1. ACCOMMODATIONS Update
October 26, 2011
Updates taken from October 13th TETN #10416
Lisa Kirby
ESC-20, Educational Specialist
Kimberly Baumgardner
ESC-20, Educational Specialist

2. http://www. tea. state. tx. us/student

3. NEW!
Critical Information about Accommodations for Students with Disabilities
Using Accommodations During Classroom Instruction and Testing
Using Accommodations on Statewide Assessments
Optional Test Administration Procedures and Materials
Testing Accommodations
TELPAS Accommodations
Planning for Accommodation Use
Accommodation Use in Unexpected Situations
Recording Accommodation Use on the Student’s Answer Document

4. Critical Information about Accommodations for Students with Disabilities
No Change
This critical information outlines the purpose and appropriate use of accommodations for students with disabilities.
For the purposes of statewide testing, students needing accommodations due to a disability include:
A student with an identified disability who receives special education services and meets established eligibility criteria for certain accommodations
A student with an identified disability who receives Section 504 services and meets established eligibility criteria for certain accommodations
A student with a disabling condition who does not receive special education or Section 504 services but meets established eligibility criteria for certain accommodations

5. Critical Information about Accommodations for Students with Disabilities
No Change
Who makes decisions about accommodation use during statewide assessments for students with disabilities and where should the decisions be documented?
Special education services: the ARD committee; IEP
Section 504 services: the 504 placement committee; IAP
No special education or Section 504 services: the appropriate team of people at the campus level; documentation determined at local level
Response to Intervention (RTI) team and student assistance team are just examples
This applies to a small group of students

6. Optional Test Administration Procedures and Materials
NEW!
Optional Test Administration Procedures and Materials
No longer called Related Testing Procedures!
Descriptions included on separate web link titled, “Optional Test Administration Procedures and Materials”

7. Optional Test Administration Procedures and Materials
NEW!
Includes some procedures and materials that have been called testing accommodations in previous years
Related to best practices for instruction
Available to any student who needs them
Use of these procedures or materials is not recorded on the student’s answer document
Authority for decision is the same as for accommodations; there must be a body of people in place to make decisions
The campus testing coordinator will need to know in order to plan for test days
Descriptions and guidelines for use included in document on Accommodations for SWD webpage and in test administrator manuals

8. Optional Test Administration Procedures and Materials
A student may use the following procedures and materials during the statewide assessments:
If distracting to other students, an individual administration may be required.
Procedures or materials to minimize distractions (e.g., stress ball, noise-reducing headphones)
Individual or small-group testing
Colored overlays
Reading test aloud to self (e.g., reading into a voice- feedback device or voice recorder)
Magnifying devices
Place markers
Highlighters or colored pencils
Signing or translating test administration directions
Preferential seating
Scratch paper /
Reading assistance on grade 3 mathematics
other workspace

9. What’s Different? What’s New?
Clock, watch or timer—no longer an option
What’s New?
Signing test administration directions for a student who is deaf or hard of hearing or translating test administration directions into the native language of an English language learner
Minimize distractions—stress ball, noise-reducing headphones, instrumental music (for individual student, not whole class)
Reading assistance on the grade 3 mathematics test— available upon request for all students
Scratch paper or other workspace
Scratch paper can include: graph paper, grid paper, colored paper, lined paper, blank paper, chalkboard, or a dry-erase board; Does NOT include a word processor!

10. The Accommodation Triangle

11. The Accommodation Triangle
No Change
Type 1 accommodations are for a larger number of students. As the triangle narrows, the policies become more restrictive, addressing fewer students who have these specific needs. Type 3 accommodations are intended for a small number of students.
Type 1 Accommodation: for students with a specific need who routinely, independently, and effectively use it during classroom instruction and testing; no ARF
Type 2 Accommodation: Type 1 requirements plus additional specific eligibility criteria; no ARF
Type 3 Accommodation: appropriate team of people at campus level determines eligibility for listed accommodations or “other” accommodations not listed in the triangle AND submits an ARF to TEA

12. Type 1 Accommodations

13. Projection Devices This accommodation allows for enlarging text, graphics, or the display on a computer screen for a student who has an impairment in vision.
Examples/Types:
This accommodation may include but is not limited to
Closed-circuit television (CCTV)
Document camera
STAAR
STAAR Spanish
STAAR Modified
STAAR L
TELPAS grades 2-12 reading tests
Eligibility Criteria:
routinely and effectively uses this accommodation during classroom instruction and testing

14. Amplification Devices This accommodation reduces the interference of background noise and the effect of distance between a speaker and a student for a student who has difficulty hearing or maintaining focus in large-group settings.
Examples/Types:
This accommodation may include but is not limited to
speakers
frequency-modulated (FM) system
STAAR
STAAR Spanish
STAAR Modified
STAAR L
TELPAS grades 2-12 reading tests
Eligibility Criteria:
routinely and effectively uses this accommodation during classroom instruction and testing

15. Type 2 Accommodations

16. Manipulating Test Materials This accommodation allows the test administrator to physically manipulate materials and equipment for a student who is unable to do so independently.
Examples/Types:
This accommodation may include but is not limited to
turning test booklet pages
positioning the ruler
using the mouse to navigate an online administration
operating technology
Eligibility Criteria:
routinely and effectively uses this accommodation during classroom instruction and testing, and
has a disabling condition that interferes with the physical manipulation of test materials
STAAR
STAAR Spanish
STAAR Modified
STAAR L
TELPAS grades 2-12 reading tests

17. Oral/Signed Administration This accommodation allows a test administrator to provide reading support, through speech or signing, to a student with a disability.

18. Oral/Signed Administration This accommodation allows a test administrator to provide reading support, through speech or signing, to a student with a disability.
Eligibility Criteria:
routinely and effectively uses this accommodation during classroom instruction and testing, and
Meets at least one of the following:
The student receives special education services and is identified with dyslexia or has evidence of reading difficulties;
The student receives Section 504 services and is identified with dyslexia or has evidence of reading difficulties;
The student does not receive special education or Section 504 services but is identified with dyslexia.

19. Oral Administration Examples/Types
TWO levels of reading support:
Reading parts of the test questions and/or answer choices at student request
Reading all test questions and answer choices throughout the test
Removed the level of “reading the test in its entirety” because reading selections can never be read aloud
For other subjects, all words in the test questions and answer choices can be read aloud (includes tables, graphs, etc.)
NEW!

20. Special Instructions/Considerations
Provides Guidelines for Oral/Signed Administration
Provides Test Administrator Responsibilities
This section is important because it gives guidance on the specifics of providing oral/signed administration for teachers and staff.

21. Mathematics Manipulatives Manipulatives are concrete objects or pictures of concrete objects for a student to move and touch in order to visualize abstract concepts.

22. Mathematics Manipulatives Manipulatives are concrete objects or pictures of concrete objects for a student to move and touch in order to visualize abstract concepts.
Eligibility Criteria:
receives special education services,
routinely, independently, and effectively uses this accommodation during classroom instruction and testing, and
has a disability that affects memory retrieval, focus, or organization and is severe enough to prevent him or her from learning and retaining information as effectively as non-disabled peers despite multiple opportunities to learn, varied instructional strategies, and high-quality instruction.
NEW!

23. Math Manipulatives Examples/Types
This accommodation may ONLY include
Real or play money
Clocks (instructional clocks, not a wall clock)
with or without numbers shown on clock face
Base-ten blocks
Counters
Algebra tiles
the tiles should never contain words, labels, pictures, acronyms, mnemonics, numbers, symbols, or variables
Fraction pieces (fraction bars or circles)
the fraction pieces may be labeled to show each individual fraction, but they should never show equivalencies (e.g., ½ = 2/4 = 0.5 = 50%) or the cumulative sequences (e.g., ¼,2/4, ¾, 4/4)
Geometric figures (grade appropriate)
figures should never contain words, labels, pictures, acronyms, mnemonics, numbers, symbols, or variables
This is an exhaustive list.
No other manipulatives are allowed.
NEW!

24. Calculation Devices This accommodation provides an alternate method of computation for a student who is unable to effectively use paper-and-pencil methods.

25. Calculation Devices Reminder
Required for STAAR, STAAR Modified, and STAAR L Algebra I, geometry, biology; STAAR and STAAR L Algebra II, chemistry, physics
Not an accommodation for these tests

26. Calculation Devices This accommodation provides an alternate method of computation for a student who is unable to effectively use paper-and-pencil methods.
Eligibility Criteria:
receives special education or Section 504 services,
routinely, independently, and effectively uses this accommodation during classroom instruction and testing, and
meets at least one of the following for the applicable grade.

27. Grades 3 and 4
No Change
The student has a physical disability that prevents him or her from independently writing the numbers required for computations and cannot effectively use other allowable accommodations to address this need (e.g., whiteboards, graph paper).
The student has an impairment in vision that prevents him or her from seeing the numbers they have written during computations and cannot effectively use other allowable accommodations to address this need (e.g., CCTV, magnifier).
More detailed specific

28. No Change
Grades 5 through 8
The student has a physical disability that prevents him or her from independently writing the numbers required for computations and cannot effectively use other allowable accommodations to address this need (e.g., whiteboard, graph paper).
The student has an impairment in vision that prevents him or him or her from seeing the numbers they have written during computations and cannot effectively use other allowable accommodations to address this need (e.g. CCTV, magnifier.
The student has a disability that affects mathematics calculations. Even after intensive instruction and remediation is consistently unable to memorize basic addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division facts or perform the steps in an algorithm correctly when solving problems.

29. Calculation Devices Examples/Types
This accommodation may ONLY include
Four-function calculator
Scientific calculator
Graphing calculator
Large-key calculator
Abacus or Cranmer modified abacus
Audio-graphing calculator
Speech output calculator
This is an exhaustive list.
No other calculators are allowed.

30. NEW!
Student Scenarios
The student scenarios are intended to clarify who is eligible to use a calculation device as an accommodation on applicable statewide assessments.
These scenarios do not address every situation in which a student may or may not use a calculation device as a testing accommodation.

31. Large Print This accommodation provides a student with enlarged test materials when he or she has a disabling condition that limits the ability to effectively access test materials in standard print size.
STAAR
STAAR Spanish
STAAR Modified
STAAR L
Eligibility Criteria:
routinely and effectively uses large-print materials, including text books, worksheets, etc., during classroom instruction and testing, and
meets at least one of the following:
the student has an impairment in vision (e.g., uncorrected vision, nystagmus, qualifies for special education services with a Visual Impairment [VI]);
the student has a disability that affects his or her accuracy in tracking letter to letter, word to word, and/or line to line;
the student has a physical disability which necessitates the use of large-print materials.

32. Special Instructions/Considerations
NEW!
Special Instructions/Considerations
Large-print test materials should only be ordered for a student with an impairment in vision.
The ordering process will be closely monitored.
Student responses on large-print tests must be transcribed to an answer document according to the procedures outlined in the Transcribing accommodation policy.
Specific information about large-print test materials is available in the document titled, “General Instructions for Administering Braille and Large-Print Assessments,” located on the Accommodations webpage. {coming soon}
If a student needs a test booklet in a larger print size than offered in the large-print test materials, refer to the Photocopy accommodation policy.
Technology-based accommodations for a student taking an online test enable most students who require large-print test materials to test online. Large-print tests can be ordered for a student for whom technology-based accommodations are not appropriate.
TELPAS reading tests for grades 2-12: in rare instances in which the use of an accommodation is not feasible or appropriate for an online TELPAS reading administration, or if the administration of an online test is inappropriate due to a student’s particular disability, a special request may be made to TEA for approval.

33. No Change
Dictionary This accommodation facilitates comprehension of unfamiliar words for a student with a disability.
STAAR grades 3-5 reading tests
STAAR Spanish grades 3-5 reading tests
STAAR Modified grades 3-5 reading tests
Eligibility Criteria:
receives special education or Section 504 services,
routinely, independently, and effectively uses this accommodation during classroom instruction and testing, and
has a disability that affects memory retrieval and/or decoding skills.

34. Dictionary Reminder
Required for STAAR and STAAR Modified grade 6-8 reading, grade 7 writing, English I & II; STAAR English III; not an accommodation

35. Dictionary Examples/Types
This accommodation may ONLY include
Standard/general dictionary in English (or Spanish)
Dictionary/thesaurus combo
Electronic dictionary (no Internet access)
Bilingual dictionary
ESL dictionary
Picture dictionary
Sign language dictionary
This is an exhaustive list.
No other dictionaries are allowed.

36. Supplemental Aids Supplemental aids are paper-based resources that assist a student in recalling information.
STAAR
STAAR Spanish
STAAR Modified
STAAR L
Eligibility Criteria:
receives special education services,
routinely, independently, and effectively uses this accommodation during classroom instruction and testing, and
has a disability that affects memory retrieval, focus, or organization and is severe enough to prevent him or her from learning and retaining information as effectively as non-disabled peers despite multiple opportunities to learn, varied instructional strategies, and high-quality instruction.
NEW!

37. Supplemental Aid Examples/Types
Mnemonic Devices
Blank Graphic Organizers
Math Charts
Math Graphics & Pictorial Models
Grammar & Mechanics Rules
Science Graphics
Social Studies Graphics

38. Mnemonic Devices ALL SUBJECTS DMSB and/or Dad Mother Sister Brother
PEMDAS
and/or
Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally
DMSB
and/or
Dad Mother Sister Brother

39. ALL SUBJECTS
Mnemonic Devices

40. Blank Graphic Organizers
ALL SUBJECTS
Blank Graphic Organizers
Blank graphic organizers NEVER contain titles, words, labels, pictures, acronyms, mnemonics, numbers, symbols, variables, arrows, or fill-in-the-blank spaces.
Graphic Organizers for Reading must be BLANK!

41. Mathematics Examples/Types
Math Charts
Graphics & Pictorial Models

42. Math Charts Addition Charts Multiplication Charts 100 Chart
Place Value Chart

43. Addition Charts
The addition chart must be a grid used to find answers, not a list of addition facts. Each axis may be numbered up to 9, but no higher than 9. Highlighting or any other indication of special numbers (e.g., even numbers) in the body of the chart is not allowed.
1 + 1 = 2
2 + 2 = 4
3 + 3 = 6
4 + 4 = 8
5 + 5 = 10
6 + 6 = 12
7 + 7 = 14
8 + 8 = 16
9 + 9 = 18
= 20

44. Multiplication Charts
The multiplication chart must be a grid used to find the product, not a list of multiplication facts. Each axis may be numbered up to 12, but no higher than 12. Highlighting or any other indication of special numbers (e.g., perfect squares) in the body of the chart is not allowed.
1 x 0 = x 0 = 0
1 x 1 = x 1 = 2
1 x 2 = x 2 = 4
1 x 3 = x 3 = 6
1 x 4 = x 4 = 8
1 x 5 = x 5 = 10
1 x 6 = x 6 = 12
1 x 7 = x 7 = 14
1 x 8 = x 8 = 16
1 x 9 = x 9 = 18

45. 100 Chart
Highlighting or any other indication of special numbers (e.g., prime
numbers) in the body of the chart is not allowed.

46. Place Value Chart
Words for place value labels and a decimal point are allowed only if they are grade-appropriate. For example, the word “hundredths” may be used at grade 4 and above, but the fraction “1/100” cannot be included. Including numbers as specific examples is never allowed. 7 1 2 3
71.23

47. Graphics & Pictorial Models
Fraction bars or circles
One-, two-, and three-dimensional figures

48. Pictorial Models
The models may be labeled to show each individual fraction, but they should never show equivalencies (e.g., ½ = 2/4 = 0.5 = 50%) or a cumulative sequence (e.g., ¼, 2/4, ¾, 4/4).

49. Pictorial Models
Pictorial models of one-, two- and three-dimensional geometric figures may be used; however, the figures must be grade-appropriate. The figures may never contain titles, words, labels, acronyms, mnemonics, numbers, symbols, variables, arrows, or fill-in-the blank spaces.

50. Grammar & Mechanics Rules
Written Composition Examples/Types (grades 4 and 7 and English I, II, and III)
Grammar & Mechanics Rules

51. Grammar & Mechanics Rules
A list of grade-appropriate grammar and mechanics rules may be used. This list may never contain any specific examples.

52. Science Examples/Types
Graphics of scientific concepts
Formula triangles representing relationships between variables

53. Graphics
Graphics of scientific concepts may be used. The graphics should never contain titles, words, labels, acronyms, mnemonics, numbers, symbols, variables, arrows, or fill-in-the-blank spaces.

54. Formula Triangles
Formula triangles representing relationships between variables may be used. Only formulas that appear on the appropriate state-supplied reference materials may be represented. The triangles may only include variables; for example, a triangle showing the relationship between mass, density, and volume can only contain the variables m, D, and V. Symbols for mathematical operations (e.g. ÷, ×)

56. Social Studies Examples/Types
Blank Maps
Timelines

57. Blank Maps
Labeling or numbering of any features on the map is never allowed. In addition, maps that represent historic events but contain no text or numbering may be used (e.g., an unlabeled map that represents the stages of U.S. territorial expansion). A student could use both physical and political world or U.S. maps.

58. Timelines
Timelines may be used if they contain only dates. Labeling of events connected with those dates, whether represented by text or pictures, is never allowed.

59. Want additional supplemental aids?
NEW!
Want additional supplemental aids?
For the school year, these lists represent what eligible students can use.
TEA will not accept ARFs for additional supplemental aids.
TEA encourages feedback from educators about additional supplemental aids that can be added to the lists for future years. This will be requested after spring testing.

60. Dyslexia Accommodations
The Dyslexia Bundled Accommodations were part of the TAKS program for reading grades 3 through 8.
The bundle of 3 accommodations does not exist for the STAAR program.
However, there are several accommodations that could be useful for a student with dyslexia.
Oral administration will now be expanded to include allowing the test administrator to read aloud the questions and answer choices from the reading tests to students who meet the eligibility criteria; the test administrator can never read aloud the reading selections.
No Change
NEW!

61. Dyslexia Accommodations
NEW!
Extra time to complete the test (until the end of the published school day) may be allowed if the student meets the eligibility criteria. Students identified with dyslexia will most likely be included in the eligibility criteria. However, this policy has not yet been finalized or posted.
Having an extra day to complete the test is reserved for students with serious medical conditions or other unique and severe situations. Students identified with dyslexia will most likely NOT be included in the eligibility criteria. However, this policy has not yet been finalized or posted.

62. What’s Left to Finalize and Post?
Transcribing by Test Administrator
Spelling Assistance
Braille
Extra Time
Extra Day(s)
Photocopy
“Other” Accommodations
Point Size and Font Matrices
Braille / Large Print
Appendix
Deaf / Hard of Hearing Appendix
Accommodation Request Form Process
Guidelines for Recording Accommodation Use on the Answer Document

63. STAAR Modified Resources
What else is new?
STAAR Modified Resources

64. STAAR Modified Griddable Questions for Mathematics
STAAR Modified mathematics assessments will include 1 to 2 griddable questions.
The correct answer will be a positive number.
Extra zeros may be filled in (either before or after the answer) as long as their placement does not affect the value of the answer.
Practice grids and directions will be provided with each griddable question in the test booklets at grades 3 through 8 for students to practice if they choose.
Practice grids will not be provided in Algebra I or geometry test booklets.
Grades 3
No decimal point
Grades 4-8
Fixed decimal point
Digits for each answer must be entered in correct columns with respect to the fixed decimal point.
Algebra I & Geometry
Floating decimal point
If the answer has a decimal, students must enter a decimal point.
The answer can be placed in any set of consecutive boxes. It is not necessary to fill all of the boxes.

65. STAAR (Q & As) from August 26, 2011

67. Special Education STAAR Team
Kimberly Baumgardner
(210)
Lisa Kirby
(210)
Cindy Miller
(210)
Kelly Woodiel
(210)