Slide 1 National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO) High School Exit Exams: Performance, Validity and Use Martha L. Thurlow National Center on Educational Outcomes

Slide 2 National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO) Number of students using accommodations during state assessments: ElementaryMiddle SchoolHigh School %44%44% %64%61%

Slide 3 National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO) Complexity of policies has increased over time, as reflected in coding systems used to summarize state accommodation policies YearCoding System 1993X = allowed; O = prohibited 1995Lists of states with certain accommodations 1997X = allowed; O = prohibited 1999X = allowed; O = prohibited 2001X = allowed; X* = score not aggregated if used; O = prohibited 2003A = allowed; AC = allowed in certain circumstances; AI = allowed with implications for scoring and/or aggregation; P = prohibited 2005A = allowed; A* = allowed but called nonstandard (with no implications for scoring or aggregation); AC = allowed in certain circumstances; AI = allowed with implications for scoring and/or aggregation; P = prohibited

Slide 4 National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO) AA*ACAIAC/AIP Large Print Braille Sign Directions Read Aloud Direct Repeat Directions Visual Cues Familiar Examiner Admin. by Others Sign Questions Addtl. Examples Read Aloud Quest Presentation Accommodations Sample of 10 States with Distinct Policies for High School Exit Exam

Slide 5 National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO) AA*ACAIAC/AIP Mag. Equipment Amp. Equipment Light/Acous Calculator Templates/Graph Audio/Video Noise Buffer Adap/Spec Furn Abacus Manipulatives Equipment and Material Accommodations Sample of 10 States with Distinct Policies for High School Exit Exam

Slide 6 National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO) AA*ACAIAC/AI Proctor/Scribe Write in Test Booklet Brailler Tape Recorder Computer/Mach Sign Responses Comm. Device Pointing Speech/Text Dev Spell Checker Response Accommodations Sample of 10 States with Distinct Policies for High School Exit Exam

Slide 7 National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO) AA*ACAIAC/AI With Breaks90000 Extended Time80000 Time Beneficial to Student Multiple Sessions30000 Over Multiple Days Scheduling/Timing Accommodations Sample of 10 States with Distinct Policies for High School Exit Exam

Slide 8 National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO) Sample of 10 States with Distinct Policies for High School Exit Exam AA*ACAIAC/AI Individual Small Group Carrel90000 Seat Location80000 Separate Room50000 Minimize Dist Student’s Home70100 Special Ed. Classroom30000 Setting Accommodations

Slide 9 National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO) Who Receives Accommodations (besides IEP students)? 504 students (41 states) ELLs with IEPs (25 states) All students, with qualifications (6 states) All students (no qualifications) (2 states) Other (11 states)

Slide 10 National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO) Complicating Matters Some states use college admission tests as their high school exams (not as “exit exams” per se), with the accommodation policies conforming to those of the admission test rather than the typical state policy – but this may in turn affect state practice!

Slide 11 National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO) Alternative Routes Study conducted in Figure 1. Alternative Routes to a Standard Diploma ( )

Slide 12 National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO) Many of states’ alternative routes are not very alternative! And, for students with disabilities, including students with learning disabilities, states seem to be willing to accept noncomparable alternative routes.

Slide 13 National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO) Policy Implications Accommodations should meet students’ needs, and not necessarily be a function of the test. There is no real reason for accommodations to vary just because an assessment is an exit exam (other than content) There are many reasons to provide much more viable alternative routes to standard diplomas – ones that are based on the same standards and expectations, but that are truly alternative routes.

Slide 14 National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO) Practice Recommendations Students, parents, and educators need to think about the implications of the transition from an open and flexible (relatively) accommodations system to a closed and inflexible (relatively) accommodations system. Accommodations should be tested out to make sure that they are really needed. If they are, document them.

Slide 15 National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO) Product Recommendations Tools are needed to help with training and decision making Some exist – ASES SCASS Accommodations Manual: how to Select, Administer, and Evaluate Use of Accommodations for Instruction and Assessment of Students with Disabilities More are needed!