State Testing of Your Child with a Disability

If your child has a disability, an Individualized Education Program (IEP), or a 504 plan, they may use test resources during state testing of reading, math, and other subjects. The more you know about these test resources, the more you can ensure that your child’s test performance contributes to measures of how well the school has met the needs of all children in the school.

What test resources are available to children with disabilities?

• Children with disabilities may receive accommodations during state tests. Accommodations are test resources that meet the specific disability needs of your child. Your child may also receive other test resources that are available to all children. They may be called “universal features,” “accessibility features,” or other terms in your state.
• The resources your child uses on assessments should be similar to those they use during instruction in the classroom.
• Examples of accommodations include:
  • Different ways of presenting information, such as text-to-speech, large print, braille, and others.
  • Different ways of responding to the test, such as speech-to-text, dictating to a scribe, and others.
  • Different timing and scheduling of the test, such as additional breaks, testing at a time best for your child, and others.
  • Different settings for testing, such as individualized or small-group testing.
• Examples of other testing resources available to all children may include highlighters, scratch paper, breaks, and others.
• Your state department of education decides which test resources are available during state testing. You may obtain this list of test resources from your school.
• Staff who give tests to your child have been trained in proper test administration procedures for children with disabilities. These procedures include providing your child with needed test resources.

How can you be involved in decisions about your child’s test resources?

• Communicate with your child’s teacher frequently to make sure your child is prepared to take state tests and that they are receiving the test resources they need.
• Ask when state tests are scheduled to be administered so that you know when to be involved in test resource decisions.
• Talk to teachers and ask questions about resources your child uses in class. Check whether they can be used during state tests.
• Share information about the things that help your child learn at home, such as listening to music or having materials read aloud by the computer. These might be possible test resources for state testing.
• Decisions about test resources your child may use for state tests (and instruction) are made during the IEP team meeting or in a 504 plan. You can contribute to these decisions. Make sure your child’s test resources are written in the IEP or 504 plan.
• Request an interpreter or translated materials if you need them.
• Advocate for your child so they receive all the resources needed to succeed in school and during tests.
• Ask whether your child will use the same resources they use in class when taking class tests.

Helpful steps you can take to prepare your child for state tests in academic subjects

• Talk to your child about why they should use test resources assigned to them.
• Have a study plan for your child.
• Supervise your child at home consistently to help them prepare for state tests.
• Make sure your child is well rested on test day.

If your child is an English learner, see Fact Sheet 4, State Testing of Your Child Who is an English Learner, for information about English learners.

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