PARCC Accommodation: Text-to-Speech, Screen Reader Version, ASL Video, Human Reader/Human Signer For the ELA/Literacy Assessment December 2014

Audio representation of the ELA/Literacy Assessments, including items, response options, and passages The student listens to the ELA/Literacy assessment via embedded text-to-speech software, Screen Reader, an embedded ASL video, or a human reader.

* This presentation is a compilation of some of the information found in: -PARCC Accessibility Features and Accommodations Manual, 3 rd edition -PARCC Appendix D: Text-to-Speech, Human Reader, or Interpreter Accommodation Guidance for English Language Arts/Literacy Assessments -Creating Accessible PARCC Reading Assessments: Separating the Constructs and Providing Text-to-Speech Accommodations for Students with Disabilities This presentation is not intended to take the place of these documents. Please review these documents in their entirety for a thorough understanding of this accommodation.

The accommodation is intended to provide access to printed or written texts in the PARCC ELA/Literacy assessments to a very small number of students with disabilities who would otherwise be unable to participate in the assessment because their disability severely limits or prevents them from decoding printed text.

IEP teams or 504 coordinators* may consider providing this accommodation to a student who has a print-related disability that severely limits or prevents his or her ability to access printed text by decoding, or who is blind and is unable to access braille to read text. This accommodation is not intended for students reading somewhat (i.e., only moderately) below grade level. *this decision is to be made by the IEP or 504 team

The IEP must document objective evidence from a variety of sources (including state assessments, district assessments, AND one or more locally-administered diagnostic assessments or other evaluation) that indicate that the student’s ability to decode text or braille is severely limited or prevented or that the student is blind or visually impaired and has not yet learned (or is unable to use) braille. Appendix D: Text-to-Speech, Human Reader, or Interpreter Accommodation Guidance for English Language Arts/Literacy Assessments

Note: There may be unintended consequences related to the use of this accommodation for some students. Review the Administration Guidelines carefully. PARCC will conduct additional research to provide PARCC states with data to substantiate the need for providing this level of access to a small number of students. * PARCC Accessibility Features and Accommodations Manual, 3 rd edition Page 34

If the student is given the Text-to-Speech, Screen Reader Version, Embedded ASL Video, or Human Reader/Human Signer accommodation for the PARCC ELA/Literacy assessment… …and all guidelines are met, he/she will receive a valid score on the assessments. …and all guidelines are not met, the student’s score may be invalidated and the score would not be counted in the overall assessment results; i.e., the student would be considered a “non-participant” for the ELA/Literacy assessment.* Appendix D: Text-to-Speech, Human Reader, or Interpreter Accommodation Guidance for English Language Arts/Literacy Assessments

Guidelines for IEP or 504 Team Consideration Student has an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or 504 plan and Blindness or a visual impairment and has not learned (or is unable to use) braille, or A disability that severely limits or prevents him/her from accessing printed text, even after varied and repeated attempts to do so, or Deafness or a hearing impairment and is severely limited or prevented from decoding text due to a documented history of early and prolonged language deprivation * PARCC Accessibility Features and Accommodations Manual, 3 rd edition Page 35

Before listing this accommodation, IEP teams/504 coordinators should also consider whether: Student has access to printed text during routine instruction through a reader or other spoken-text audio format, or signer; Student’s inability to decode printed text or read braille is documented in evaluation summaries from locally-administered diagnostic assessments; Student receives ongoing, intensive instruction and/or interventions in the foundational reading skills to continue to attain the important college and career- ready skill of independent reading. * PARCC Accessibility Features and Accommodations Manual, 3 rd edition Page 35

Decisions about who receives this accommodation… …will be made by the IEP teams and 504 plan coordinators. However, PARCC (and ADE) will collect data on the frequency of its use for the purpose of carefully monitoring and determining appropriate decision-making. * PARCC Accessibility Features and Accommodations Manual, 3 rd edition Page 35

Creating Accessible PARCC Reading Assessments: Separating the Constructs and Providing Text-to-Speech Accommodations for Students with Disabilities Daniel Wiener and Martha Thurlow The purpose of this paper was to explore the creation of accessible reading assessments for the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC), specifically with regard to separating the constructs that underlie the ability to read, and determining whether to allow text to speech or read-aloud accommodations on the reading tests for students with certain disabilities. (p. 1) According to their paper, Weiner and Thurlow recommended that “PARCC should agree to set a cut score that identifies a small number, about 1-1.5%* of the total assessed population, who are severely limited or prevented from decoding written text, depending on the grade levels of the students.” (p. 11) However, PARCC has not set a cut score. *This is the percentage of students in Massachusetts given reading access accommodations using the “severely limited or prevented” criteria after considerable efforts by the state over several years to retrain IEP teams on eligibility criteria.

Reporting Notation to Schools and Parents A notation will be provided on all confidential score reports to the school and parent (i.e., parent/guardian report, school roster, and district roster) stating that the student was given a reading access accommodation on the PARCC ELA/Literacy assessment and therefore, no claims should be inferred regarding the student’s ability to demonstrate foundational reading skills (i.e., decoding and fluency). * PARCC Accessibility Features and Accommodations Manual, 3 rd edition Page 35

Text-to-Speech A student receives an audio representation of the ELA/Literacy assessment via text-to-speech software. Click here Click here to hear a sample from the PARCC tutorial. * If headphones are not used for text-to-speech, the student must be tested in a separate setting.

Screen Reader Version A student receives an audio representation of the ELA/Literacy assessment via screen reader software. The screen reader accommodation is intended to provide access to the PARCC ELA/Literacy assessments to students who are blind or have a visual impairment and have not learned (or are unable to use) braille. * If headphones are not used for the screen reader version, the student must be tested in a separate setting.

ASL Video A student views an embedded video of a human signer for the ELA/Literacy assessment. Sample test items with the ASL video accommodation are currently unavailable; however, click here to view an example from the GAAP guidelines project used to guide the construction of the PARCC ASL videos. The example contains sample math questions, signed by one of the signers who was also used for the PARCC ASL videos. The formatting is different, but this example will demonstrate one of the signers used.click here If a student does not use ASL, a human signer and separate test setting will be required. The embedded videos do not contain “voice over,” so headphones are not required.

Human Reader/Human Signer A student receives an audio representation or signed representation of the ELA/Literacy assessment. In special cases where a test administrator reads aloud to a student due to a disability (human reader or human signer), the student must be tested in a separate setting. Human readers/human signers providing this accommodation must refer to: Appendix B: Test Administration Protocol for the Human Reader Accommodation for English Language Arts/Literacy Assessments, and the Human Reader Accessibility Feature for Mathematics Assessments for administrative guidance, and Appendix B: Test Administration Protocol for the Human Reader Accommodation for English Language Arts/Literacy Assessments, and the Human Reader Accessibility Feature for Mathematics Assessments for administrative guidance Appendix I: PARCC ELA Audio Guidelines. Appendix I: PARCC ELA Audio Guidelines

Remember… The IEP team or 504 coordinator is responsible for making decisions about which accommodations the student will need. PARCC accommodations are intended for students who use the accommodation routinely (with rare exceptions) during classroom instruction and locally- administered assessments. * PARCC Accessibility Features and Accommodations Manual, 3 rd edition Page 31

Questions?

For further assistance, please contact the Arkansas Department of Education, Student Assessment Unit. Jared Hogue Student Assessment Specialist PARCC accommodations; alternate assessments