Accommodating Students with

Disabilities

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Background on theNeed for 2011-2012

Refinements

U.S. Dept. of Ed. Feedback onDC 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– 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

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 Accommodations Manual for additional reminders

http://osse.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/osse/publication/attachments/2011_DC_CAS_Security_Guidelines.pdf

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 1Students with Disabilities

OSSE Testing Accommodation Manual

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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.

Introduce the 5 Step Decision-Making Accommodation Process

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 ActEligible 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-educational-standards.

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Step 2: Learn about Accommodations for Instruction and Assessment

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Accommodations

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• 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.

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

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PracticeUsing 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.

• When may the reading section of the test be read aloud?

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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?

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 InformationTamara ReavisDirector of Assessment and Accountability Office of the State SuperintendentTamara.reavis@dc.gov 202.654.6100

Michelle Blakey-TuggleSpecial 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 Mid-Atlantic Comprehensive Center (MACC) and the Mid-South Regional Resource Center.

SWD Specialists: ELL Specialists:Dr. Allison Layland Dr. Lynn Shafer WillnerNancy O’Hara Lottie Marzucco

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