1. Anna Fritts, Ph.D. SEALT March 2005
How to Choose and Use Accommodations for Students with Disabilities for Instruction and Assessment
Anna Fritts, Ph.D.
SEALT
March 2005
OSPI Workshop January 2005

2. 5 Important Steps…
Expect students to meet grade level academic content standards
Learn about accommodations for instruction and assessment
Choose accommodations with students
Administer assessment accommodations
Evaluate and improve accommodations use
PP-1, page 9
Provide overview of training module
OSPI Workshop January 2005

3. Definition of Accommodations
Accommodations are procedures in the areas of scheduling, setting, presentation, and response that provide equitable instructional and assessment access for students with disabilities
Accommodations mediate the effects of a student’s disability and do not reduce learning expectations
PP-10, page 15
Read and distribute state definitions sheet. Discuss.
May want to discuss additional definitions at this time:
Adaptations – a generalized term that describes a change made in presentation, setting, response, or schedule of an assessment that may or may not change the construct of the assessment targets.
Modification – a change to the testing conditions, procedures, and/or formatting so that measurement of the intended assessment target is no longer valid.
OSPI Workshop January 2005

4. Accommodations Applications
The use of accommodations is linked through each of these areas:
Home, School, & Community
Classroom
Instruction
Classroom
Assessments
State/District
Assessments
PP-11, page 15-16
Use the diagram to show how accommodations are applied throughout instruction and assessment and into community and adult life.
Each of these circles implies that the team selecting accommodations have a deep understanding of classroom instruction (what is intended to be taught and what is taught); classroom assessment (what is important to be measured, how it is measured, how the student performed on those measures); and state/district assessments (what is important to be measured, how it is measured, how the student performed on those measures); and how different accommodations may change or not change what is to be measured.
OSPI Workshop January 2005

5. Accommodations Categories
Scheduling – Change the allowable length of test or assignment and may change the way the time is organized
Setting – Change the location in which a test or assignment is given or the conditions of the assessment setting
Presentation – Allow students to access information in ways that do not require them to visually read standard print (visual, tactile, auditory)
Response – Allow students to complete assignments, tests, and activities in different ways
PP-12, page 16
1) Distribute Fact Sheets 1-4 (pages 48-54)
Scheduling – Change the allowable length of test or assignment and may change the way the time is organized. Example from the Guidelines: Work as long as the student is productively engaged.
Setting – Change the location in which a test or assignment is given or the conditions of the assessment setting. Guidelines: Provide architecturally accessible testing sites, home, institution, or hospital.
Presentation – Allow students to access information in ways that do not require them to visually read standard print (visual, tactile, auditory). Guidelines: Use physical supports; read mathematics or science items verbatim in English; isolate portions of the page; use math manipulatives.
Response – Allow students to complete assignments, tests, and activities in different ways. Guidelines: Answer orally, voice output technology or sign; use a computer or word processor; respond in Braille or large print.
2) Distribute the Giving Wider Access handouts (contains test changes available for all students).
3) Distribute and review Fact Sheet 5 (page 55-58).
OSPI Workshop January 2005

6. Modifications
Changing, lowering, or reducing learning or assessment expectations
May result in implications that may adversely affect a student throughout his or her educational career
Examples include:
Requiring a student to learn less material
Revising assignments or tests to make them easier
PP-13, page 16-17
Discuss slide. Hand out packet of Implementation Guidelines for standardized use of WASL testing accommodations.
OSPI Workshop January 2005