Accessible Online Tests Workshop at APH August 18-19, 2008

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Accessible Tests… Are designed for the medium from the ground up to avoid retrofitting. Allow the student to enter and navigate the test independently. Provide a large print, braille/tactile, or regular print test so that the examinee has their choice of media. Coordinate the various media.

To meet the needs of students with visual impairments, online tests must… Follow operating system and web accessibility guidelines Provide keyboard access to functions Allow user to change font & screen color Provide alternative content for all illustrations, diagrams, photos, etc. Make content accessible to screen readers and other assistive technology

CATS Online: Kentuckys Accessible Assessment Provides eligible students with disabilities or limited English proficiency an accessible way to participate in the Kentucky Core Content Test (KCCT)

Supported Assistive Technology JAWS ZoomText Xtra Read & Write Gold Read & Write Mac Mac OS textreader

Low Vision Student Using Large Monitor

Low Vision student using mouse pointer to follow lines of regular print

Low Vision student using dark background and light text

Zoomtext User reviewing Q & A

JAWS User and Zoomtext User working side by side

Online Assessment Participation (Students with disabilities or LEP) YearDistrictsSchoolsStudents Kentucky has a total of 175 school districts, 1249 schools, and 86,000+ SWDs.

System Features Individual student login and settings Single question presentation Reminder of unanswered questions Navigation to any question in section Flag item for review Setup of students and test sessions at school level

Low Vision student entering answer into text box provided

Issues Encountered Logistics of large numbers of students testing online simultaneously (e.g., hardware, security, bandwidth, technology support, etc.) Electronic submission and scoring of student responses (especially open response) Training and prep of staff, students and technology (validation of local capacity) Possible psychometric impact of online assessment

Contractor Perspective Online testing experience –Large-scale, high-stakes –general population students –Mandated and voluntary participation models FAQ: Why test online?

Answers(?) –Faster results –Less paper –Engaged students –Because its cool Objections(!) –Students and proctors required to learn new technology –Incongruent to classroom instruction –Infrastructure burden

The Kentucky Opportunity –Large-scale, high-stakes –Special population students who require online accommodation first to test online –Voluntary participation –FAQ answered: because the students will benefit

Test Content Considerations Alternative text –Graphics –Equations Formatting –Reading passages –Graphic placement –Footnotes –Numbered paragraphs or lines

Summary: Critical Elements –Communication –Planning –Student and school/district staff input –Continual learning process

Staff Comments My students felt that they had performed better on CATS testing this year than all the other years that they had tested. The on-line testing this year was so much easier to use than in the past. The students enjoyed it tremendously. I had one parent tell me her child was still discussing the test 2 weeks after completion. The students worked harder than I have ever seen them work.

What does the future hold?

Contact Information Barbara Henderson, American Printing House for the Blind x328 Larry Skutchan, American Printing House for the Blind Chloe Torres, Measured Progress