ACCOMMODATIONS WEBINAR SERIES INTRODUCTION TO ACCOMMODATIONS Carlin Danner

ACCOMMODATIONS WEBINAR SERIES: INTRODUCTION TO ACCOMMODATIONS Carlin Danner, Office of Student, Community, and Academic Supports Heather Heineke, Office of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment February 5, 2020

AGENDA What are accommodations and modifications? Examples How to Select Accommodations Strategies for collecting evidence Accommodations for State Assessments

ACCOMMODATIONS VS. MODIFICATIONS Accommodation Modification A change to instructional or testing procedures or materials that allows a student to fully access the information and to accurately demonstrate knowledge. Instructional accommodations are changes made to the delivery of classroom instruction or to the accompanying materials. A change to instruction or curriculum that alters either the content of that instruction or student performance expectations. Modifications are useful for students for whom all possible accommodations have been considered but who nevertheless require additional measures to help them progress in the general education curriculum.

ACCOMMODATION VS. MODIFICATION Accommodations do not change: the content of instruction; the expectations for learning; the requirements of the task. Accommodations do change: parts of the instruction and/or test in a way that promotes student independence during instruction and testing. Modifications do change: the expectations for learning; and the requirements of the task usually by reducing what the student is expected to learn.

TESTING VS. CLASSROOM (INSTRUCTIONAL) ACCOMMODATIONS Testing Accommodations change the format of a test large print, Braille, magnification change test administration procedures extended time, change in time of day change the materials students use do not change what a test measures Students with disabilities who receive testing accommodations are expected to take the same assessments and reach the same level of proficiency as students who do not use them. Classroom (Instructional) Accommodations change the delivery of classroom instruction and/or accompanying materials. change how students interact with the content being taught do not change the scope or range of the grade-level content standards do not change the complexity of the content students are expected to learn.

EXAMPLE 1 Joe has Autism and always performs better on exams after lunch. “Change of Schedule” is an accommodation that could support Joe’s success on his exams. This accommodation does not change the actual content that is being assessed, it only changes the time of day the test is given. Area of Concern Evidence Accommodation Performance on Exams It has been noticed and recorded Change of Schedule for that the student has performed Assessment significantly better after lunch time.

EXAMPLE 2 Kate has Autism and demonstrates difficulty with executive functioning which affects her ability to organize her writing. Support that might help her with this is a graphic organizer or a checklist. This is an accommodation because it does not change the content or expectations of the assignment, but does address the issue that Kate is having with executive functioning by helping her to organize her ideas. Area of Concern Evidence Accommodation Executive Functioning One component of executive functioning that has affected Kate has been in the organization of writing Graphic Organizer Checklist

EXAMPLE 3 Lincoln has Autism and is more than two grade levels behind in reading. His teachers tried a few interventions but he is not responding in the way they hoped and his progress in reading is very slow. In order to develop his comprehension skills, Lincoln benefits from using less complex texts and answering fewer questions during testing. Shorter, less complex texts, and answering fewer questions during testing are modifications. They change the content and the learning expectations of the student. Students using modifications like these make up a small percentage of the student population. All modifications should be modeled from the grade level expectation in order to continue to grant access to grade level materials. Area of Concern Evidence Modification Performance in English Multiple grade levels behind Less Complex Texts Interventions unsuccessful Fewer questions Very slow academic growth even Less answer choices with all tiers of support

HOW TO SELECT ACCOMMODATIONS

STATE POLICY FOR ACCOMMODATIONS Only students with a 504 Plan or IEP Any accommodation must be included in the 504 or IEP Accommodations must address the diagnosed disability(ies) of the student Educators should be able to provide a rationale and evidence as to why the accommodations were selected and what challenges the accommodation is expected to address. 14

HOW TO SELECT AN ACCOMMODATION Before the IEP team can select an accommodation to help a student meet their learning goals, they must first identify the barrier (area of need) affecting the student’s academic performance. Area of Need Each accommodation should be directly related to the area of need and be clearly connected to the evidence and data presented in the IEP and the accommodations that are recommended. Evidence/Data Accommodation/ Modification

HOW TO THINK ABOUT ACCOMMODATIONS Less can be better Learning curve should be expected What will help the student but not be a crutch? Independence should increase every year

EVIDENCE/DATA DRIVES ACCOMMODATION SELECTION The accommodation should be selected from a variety of data that demonstrates the need for the accommodation. Some possible sources of data would include: Present levels of academic achievement and functional performance Individual strengths and needs Specific learning goals Academic or social behaviors that interfere with the student’s learning Modalities (e. g. , visual, auditory) that work best for the student Accommodations that have already been tried (what has and has not worked well) Some of the challenges presented by the use of these accommodations How the accommodation will be evaluated to determine whether it is working Whether the student is amenable to the accommodation and will likely use it

DATA COLLECTION These are the most frequently used methods of data collection used: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Frequency/event recording Duration Recording Interval Recording Whole Interval Recording Partial Interval Recording

FREQUENCY/EVENT RECORDING Counting the number of times a behavior occurs in a specific time period. Behavior and can be easily counted and has a clear beginning and end. Such as: initiating a task accomplishing a task protesting task demands asking for help participating in class Do not use if the behavior is: occurring at such a high rate that an accurate count is impossible (e. g. , pencil tapping). occurring for extended periods of time (e. g. , two tantrums, but each tantrum is one hour).

FREQUENCY RECORDING EXAMPLE Procedure: Every time that you are observing the behavior: Write down the date Make a tally mark every time that the behavior occurs At the end of the observation period, total the number of tally marks for that day. Continue on the next day. Example Behavior: Leaving seat during class time: Being at least one foot away from desk/seat during class, anytime after tardy bell rings. Includes times when has asked for permission to leave seat. Time Period: Math in class assignment from 9: 00 -9: 30 AM Depending on the data collected from this sample, the teacher could make decisions on the following accommodations: Preferential seating Frequent Breaks/Scheduled Breaks Change time of testing

DURATION RECORDING Duration Recording captures the length of time a behavior begins and ends. Use this method if: The behavior has a clear beginning and end. The behavior occurs at such high rates, it is difficult to get an accurate frequency count (e. g. , number of taps during pencil, finger, or toe tapping). You want to measure the length of time the student engages in the behavior. Useful for measuring: The length of time the student uses an accommodation. Student engagement such as time spent working on an assignment. The length of time behaviors such as tantrum-throwing or crying last. Depending on results, the following accommodations might be considered: Frequent breaks Extended time Stress ball or other fidgit device

INTERVAL RECORDING Interval Recording captures whether a behavior occurred during a defined time period (intervals). At the end of each interval, the observer records whether or not a specific behavior occurred. There are two types of interval recording: 1. Whole-Interval: An observer indicates whether the behavior lasted the entire time of the 2. interval. Example: A student worked on the assignment for the whole thirty-minute interval. Partial-interval: An observer indicates whether the behavior occurred at any point during the interval. Example: A student worked on the assignment for fifteen minutes of a thirtyminute interval. Interval Recording is used: When it is difficult or impractical to constantly observe a behavior in relation to other variables in the classroom For continuous behaviors For behaviors whose onset and end are difficult to distinguish because the behaviors occur at such high rates. Data are reported as a percentage: divide the number of intervals in which the behavior occurred by the total number of intervals, then multiply by 100.

WHOLE INTERVAL EXAMPLE Behaviors to observe during whole interval recording could be: Reading Writing Attending to tasks Using an accommodation throughout the entire assignment Whole Interval Recording is useful for making decisions about the length of time an accommodation is needed or how much attention the student has for particular tasks.

PARTIAL INTERVAL RECORDING EXAMPLE Examples of behaviors: Physical Contact Participating in class discussions Making positive statements towards peers This could be particularly helpful in understanding supports a student might need to strengthen or lessen each behavior For example, if a student is not participating in classroom discussions, the special educator might consider adding the classroom accommodations of preview of materials prior to classroom discussion*, assistance in creating possible discussion answers prior to discussion*, or even explicit teacher prompting*. *These accommodations are not available during state assessments.

ANNUAL IEP REVIEW DISCUSSION POINTS Observe the student to understand where the student might be experiencing strengths and weaknesses. Review the initial evaluation or the last three-year re-evaluation. Meet with the previous case manager to determine what was needed and the rational for accommodations. Review progress on goals and the present levels to determine the effectiveness of the current accommodations. Be willing to add, remove, or adjust accommodations when they stop providing access to instruction or to assessments.

HOW TO CHANGE ACCOMMODATIONS Each district should have a process for amending an IEP if the full IEP team cannot meet. Part of the amendment process includes discussing the changes with the family, providing them with documentation of the change, and getting a formal agreement to the changes. NOTE: Any accommodation used for state assessments must be in the IEP before the student can be tested. Students may not be tested using an accommodation if it is not in the IEP.

TEACHING STUDENTS TO USE ACCOMMODATIONS Each accommodation needs to be taught. Outline the following for the student: When is the accommodation used? Will it be used in all content areas or only in one (like math or science)? How it will work during instruction? How it will work during testing ? What should the student do when a teacher does not provide the accommodation? When is it ok to refuse an accommodation?

ACCOMMODATIONS AND ACCESSIBILITY FEATURES 28

ACCOMMODATIONS AND ACCESSIBILITY FEATURES You need these documents: RISAP Accommodations and Accessibility Features Manual Accommodations and Accessibility Features Excel sheet RICAS Student Registration and Personal Needs Profile Guide (SR/PNP) Provides guidance on entering accommodations into PAN. RICAS Assistive Technology Guide Bilingual Dictionaries and Glossaries for EL Students 29

ACCESSIBILITY FEATURES FOR ALL STUDENTS (RICAS AND NGSA) Accessibility Features: for any student, at principal’s discretion Small group test administration (up to 10 students) Individual (one-to-one) test administration Frequent supervised breaks Test in a separate location Familiar test administrator Seating in a specified area of room, including study carrel Adaptive or specialized furniture or lighting Noise buffer/noise-cancelling earmuffs/headphones (no music) Student reads test aloud to self Specific time of day “Stop Testing” policy: If student is not responding to test questions after 15 20 minutes, test administrator may ask if student is finished. If so, collect the student’s test materials. Student may sit quietly or be excused. 30

ACCESSIBILITY FEATURES FOR ALL STUDENTS (RICAS AND NGSA) Embedded Alternative background/font color (RICAS PNP) Not-Embedded/External Colored overlays Screen magnification/ Zoom tool Line reader tool Answer Eliminator Answer Masking (RICAS PNP) Item flag/bookmark Highlighter tool Magnification device Tracking device/straight edge Use pencil to eliminate answer choices Masking using blank card Place marker Volume control Audio Aids/Volume control Highlighter Human read-aloud (or sign) selected words on RICAS math and NGSA science, as requested by student Test administrator repeats/clarifies test directions Test administrator redirects student’s attention to test 31

READ ALOUD OPTIONS 32

ACCOMMODATIONS: READ ALOUD Read aloud accommodations options include the following: RICAS ELA RICAS Math NGSA Science Text-to-speech Special Access Accommodation Screen reader Special Access Accommodation Human reader: English Special Access Accommodation & EL Accommodation N/A EL Accommodation* Special Access Accommodation (students with visual impairments/blindness) (either CBT or PBT) Human Reader: Spanish* (either CBT or PBT) Human signer: (either CBT or PBT) EL Students who require a read aloud in Spanish for the math or science tests do not need an IEP or 504 Plan. 33

CRITERIA FOR RECEIVING A READ ALOUD FOR ELA Does the student meet one of the following conditions? Has blindness or a visual impairment. This means that the student: has not learned or cannot access text through Braille and cannot access text through large print/enlarged text. Deafness or hearing impairment that severely limits or prevents him/her from decoding text due to a documented history of early and prolonged language deprivation. A disability that severely limits or prevents him/her from accessing printed text even after varied and repeated attempts to teach the student to do so (e. g. , student is unable to decode printed text or read fluently); Decode printed text or read fluently means the student is at the basal/foundational reading level (being at the beginning stages of sound/symbol relationship, able to decode consonant-vowel-consonant words, and some high-frequency words). 34

ELA READ ALOUD: MORE EXPLANATION Remember the following: A very small number of students will be eligible. RIDE may reach out to ensure criteria are understood. The distance between a student's current grade level and the grade level of their reading ability is not part of the criteria. Example: 8 th grade student reads at 2 nd grade level does not meet criteria because of how "low" they are; consider what and how they can read. To receive a read aloud for the math test, the student must be a struggling reader, an EL student, or both. This accommodation is for struggling readers who may be one or more grade levels below their current grade level or for EL students still learning English. 35

ADDITIONALLY, IEP or 504 plan teams should also ensure that: the student has access to printed text during routine instruction through a reader or other spoken-text audio format, or interpreter. the student’s inability to decode printed text or read Braille is documented in evaluation summaries from locally-administered diagnostic assessments. the student receives ongoing, intensive instruction and/or interventions in the foundational reading skills to continue to attain the important skill of independent reading. This means that the student must receive printed instructional materials for all subjects in an audio format the majority of instructional time. 36

ADMINISTERING A HUMAN READ ALOUD ACCOMMODATION All human read alouds must be done verbatim. No translating No explaining No assistance of any kind may be provided to the student. RICAS and NGSA: Multiple students in one grade level may be tested together if they are in the same grade level and the read aloud is in the same language (English or Spanish). 37

ELA GRAPHIC ORGANIZERS FOR RICAS CAUTION: This accommodation should not be given to every student with an IEP or 504 Plan because the teacher uses it as an instructional strategy for all students. Students who have this as an accommodation in their IEP or 504 Plan for state assessments should have a documented disability for which a graphic organizer provides support and access to the RICAS ELA test and without this accommodation, the student would not be able to access the test to their fullest ability. 38

ELA GRAPHIC ORGANIZERS: PROPER USE For students who have this accommodation in their IEP/504 Plan for the state assessments: Blank copies of the preferred graphic organizer can be provided as handouts only to students who have this as an accommodation in their IEP/504 plan Using individual student needs as a guide, graphic organizers can have items removed but not added. If a student prefers a different graphic organizer, it can be used as long as there is no text. One or two graphic organizers allowed during testing. Students without this as an accommodation must draw the graphic organizer on their own using blank paper 39

MATHEMATICS REFERENCE SHEETS VS. CALCULATION TOOLS 40

WHEN AN ACCOMMODATION BECOMES A MODIFICATION The calculator is an accommodation that can seem to be both an accommodation and modification. If a student is past the stages of learning calculation but needs this essential skill in order to access current material. A calculator then becomes a necessary accommodation in order to grant access without changing the content/ or what is expected of the actual math problem. The student should continue to receive specialized instruction in order to build their computation knowledge and bridge this gap. However, using the calculator on the non –calculator section of an exam does in fact change the expectations of the exam. Therefore, in this case, it works as more of a modification

MATH ACCOMMODATIONS FOR STUDENTS WHO NEED DIFFERENT LEVELS OF SUPPORT HIGHER LEVEL OF SUPPORT The calculation device or math tools for students whose disability: • LOWER LEVEL OF SUPPORT Supplemental Reference Sheet is for students whose disability: Severely impacts their ability to • Does not impact their ability to perform simple calculations (1+1=2, perform basic calculations 1 x 0=0, etc. ) so they need a multiplication table or calculator to use for the duration of the test. • Severely impacts their spatial ability in that they need manipulatives to set up math problems. • Does affect their ability to remember simple mathematical properties, procedures, and formulas, such as: • The order of operations • How to add, subtract, multiply, and divide fractions • Does affect their ability to multiply some numbers. For example, their 7's or 8's, but other than that, they don't have any with their multiplication tables. 42

GUIDANCE FOR USING THE SUPPLEMENTAL MATHEMATICS REFERENCE SHEETS Education should be able to address the guidelines for selecting the accommodations regarding the rationale for how and why this accommodation was selected for a student. Use during testing: Use the Supplemental Reference Sheet along with the Standard Math Reference Sheet. Per individual needs, items can be removed but NOT added. If the student qualifies for Calculation Device/Mathematical Tools, and will use a multiplication table as part of that accommodation, use the multiplication table the student uses every day and delete the empty multiplication table from the Supplemental Reference Sheet. If using the multiplication table included on the Supplemental Reference Sheet: do not complete the multiplication table; it must remain blank. The student must complete the blank table on their own, during testing. 43

ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY Students may use assistive technology (AT), when it is listed in their IEP or 504 plan; for example: Word prediction software Speech-to-text programs Adapted keyboard, mouse, screen enlargement There are two categories of assistive technology: Compatible technology that interacts with Test. Nav. External technology that does not interact with Test. Nav Requires a second computer station not directly connected to Test. Nav May require test administrator to facilitate transfer of information from external station to computer used for assessment. Internet access should be disabled or restricted during testing. Make sure AT works before testing begins! 44

ACCOMMODATIONS & ACCESSIBILITY FEATURES: EMBEDDED AND EXTERNAL Accommodations and accessibility features are divided into two categories: Embedded or Compatible with Test. Nav External or Non-Compatible with Test. Nav All students are expected to take the CBT but sometimes students don’t want to, or can’t, use the embedded tools in Test. Nav. In these cases students can use external versions 45

ACCOMMODATIONS: EMBEDDED AND Non-Compatible/External Compatible/Embedded Student Need (CBT or PBT) (CBT only) EXTERNAL VERSIONS A student has a visual impairment and requires the text of the test to be larger. Magnifier or Zoom tool Hand-held magnification device Large-print paper test books A student is blind Text-to-Speech: • JAWS, NVDA • Refreshable Braille Human Read Aloud Hard-copy Braille Edition A student speaks aloud and their answers are recorded. Embedded Speech-to-Text Human Scribe; Dragon Naturally Speaking on separate computer. A student requires a word process or word prediction device for assistance in spelling words. Embedded: • Word Prediction • Spell-checker External device: • word prediction • spell-checker A student requires text to be read aloud. Embedded Text-to-Speech Human Read Aloud 46

Compatible/Embedded Non-Compatible/External Student Need ACCOMMODATIONS: EMBEDDED AND (CBT only) (CBT or PBT) Student is an English learner and needs Text-to-speech: Human Read Aloud: EXTERNAL VERSIONS a read aloud • English only • English • Spanish Student is an English learner who reads and receives instruction in Spanish CBT Spanish Edition Spanish Paper Edition Student is an English learner and needs a word-to-word dictionary Not available Word-to-Word Dictionary Word-to-Word Glossary Audio Controls Human signer; audio controls Not available Graphic organizers for ELA Calculator tool Hand-held calculator or other calculator tool Not available Supplemental Reference Sheet Student is deaf or hard-of-hearing Student requires assistance organizing their writing Student requires calculator on noncalculator section of test Student requires support on math test (does not need help calculating) 47

QUESTIONS? www. ride. ri. gov/accommodations Heather Heineke, heather. heineke@ride. ri. gov, 401 -222 -8493 Carlin Danner, carlin. danner@ride. ri. gov, 401 -222 -8404