2009 State Policies on Assessment
Participation and Accommodations for
Students with Disabilities
Synthesis Report 83
Laurene L. Christensen •
Maureen Braam • Sarah Scullin • Martha
L. Thurlow
September 2011
All
rights
reserved.
Any or
all
portions
of this
document
may be
reproduced
and
distributed
without
prior
permission,
provided
the
source
is cited
as:
Christensen, L. L.,
Braam, M., Scullin, S., & Thurlow, M. L.
(2011). 2009 state policies on
assessment participation and
accommodations for students with
disabilities (Synthesis Report 83).
Minneapolis, MN: University of
Minnesota, National Center on
Educational Outcomes.
Acknowledgments
The authors wish to
extend special thanks to Michael Moore
for his commitment to the development of
the Data Viewer, the interactive tool
and database that complements this
report. Michael’s ongoing efforts to
revise the Data Viewer have made this
report possible. Additional thanks go to
Melissa Crone, who helped with the
initial data collection for this
project, and to Darleen Baillargeon and
Gail Brinkmeier, who helped with editing
and proofreading, and formatting tables
for the report.
Table of Contents
Executive Summary
The National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO) has been tracking and
analyzing state policies on assessment participation and accommodations since
1992. The purpose of the current analysis is to update information on these
policies that was last reported by NCEO in 2008 (based on 2007 data). In
addition, current state accommodations policies were analyzed by grade and
content area. In this analysis, policies from all fifty states and the District
of Columbia were included in the report.
The current analysis of states’ 2009 participation and accommodations policies
found that state policies on participation and accommodation continue to evolve,
and that they have become more detailed and specific than in previous years. Key
findings from this analysis include:
- State policies focus more on
accommodations that produce valid
scores.
- There is a greater
differentiation among accommodations
for different groups of students
(students with IEPs, students with
504 Plans, English Language
Learners).
- The Read Aloud Questions and
Sign Interpret Questions
accommodations continue to be
controversial.
- Accommodations policies differ
significantly by content area in an
increasing number of states.
- More states have guidelines for
the use of accommodations requiring
a third party/access assistant
(Scribe, Reader, Sign Language
Interpreter).
This analysis did not attempt to determine the degree to which state policies
complied with federal requirements under the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act (IDEA) of 2004 or Title I of the 2001 reauthorization of the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). Instead, it is a descriptive
analysis of the written policies that states have for the participation of
students with disabilities in assessments and the use of accommodations during
their assessments.
Top of page |
Table of Contents
Overview
Given that both the Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) of
2004 and Title I of the 2001
reauthorization of the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act (ESEA) require
the participation of students with
disabilities in state assessments, it is
important to study how they will
participate, and what, if any,
accommodations will be used. The
National Center on Educational Outcomes
(NCEO) has been tracking and analyzing
state polices that address participation
and accommodations for students with
disabilities since 1992, with the most
recent analysis examining 2007 policies
(Christensen, Lazarus, Crone, & Thurlow,
2008). Each time that NCEO has examined
state policies (Clapper, Morse, Lazarus,
Thompson, & Thurlow, 2005; Lazarus,
Thurlow, Lail, Eisenbraun, & Kato, 2006;
Thurlow, House, Boys, Scott, &
Ysseldyke, 2000; Thurlow, Lazarus,
Thompson, & Robey, 2002; Thurlow, Scott,
& Ysseldyke, 1995a, 1995b; Thurlow,
Seyfarth, Scott, & Ysseldyke, 1997;
Thurlow, Ysseldyke, & Silverstein,
1993), the policies have changed
significantly. Over time, the policies
have shifted from indicating an
increasing number of states with
policies on participation and
accommodations, to a growing
sophistication in states’ policies.
Since the last update, recent federal
regulations have had an influence on
states’ accommodations policies. The
federal peer review of state standards
and assessments, which was begun in
2004, has required states to have clear
policies for accommodations, to document
the link between instructional and
assessment accommodations, to monitor
the availability and use of
accommodations, and to ensure that the
use of accommodations results in a valid
and meaningful score.
Recent changes in participation and
accommodations policies include the
following: (1) attention to
accommodations that allow for valid
scores; and (2) greater differentiation
among accommodations allowed for
different groups of students, such as
students with Individualized Education
Programs (IEPs), students with 504
plans, and English language learners.
Top of page |
Table of Contents
Need to Update and Analyze
This current update, based on 2009
policies, sought to answer questions
similar to those in previous
examinations of state participation
and accommodations policies. These
questions included the following:
- How do states reflect the
participation options for students
with disabilities on statewide
tests?
- Have the policies changed
substantially since the 2007 update?
How have the policies changed?
- How do accommodations policies
reflect current and emerging issues,
including issues of validity,
assistive technology accommodations,
and the provision of accommodations
to different student groups?
For the current report, we made
several additions and adjustments to
our analysis. Several new
accommodations were added to the
analysis, and these will be noted
where they are discussed in this
report.
Several changes were made to our
analysis this year. First,
accommodations were coded for the
specific grade levels and content
areas in which they were allowed.
Content areas included in the
analysis were Reading/English
Language Arts, Math, Science,
History, and Social Studies. This
change revealed that there were some
state policies that allowed
accommodations in certain grades and
content areas but not others. In
addition, in the previous report we
included most of the unique states
in our analysis. This year, we were
unable to obtain policy information
from all but the District of
Columbia. For this analysis, we
included the District of Columbia in
our tallies with the regular states.
As a result, figures throughout this
report reflect a total of 51 states,
and comparisons between 2007 and
2009 policies accurately reflect
changes in the number of state
policies, including DC policies.
Top of page |
Table of Contents
Process Used
to Review State Policies
In general, procedures used for this
analysis of states’ written
participation and accommodation policies
were similar to the procedures used in
the past. As was the case in previous
years, the information for this report
was gathered through the examination and
analysis of publicly available written
documents. This is in contrast to other
approaches that survey informed
respondents and that may use a
restricted list of accommodations.
Participation and accommodation
policies for the 2008-09 school year
were obtained from all regular states’
Web sites as of August 15, 2009. The
initial compilation of data for each
state was entered into an online
database with a composite entry for each
state, referred to as a state profile.
The 2009 profiles were then compared to
the 2007 profiles and changes between
the two were highlighted. Hard copies of
the profiles were sent to states for
review. States were asked to verify the
information in their profiles by
indicating whether: (1) the information
was accurate, (2) they needed additional
information in order to decide whether
the information contained in their
profiles was accurate, or (3) the
profiles contained inaccurate
information and that changes needed to
be made to the profile. If a state
requested changes to the profile, we
required evidence of a written document
that contained the desired change before
accepting the changes. State officials
were able to make comments directly on
the online profile, but they were also
given the option to return their edited
profiles to us via mail or fax. The
information from the verified state
profiles was then placed in the tables
contained in this report. A complete
list of state documents used to compile
information for this report is in
Appendix A.
This analysis did not attempt to
determine the degree to which state
policies complied with federal
requirements under IDEA or ESEA. Those
determinations can be made only by the
appropriate federal authorities. This
report is a descriptive analysis of the
written policies that states have for
the participation of students with
disabilities in assessments and their
use of accommodations during
assessments.
Top of page |
Table of Contents
Organization
of the Report
In this update we summarize and
categorize the extensive information
contained in states’ participation and
accommodation policies. As in past
reports, presenting information in
figures and tables makes it more
accessible, but can sometimes obscure
the underlying complexities of the
individual state policies. For example,
it is not apparent in any of the tables
that state policies on participation and
accommodations range in length from a
few pages to hundreds of pages. This
complexity is exacerbated by the
burgeoning number of state documents
addressing participation and
accommodations that are currently
available. Some states have policies in
place with few or no related supporting
documents, while others have, in
addition to policies, a full complement
of related materials such as procedural
manuals and training guides.
This report is divided into two
sections. Section 1 addresses the
information gathered on participation.
Section 2 contains the review of states’
accommodation policies.
Tables that detail accommodations by
state are included in Appendix B of this
report. Summary figures and tables are
provided in the main sections of the
report. A comparison was made, where
possible, to similar information from
previous reports. All information in
this report that refers to 2007 policies
was obtained from Christensen et al.
(2008).
In addition to this report, all of
the state policies on participation and
accommodations can be accessed online
with the
NCEO
Data Viewer, which allows users to
create customized reports, including
charts and maps that show state
policies.
Top of page |
Table of Contents
Section 1: Participation Policies
In addition to examining the specific
participation criteria in the states, we
examined additional testing options that
were mentioned and references to
circumstances in which students might
not participate in assessment. For each
of these participation topics, we
describe the 2009 findings and then
compare these to findings from 2007.
Additional Testing Options
Some state participation policies
included language about additional
testing options beyond the three
traditional testing options (i.e.,
general assessment without
accommodations, general assessment with
accommodations, and alternate
assessments). These additional testing
options included Selective
Participation, Combination
Participation, Out-of-Level Assessments,
Locally Selected Assessments, Testing
with Modifications or Non-Standard
Accommodations, and Testing with Unique
Aggregated Accommodations. Selective
Participation means that students may
take certain parts of the assessment
without being required to take others,
such as taking the math alternate
assessment and no other assessments.
Combination Participation means that
students may take different parts of
different tests, such as taking the
reading alternate assessment, the math
general assessment, and the science
assessment with accommodations.
Out-of-Level Assessments refers to the
practice of allowing a student in one
grade to take an assessment designed for
another (usually lower) grade. Locally
Selected Assessments are defined as
assessments that school district staff
select for students who are unable to
participate in the general assessment
even with accommodations. Testing with
Modifications or Non-Standard
Accommodations is the term used when a
state permits the administration of a
test with modifications or nonstandard
accommodations. These accommodations are
typically considered to change what is
being tested to an extent that
invalidates a student’s score. Testing
with Unique Aggregated Accommodations
refers to the use of accommodations that
may be called conditional or
nonstandard, but that have no
implications for scoring or aggregation.
Thirty-five states’ policies
indicated that at least one additional
testing option was available to students
(see Figure 1). The participation
policies in the remaining states did not
indicate that additional testing options
were available.
Figure 1. Summary of
Additional Testing Options
Figure 2 illustrates the specific
type of additional testing options and
the number of states that allow it.
Testing with modifications or
non-standard accommodations was the
largest category with 21 states allowing
this testing option. Combination
Participation followed with 16 state
policies allowing it. For example, one
state policy indicated that
participation by content area was
allowed; therefore, when two or more
content areas are being assessed, such
as reading, writing, and math, the
student may take the general assessment
in math, and alternate assessments in
reading and writing.
Details on the policies of the
specific states are provided in Tables
B.1 and B.2 in Appendix B.
Figure 2. Summary of Types of
Additional Testing Options
Changes Since 2007
The number of states with
participation policies that specifically
cite the availability or
non-availability of additional testing
options stayed about the same since
2007. In 2007, 20 states had one
additional testing option; this number
increased to 22 in 2009. However, in
2007, 17 states mentioned having two or
more additional testing options, and
this number decreased to 13 for 2009.
The number of states that did not
mention additional testing options
(e.g., the policies neither permitted
nor prohibited additional testing
options) increased from 13 in 2007 to 16
in 2009.
In terms of the variation in types of
additional testing options offered,
these numbers also changed only slightly
from 2009. Combination Participation
decreased from 23 states mentioning this
option in 2007 to 16 states in 2009.
Locally Selected Assessments decreased
by 2, from 3 in 2007 to 1 in 2009. The
remaining types of additional testing
options decreased in the number of
states mentioning them in 2009. Testing
with modifications decreased by 2, from
23 in 2007 to 21 in 2009. Out-of-Level
Assessments remained stable from
2007-2009 as it was mentioned by 5
states. Selective Participation was
included in 3 state policies in 2007; in
2009, only 2 states offered Selective
Participation.
Circumstances in Which Students are
Not Included in Any Form of Statewide
Assessment
In addition to examining state
policies on how students were included
in statewide assessment programs, we
also looked for circumstances in which
students were not included in any form
of state assessment.
As shown in Figure 3, 16 states
permitted the exclusion of students in
the case of a medical condition or
illness, and 6 states permitted
exclusion according to a parent
exemption. Four states permitted
exclusion for emotional distress, 2
states permitted exemption for
disruptive behavior, and 2 states
permitted exclusion for absence.
When analyzing the state policies, we
considered a state to meet the
requirements of exclusion prohibited if
they stated that all students must
participate, and no excluded groups were
mentioned. Under this definition, 30
states prohibited exclusion.
This information is summarized in
Figure 3 and provided in detail by state
in Appendix B, Table B.3 and B.4.
Figure 3. Summary of
Circumstances in Which Students are Not
Included in Any Form of Statewide
Assessment
Changes Since 2007
In 2007, one state permitted
exclusion for student refusal and in
2009 no states did. The number of states
that permitted exclusion for parent
exemption remained at 6. Two new reasons
for permitting exclusion emerged in 2009
policies: disruptive behavior (2 states)
and absence (2 states).
Participation Decision-making
Criteria—Allowed
Figure 4 summarizes the
decision-making criteria that states
used to determine how students with
disabilities participate in statewide
assessment systems. The criteria that
states cited most frequently was (1) IEP
Determined (51 states); (2)
Instructional Relevance/Instructional
Goals (39 states); (3) Current
Performance/Level of Functioning (33
states); (4) Student Needs and
Characteristics (28 states); (5) Level
of Independence (24 states); and (6)
Nature of/Category of Disability (23
states).
Additional participation criteria
that states used when making
participation decisions are included in
Tables B.5 and B.6 in Appendix B.
Figure 4. Summary of
Participation Policy Variables That Can
Be Used to Make Decisions about How
Students with Disabilities Will
Participate in Statewide Assessment
Changes Since 2007
Policies on variables that can be
used to make decisions about how
students with disabilities will
participate in statewide assessments
have remained relatively stable since
2007. The most commonly cited variable
for decision making in 2007, IEP
determined (51 states), remained the
same in 2009.
Three policy variables increased in
the number of states that mentioned them
in policies from 2007. Degree of
Adaptations Needed increased from 6
states citing this variable in 2007 to
16 states in 2009. Past Performance
increased from being mentioned in the
policies of 13 states in 2007 to being
included in 15 states’ policies in 2009.
Finally, Student Needs and
Characteristics also increased from
being mentioned in 11 states’ policies
in 2007 to 28 states in 2009.
Five policy variables decreased in
the number of states that mentioned them
in their policies from 2007. Fewer
states permitted consideration of
Instructional Relevance/Instructional
Goals, which decreased from being used
in 45 states in 2007 to 39 states in
2009. Similarly, Current
Performance/Level of Functioning
decreased from being used for
decision-making in 37 states in 2007 to
being used in 33 states in 2009. Level
of Independence also decreased, down
from 37 states in 2007 to 24 states in
2009. Content/Purpose/Nature of
Assessment was also mentioned in fewer
policies (down from 8 states to 7
states). Finally, there were fewer
variables in the Non-pursuit of a
Standard Diploma, with only 4 states
including it in 2009 versus 6 states in
2007.
Participation Decision-making
Criteria—Not Allowed
Many states listed criteria that
cannot be used to make decisions about
how students with disabilities will
participate in statewide assessments. As
shown in Figure 5, the criteria that
were most frequently cited included the
following: (1) Presence or Category of
Disability (23 states); (2) Cultural,
Social, Linguistic, or Environmental
Factors (18 states); and (3) Excessive
Absences (16 states). Fourteen states
had policies which stated that Low
Expectations/Anticipated Low Scores may
not be used to make decisions about how
students with disabilities will
participate in assessments. In addition,
fourteen states also mentioned
Instructional Program/Setting as
criteria that may not be used for
participation decision-making.
Detailed information on participation
decision-making criteria for each state
can be found in Tables B.7 and B.8 of
Appendix B.
Figure 5. Summary of
Participation Policy Variables That
Cannot Be Used to Make Decisions About
How Students with Disabilities will
Participate in Statewide Assessments
Changes Since 2007
The number of states that cited
variables that cannot be used to make
decisions about how students with
disabilities will participate in
statewide assessments seemed to decrease
overall for each variable from 2007 to
2009. Variables with the greatest
decreases included Excessive Absences,
(down from 22 in 2007 to 16 in 2009),
and Cultural, Social, Linguistic, or
Environmental Factors, (down from 23 in
2007 to 18 in 2009). Receiving Special
Education Services was one variable that
increased, up to 9 in 2009, from 5 in
2007.
Top of page |
Table of Contents
Section 2: Accommodation Policies
All states had policies that
addressed issues related to the use of
accommodations by students with
disabilities in statewide assessments.
This section of the report addresses
state policy language concerning groups
eligible to receive accommodations,
criteria that states can and cannot use
to make decisions about a student’s use
of an accommodation, guidance for the
use of accommodations that are not on an
approved list, accommodations involving
a third party to administer or record,
and the use and impact of various types
of accommodations.
Additional Student Groups Eligible
for Accommodations
Accommodations policies may apply to
students with IEPs, students with 504
plans, students who are both English
language learners (ELLs) and have a
disability, students who qualify for
Title I services, or to all students.
Many states also have separate
accommodations policies for ELL
students, but we did not track those
policies for this report. Readers
interested in learning more about ELL
policies are referred to Rivera, Collum,
Shafer, and Sia (2005).
Figure 6 provides information about
the extent to which various categories
of students, in addition to ELL students
or students with disabilities, were
eligible to use accommodations during
statewide assessments. All states
mentioned in their policies that at
least one other group was eligible for
accommodations. Forty-two states
indicated in their policies that
accommodations were to be provided to
students who had a 504 plan. Another 42
states specified in their policies that
English language learners were eligible
for accommodations. The inclusion of
ELLs as a student group was new to our
report for this year.
In 2007, we began to include ELL
participation in our analysis.
Previously, we analyzed whether states’
special education accommodation policies
addressed students who had both an IEP
and were ELLs. For our analysis, we
considered a state to provide
accommodations for ELLs with IEPs if the
state mentioned ELL accommodations
within the sections of their policies on
accommodations for students with
disabilities. In 2009, 48 states
included ELLs with IEPs as an additional
group eligible for accommodations.
One state allowed all students to use
any accommodations without restrictions.
Fourteen states allowed all students to
use standard accommodations under
certain circumstances and with specific
restrictions.
See Table B.9 and B.10 in Appendix B
for detailed information on additional
student groups eligible for
accommodations in each state.
Figure 6. Summary of
Additional Student Groups Eligible for
Accommodations
Changes Since 2007
Overall, the number of states
mentioning additional student groups
eligible for accommodations decreased
from 2007 to 2009. The number of state
policies that included students with a
504 plan decreased from 46 states in
2007 to 42 states in 2009. The number of
states mentioning ELLs with IEPs as
eligible for accommodations increased
from 46 states in 2007 to 48 states in
2009. The number of states mentioning
English language learners as an
additional student group went from 46
states in 2009 to 42 states in 2007.
Accommodations Decision-making
Criteria—Allowed
States have used a variety of
criteria to guide the process for making
decisions on student use of
accommodations. According to Figure 7,
the policies of 45 states indicated that
the use of instructional and classroom
accommodations are to be considered when
making decisions. Two other criteria
that many states included in their
policies were accommodations that were
selected based on Individual Student
Needs and Characteristics (37 states)
and that the accommodations maintained
the Validity of the Test and Resulting
Score (25 states).
Some states differentiated between
the types of accommodations that may be
provided on exit exams and other
large-scale assessments or between
norm-referenced and criterion-referenced
tests. The category of Purpose/Nature of
the Assessment was used to track whether
different accommodations were permitted
on different types of assessments in a
state. In 8 states, the purpose or
nature of the assessment was one of the
criteria decision-making teams were
asked to consider when making decisions
about the use of accommodations.
See Tables B.11 and B.12 in Appendix
B for more detailed information on
criteria states allow for making
decisions about accommodations.
Figure 7. Summary of
Accommodations Policy Variables That Can
Be Used to Guide the Decision-making
Process for Using Accommodations During
Statewide Assessment
Changes Since 2007
Since 2007, the state policies
indicating the variables that can be
used to guide the decision-making
process for using accommodations during
assessments have generally decreased in
number. Used for Classroom and
Instruction decreased by 2, from being
mentioned in 47 states in 2007 to 45
states in 2009. Maintains the Validity
of the Test and Resulting Score also
decreased, from being mentioned in 32
states’ policies in 2007 to 25 states in
2009. Purpose/Nature of the Assessment
decreased from 12 in 2007 to 8 in 2009.
The Length of Time Accommodation Has
Been Used decreased from 14 in 2007 to 8
states in 2009. Individual Student
Needs/Characteristics increased from 34
states in 2007 to 37 states in 2009.
Accommodations Decision-making
Criteria—Not Allowed
States also prohibited basing
decisions about accommodations on
certain criteria (see Figure 8).
Policies generally listed fewer
variables that could not be used in the
decision-making process as compared to
the number of variables that could be
used. Twelve states indicated that
Administrative Convenience may not be
used to make decisions about
accommodations. Ten states did not
permit consideration of the nature or
category of a student’s disability. A
few states indicated that Instructional
Program/Program Setting (3 states) and
Percent Time/Amount of Services Received
(1 state) may not be considered when
making decisions about accommodations.
State specific information, as well
as information about other criteria, is
provided in Tables B.13 and B.14 in
Appendix B.
Figure 8. Summary of
Accommodation Policy Variables That
Cannot Be Used to Guide the
Decision-Making Process for Using
Accommodations During Statewide
Assessment
Changes Since 2007
Two categories increased in the
number of states mentioning these
variables in their policies:
Administrative Convenience increased
from 5 states in 2007 to 12 states in
2009, and Nature/Category of Disability
increased from 9 states in 2007 to 10
states in 2009. The other 2 variables
remained the same from 2007 to 2009.
Guidance for Using Accommodations
That Are Not on the “Approved” List
A summary of the guidance for using
accommodations that are not on an
“approved” list in state accommodation
policies is found in Figure 9.
Twenty-nine states’ policies advised IEP
team members to seek approval from the
State Board or Department of Education
when suggesting the use of an
accommodation not specifically found on
the “approved” list. A committee review
of the request to use an accommodation
not previously approved was indicated in
5 state policies. Five state policies
required IEP team members to contact a
specific individual at the state or
district level when recommending a
non-approved accommodation.
Detailed information for each state
is located in Tables B.15 and B.16 in
Appendix B.
Figure 9. Summary of
Guidelines for Using Accommodations That
Are Not on the “Approved” List
Changes Since 2007
The number of state policies that
required decision-making teams to seek
approval from a State Board or
Department of Education when inquiring
about using accommodations not on the
“approved” list increased from 26 states
in 2007 to 29 states in 2009. The number
of states that required a committee
review of the accommodation in question
increased by 1 state (up from 4 to 5)
from 2007 to 2009. In 2007, 6 states
required decision-making teams to
contact a specific person at the state
or district level; by 2009, the number
decreased to 5 states.
Guidelines for the Administration of
Accommodations Involving a Third Party
Information was also collected on
guidelines for accommodations involving
a third party. This information is
summarized in Figure 10. An example of
an accommodation that involves a third
party would be an individual who serves
as an intermediary between the student
and the mode of access to the test
(e.g., sign language interpreter,
scribe, etc). If a decision-making team
had selected Dictation of Answers as an
accommodation, a state’s guidelines
might then define the role of the
scribe. Or, if Reading Test Items Aloud
was the selected accommodation, the
state may provide instructions on how to
read numbers aloud and how to describe
figures and diagrams on the test. For
this analysis, we accepted anything the
state produced as a written guideline.
In other words, no quality criteria were
imposed. Thirty-nine states provided
written guidelines for scribes in their
accommodation policies. Guidelines for
readers and sign language interpreters
were provided in 29 and 28 state
policies, respectively.
Detailed information for each state
is located in Table B.17 in Appendix B.
Figure 10. Summary of
Guidelines for the Administration of
Accommodations Involving a Third Party
Changes Since 2007
The number of states that provided
guidelines for accommodations involving
a third party increased from 45 states
in 2007 to 46 states in 2009. The number
of states with guidelines for scribes
decreased from 40 states to 39 states in
2009. Guidelines for readers decreased
from 32 in 2007 to 29 in 2009.
Guidelines for sign language
interpreters increased by 1, from 27 in
2007 to 28 in 2009.
Types of Accommodations and Impact
of Use
In this section of the report, the
accommodations that states most often
allowed, allowed with restrictions, and
prohibited are reviewed. We organized
the accommodations into 5 categories:
presentation accommodations, equipment
and materials accommodations, response
accommodations, scheduling/timing
accommodations, and setting
accommodations.
We also analyzed how the states’
policies indicated that the
accommodations were to be used: (1)
Allowed (A)—if the accommodation is
used, the student must be given the
score she or he earned, the student’s
score must be aggregated, and the score
must be used for accountability
purposes; (2) Unique Aggregated
(UA)—an added category for those
situations in which an accommodation
that may be called conditional or
nonstandard is used, the student is
given his or her earned score, and the
student’s score is aggregated and used
for accountability purposes; (3)
Allowed in Certain Circumstances
(AC)—the accommodation is allowed on
some assessments and not others; (4)
Allowed with Implications for Scoring
and/or Aggregation (AI)—if the
accommodation is used, the student
automatically receives a certain score
(e.g., zero or below basic) or the score
is not aggregated; and (5)
Prohibited (P)—the use of this
accommodation on statewide and
district-wide testing is not permitted.
For this analysis, we included an
accommodation in our report if it was
mentioned in the policies of at least 6
states.
Presentation Accommodations
Presentation accommodations alter the
way in which a test is presented to a
student. Table 1 provides a summary of
the presentation accommodations
documented in state accommodation
policies. State specific detailed
information about these accommodations
is included in Tables B.18 through B.19
in Appendix B.
The most frequently allowed
presentation accommodations were: Large
Print, Braille, Sign Interpret
Directions, and Read Aloud Directions.
The policies of 49 states allowed the
Large Print accommodation without any
restrictions, and an additional state
allowed the accommodation with
implications for scoring. Forty-seven
states permitted the use of Braille
without restrictions, and one state
allowed the accommodation with
implications for scoring.
Read Aloud is represented in this
analysis as three separate
accommodations: Read Aloud Directions,
Read Aloud Questions, and Read Aloud
Passages. Table 1 shows the breakdown of
accommodations policies for these three
accommodations for Reading.
States’ policies on the Read Aloud
Directions accommodation showed some
variability. Fewer states (19) allowed
this accommodation in Social Studies,
while more states (30-38) allowed it in
other content areas (see Figure 11).
Only one state allowed this
accommodation with implications for
scoring in Reading/English Language
Arts, while no states allowed it with
implications for scoring in any other
content area. Similarly, 1 state allowed
this accommodation in certain
circumstances with implications for
scoring in Reading/English Language
Arts, compared to no states in any other
content area. A similar number of states
across content areas allowed this
accommodation in certain circumstances,
with the most states (6) in the content
area of Writing, and less states (3-4)
in other content areas. No states
allowed this accommodation as a unique
aggregation and in certain
circumstances. Three states prohibited
this accommodation in Reading/English
Language Arts, and 1 state prohibited
this accommodation in Writing.
Table 1. Number of Regular
States that Allow or Prohibit Selected
Presentation Accommodationsa
a
In addition to the presentation
accommodations listed in this table, 34
states have “Other” presentation
accommodations. See Table B.19 in
Appendix B for details.
b
A = Allowed; AC = Allowed in Certain
Circumstances; AI = Allowed with
Implications for Scoring; AI/AC =
Allowed with Implications for Scoring
and in Certain Circumstances; UA =
Unique Aggregated; P = Prohibited
Note: These totals
include fifty states and the District of
Columbia.
Definitions:
Large Print
= all parts of the assessment are in
print larger than that typically used.
Braille
= all parts of the assessment are
presented in braille.
Read
Aloud Directions
= the directions portion of the
assessment is read to the student.
Read
Aloud Questions
= the assessment items are read to the
student.
Read
Aloud Passages
= the assessment passages are read to
the student.
Sign
Interpret Directions
= directions portion of the assessment
presented to the student via sign
language.
Sign
Interpret Questions
= assessment items presented to the
student via sign language.
Sign
Interpret Passages
= assessment passages presented to the
student via sign language.
Native Language Translation of
Directions and/or Items
= directions and/or test items are
translated into the student’s native
language.
Read/Re-read/Clarify Directions
= directions may be clarified through
restatement for the student.
Visual Cues
= additional visual cues are provided
for students, such as arrows or
stickers.
Administration by Others
= someone other than regular test
administrator gives test to student
(e.g., special education or general
education teacher).
Familiar Examiner
= someone other than regular test
examiner who the student knows and has
worked with in the past gives the test
to the student (e.g., special education
teacher).
Additional Examples
= in response to student request for
more information or clarification, test
administrator can supply additional
examples to assist the student.
Teacher Highlighting
= teacher uses a highlighter to
highlight on test booklet (e.g.,
highlighting key words in directions).
Student Highlighting
= student uses a highlighter to mark on
test booklet.
Student Reads Test Aloud
= student reads directions and/or items
aloud to self.
Increased Space Between Items
= more blank space is given in the test
booklet between items.
Simplify/Paraphrase Directions
= in response to student request for
more information or clarification, test
administrator can simplify or paraphrase
test directions.
Tactile Graphics
= graphic items in the test are given
through tactile representation.
Prompt/Encourage Student
= test administrator may encourage or
prompt the student to continue.
Page
Turner
= the student receives assistance
turning the pages of the test booklet.
Figure 11. State
Participation Policies for the Read
Aloud Directions Accommodation by
Content Area
The Read Aloud Questions
accommodation was highly variable
between Reading/English Language Arts
and other content areas (see Figure 12).
Variability of policies on this
accommodation between other content
areas was much lower. Eight states
allowed this accommodation in
Reading/English Language Arts, while a
range of 18-37 states allowed it in
other content areas. Five states allowed
this accommodation with implications for
scoring in Reading/English Language
Arts, while no states had this policy
for any other content area. The number
of states that allowed this
accommodation in certain circumstances
was similar between content areas with
the highest number of states (12) in
Reading/English Language Arts and the
fewest (6) in Social Studies. Six states
allowed this accommodation in certain
circumstances with implications for
scoring, whereas only 2 states had this
policy in Math, and 1 state had this
policy in both Writing and Social
Studies. Similarly, 3 states allowed
this accommodation with unique
aggregation and in certain circumstances
in Reading/English Language Arts, while
no states had this policy in any of the
other content areas. Fifteen states
prohibited the use of this accommodation
in Reading/English Language Arts, and 1
state prohibited this accommodation in
Writing.
Figure 12. State
Participation Policies for the Read
Aloud Questions Accommodation by Content
Area
The Read Passages Aloud accommodation
was highly variable between
Reading/English Language Arts and other
content areas (see Figure 13). While
only 2 states allowed this accommodation
in Reading/English Language Arts, 7
states allowed this accommodation in
Social Studies and 13-14 states allowed
this accommodation in Math, Science, and
Writing. In Reading/English Language
Arts, 7 states allowed this
accommodation with implications for
scoring, whereas no states had this
policy for any other content area. The
number of states that allowed this
accommodation in certain circumstances
was similar across content areas with a
range of 2-4 states. Again, there was
only a slight difference between content
areas in the number of states which
allowed this accommodation in certain
circumstances with implications for
scoring, with 3 states having this
policy for Reading/English Language Arts
compared to 1 state for Math, and no
states in any of the other content
areas. One state allowed this
accommodation with unique aggregation
and in certain circumstances in
Reading/English Language Arts, while no
states had this policy in the other
content areas. Fifteen states prohibited
the use of this accommodation in
Reading/English Language Arts, but only
1 state prohibited this accommodation in
each of the other content areas.
Figure 13. State
Participation Policies for the Read
Aloud Passages Accommodation by Content
Area
Sign Language Interpretation is also
represented in this analysis as 3
separate accommodations: Sign Interpret
Directions, Sign Interpret Questions,
and Sign Interpret Passages. Table 1
showed the policies for each of these
accommodations. In general, 45 states
permitted directions to be signed
without restrictions, and 2 states
indicated that directions may be signed
under certain circumstances (e.g., on
the math test, but not on the reading
test). One state prohibited sign
interpretation of directions.
Thirty-nine states had some policy that
allowed test questions to be signed. Of
these, 18 states permitted questions to
be signed without restrictions; one
states’ policy about sign interpretation
of questions indicated it was a unique
aggregated accommodation/allowed in
certain circumstances. A total of 20
states allowed questions to be signed in
certain circumstances. As with the Read
Aloud Accommodation, it is more
controversial to sign questions than to
sign directions. It is even more
controversial to allow passages to be
signed. Five states allowed this
accommodation with no restrictions; an
additional 7 states allowed passages to
be signed under certain circumstances.
Three states prohibited the use of
signed passages as an accommodation.
Among content areas for state
policies on the Sign Interpret
Directions accommodation there was
little variability (see Figure 14).
Fewer states (25) allowed this
accommodation in Social Studies,
compared to a range of 42-46 states in
other content areas. No states allowed
this accommodation in certain
circumstances in Social Studies, whereas
1-2 states had this policy in all other
content areas. No states allowed this
accommodation in certain circumstances
with implications for scoring for any
content area. However, 1 state
prohibited this accommodation in each
content area.
Figure 14. State
Participation Policies for the Sign
Interpret Directions Accommodation by
Content Area
The Sign Interpret Questions
accommodation showed some variance among
content areas (see Figure 15). Most of
this variability was between
Reading/English Language Arts and other
content areas. Fifteen states allowed
this accommodation in Reading/English
Language Arts and 20 in Social Studies.
Twenty-seven states allowed this
accommodation in Writing, 31 in Math,
and 32 in Science. Two states allowed
this accommodation with implications for
scoring in Reading/English Language
Arts, and 1 state had this policy for
each of the other content areas except
Writing, for which no states had this
policy. Three states allowed this
accommodation in certain circumstances
in Reading/English Language Arts and
Social Studies, compared to 4 states in
Science and Writing, and 6 states in
Math. No states allowed this
accommodation in certain circumstances
with implications for any content area.
Two states allowed this accommodation in
certain circumstances with unique
aggregation in Reading/English Language
Arts, while 1 state had this policy in
each of the other content areas. This
accommodation is prohibited in 11 states
in Reading/English Language Arts, 2
states in Writing, and no states in any
other content area.
Figure 15. State
Participation Policies for the Sign
Interpret Questions Accommodation by
Content Area
States’ policies on the Sign
Interpret Passages accommodation had
some variability, mostly between
Reading/English Language Arts and other
content areas (see Figure 16). Only 4
states allowed this accommodation in
Reading/English Language Arts compared
to 6 in Social Studies, 8 in Writing,
and 10 in Math and Science. Of
particular note, 1 state allowed this
accommodation with implications for
scoring in Reading/English Language Arts
while no states had this policy for any
other content area. Only 1 state allowed
this accommodation in certain
circumstances with unique aggregation in
Reading/English Language Arts. Eight
states prohibited this accommodation in
Reading/English Language Arts, compared
to 3 states that prohibited this policy
for each of the other content areas.
Figure 16. State Participation
Policies for the Sign Interpret Passages
Accommodation by Content Area
Additional details about Presentation
Accommodations are provided in Tables
B.18A, B.18B, B.18C, and B.19 in
Appendix B.
Changes Since 2007
As in 2007, the most frequently
allowed presentation accommodations were
Large Print, Braille, Sign Interpret
Directions, and Read Aloud Directions.
One change from 2007 was that more
presentation accommodations were
mentioned in state policies as
prohibited. In 2007, only
Prompt/Encourage Student and Simplify
Directions were mentioned as prohibited
in the policy of one state each. In
2009, accommodations were mentioned 22
times as prohibited: Read Aloud Passages
(9 states),Sign Interpret Directions (1
state), Sign Interpret Passages (3
states), Native Language Translation of
Directions (2 states), Native Language
Translation of Questions (4 states),
Native Language Translation of Passages
(2 states), and Simplify/Paraphrase
Directions (1 state).
Equipment and Materials
Accommodations
Equipment and Materials
accommodations are changes in the
conditions of the assessment setting
that involve the introduction of certain
types of tools and assistive devices.
Table 2 provides a summary of the
equipment and materials accommodations
documented in the regular states’
policies. Many equipment and materials
accommodations are related to the
presentation of the test, but some are
related to response, such as using a
calculator or abacus.
The most frequently allowed
equipment/materials accommodations were:
Magnification Equipment, Amplification
Equipment, Templates, and
Light/Acoustics. Forty-eight states’
policies indicated that the use of
magnification equipment and
amplification equipment was allowed
without restrictions, with 1 additional
state allowing magnification equipment
with implications for scoring. Templates
were allowed in 39 states, while the
light/acoustics accommodation was
allowed in 34 states without
restrictions, and in certain
circumstances in 1 state.
The Math Tables/Numberline, Abacus,
Dictionary/Glossary, Calculator
accommodation and Manipulatives were
among the most controversial
accommodations. Each of these
accommodations is discussed in more
detail, according to how the policies
varied by content area, below. Table 2
shows the policies for these
accommodations related to the math
content area.
Table 2. Number of States
that Allow or Prohibit Selected
Equipment/Material Accommodationsa
a
In addition to the equipment and
material accommodations listed in this
table, 26 states had “Other” equipment
and materials accommodations. See Table
B.21 in Appendix B for details.
b
A = Allowed; AC = Allowed in Certain
Circumstances; AI = Allowed with
Implications for Scoring; AI/AC =
Allowed with Implications for Scoring
and in Certain Circumstances; UA =
Unique Aggregated; P = Prohibited
Note: These totals
include fifty states and the District of
Columbia.
Definitions:
Magnification Equipment = equipment
that enlarges the print size of the
test.
Amplification Equipment = equipment
that increases the level of sound during
the test (e.g. hearing aids).
Light/Acoustics = changes
to the amount or placement of lighting
or special attention to the acoustics of
the test setting.
Calculator = standard
calculator and special function
calculator.
Templates = Templates
used to mark location of focus on the
test.
Audio/Video Equipment = audio
or video equipment.
Noise Buffer = ear
mufflers, white noise, and other
equipment used to block external sounds.
Adaptive or Special Furniture = any
furniture the student requires (e.g.,
for sitting upright).
Abacus = abacus
or similar counting tools.
Manipulatives = learning
materials that are operated with the
hands (e.g., math cubes, counters).
Adapted Writing Tools = larger
diameter pencil, pencil grip, or other
writing tool that has been adapted for
the student.
Slant Board/Wedge = slant
board or wedge.
Secure Paper to Work Area = tape,
magnets, or other device to secure paper
to work area.
Visual Organizers = markers,
masks, and other devices to mark
location of focus on test.
Color Overlay = color
overlay or shield.
Assistive Technology = assistive
technology (e.g., head wand, Kurzweil
software).
Special Paper = any
special paper, such as graph paper,
scratch paper, wide-ruled paper, etc.
Math
Tables/Number Line = math
tables or number line, provided for, or
created by, the student.
Dictionary/Glossary = dictionary
or glossary in English, English/other
language, or other language only.
Thesaurus = thesaurus.
Keyboard = keyboard
or adaptive keyboard.
Graphic Organizers = graphic
organizers created before or during the
testing situation.
The Math Tables/Numberline
accommodation had some variability
between Math and other content areas
(see Figure 17). There was almost no
variability among content areas
excluding Math, and few states allowed
this accommodation in content areas
other than Math. Specifically, this
accommodation was allowed in Math for 12
states, compared to only 2 states in
each of the other content areas. Four
states allowed this accommodation in
certain circumstances in the content
area of Math. Likewise a few states
allowed this accommodation with
implications for scoring as well as
allowed it in certain circumstances with
implications for scoring in each content
area. On the other hand, 3 states
prohibited the use of Math
Tables/Numberline in Math, and
similarly, 2 states prohibited this
accommodation in each of the other
content areas.
Figure 17. State
Participation Policies for the Math
Tables/Numberline Accommodation by
Content Area
Math varied considerably from the
other content areas for the Abacus
accommodation (see Figure 18). This
accommodation was allowed in 3-4 states
for Reading/English Language Arts,
Science, Writing, and Social Studies.
Many more states (20) allowed this
accommodation in Math. Likewise, 3-4
states allowed this accommodation in
certain circumstances in content areas
other than Math, while 10 states had
this policy in Math. Three states
allowed this accommodation in certain
circumstances with implications for
scoring in Math. Lastly, 1-2 states
prohibited this accommodation in all
content areas.
Figure 18. State
Participation Policies for the Abacus
Accommodation by Content Area
The Dictionary/Glossary accommodation
displayed some variance, mostly for
Social Studies and other content areas
(see Figure 19). There was little
variability among content areas other
than Social Studies. A range of 14-19
states allowed this accommodation in
content areas other than Social Studies,
while only 10 states allowed it in
Social Studies. Likewise, a range of
9-11 states allowed this accommodation
in certain circumstances for content
areas other than Social Studies, whereas
only 6 states allowed this accommodation
in certain circumstances in Social
Studies. In all content areas, only 1
state allowed this accommodation with
implications for scoring. A range of 2-3
states allowed this accommodation in
certain circumstances with implications
for scoring across all content areas. No
states allowed this accommodation in
certain circumstances with unique
aggregation. Lastly, 3 states prohibited
this accommodation in both
Reading/English Language Arts and
Writing, while 1 state had this policy
in Math and Science.
Figure 19. State
Participation Policies for the
Dictionary/Glossary Accommodation by
Content Area
There was a high amount of
variability in state policies on the
Calculator accommodation between content
areas, particularly between Math and
other content areas (see Figure 20). No
states allowed this accommodation in
Social Studies; 2-4 states allowed it in
Reading/English Language Arts, Science,
and Writing; and 14 states allowed it in
Math. In addition, 3 states allowed the
Calculator accommodation in Math with
implications for scoring and 1 state had
this policy for Science. This
accommodation was allowed in certain
circumstances for 1-2 states in
Reading/English Language Arts, Writing,
and Social Studies; 5 states in Science;
and 17 states in Math. Seven states
allowed this accommodation in certain
circumstances with implications for
scoring in Math, while 1 state had this
policy in Science. Only 2 states allowed
this accommodation with unique
aggregation and in certain circumstances
in Math. A similar amount of states
(3-4) prohibited this accommodation
across all content areas.
Figure 20. State
Participation Policies for the
Calculator Accommodation by Content Area
Similarly to the Calculator
accommodation, the Manipulatives
accommodation displayed a high degree of
variance between Math and other content
areas (see Figure 21). In content areas
other than Math, a range of 3-4 states
allowed this accommodation. On the other
hand, this accommodation was allowed in
Math for 14 states. Two states allowed
this accommodation with implications for
scoring in Math, and 1 state had this
policy in Science. This accommodation
was allowed in certain circumstances for
2 states in all content areas other than
Math, while 6 states had this policy in
Math. Two states allowed this
accommodation in certain circumstances
with implications for scoring in Math,
while 1 state had this policy in
Science. This accommodation was allowed
with unique aggregation and in certain
circumstances for 1 state in Math. Two
states prohibited this accommodation in
Math and Social Studies, and 3 states
had this policy in Reading/English
Language Arts, Science, and Writing.
26 states permitted the use of
“Other” equipment and materials
accommodations that are not listed in
Tables 2, such as easels and slates,
pointers, and correction fluid.
Additional details about
Equipment/Material Accommodations are
provided in Tables B.20A, B.20B, B.20C,
and B.21 in Appendix B.
Figure 21. State
Participation Policies for the
Manipulatives Accommodation by Content
Area
Changes Since 2007
As in 2007, the most frequently
allowed equipment/materials
accommodations were Magnification
Equipment, Amplification Equipment,
Templates, and Light/Acoustics. One
change in the policies from 2007 to 2009
was an increase in the number of polices
prohibited in states. In 2007, a total
of 3 accommodations were prohibited in
the policies of at least 1 state
(Template, Math Tables/Number Line, and
Thesaurus). In 2009, a total of 7
different accommodations were listed as
prohibited in the policies of at least 1
state. These included Calculator
(prohibited in 4 states), Abacus
(prohibited in 1 state), Manipulatives
(prohibited in 2 states), Math
Tables/Numberline (prohibited in 3
states), Dictionary/Glossary (prohibited
in 1 state), Thesaurus (prohibited in 1
state), and Graphic Organizers
(prohibited in 1 state).
Response Accommodations
Response accommodations are changes
in how a student responds to elements of
the assessment process. Table 3
summarizes the response accommodations
documented by the states.
The most frequently allowed response
accommodations were: Brailler, Write in
Test Booklets, Proctor/Scribe, and
Computer/Machine. The policies of 39
states allowed the use of a Brailler
without restrictions, 1 state allowed
Brailler in certain circumstances, and 1
state allowed it as a unique aggregated
accommodation/allowed in certain
circumstances.
There was no general consensus across
states for whether many of the response
accommodations should be permitted in
all circumstances or only with
restrictions. For example, as indicated
in Table 3, 51 states permitted the use
of a Proctor or Scribe; however, only 35
states allowed it without restrictions.
When Computers were mentioned as an
allowed accommodation, it was often with
special instructions regarding the
availability of the spell checking
function. Writing in Test Booklets was
another commonly allowed accommodation;
it was permitted without restrictions in
36 states, and allowed in certain
circumstances in 5 states (one of these
states also had implications for
scoring). Other commonly mentioned
response accommodations included Tape
Recorders, Braillers, Pointing, and the
use of a Communication Device. Twelve
states allowed the use of Speech/Text
Devices without restrictions, while 14
states allowed their use only in certain
circumstances, and one state prohibited
the use of the devices.
Response accommodations also showed
variability based on content area.
Controversial response accommodations by
content area included Proctor, Computer
or Machine, Spell Checker/Assistance,
and Speech/Text Device.
Table 3. Number of States
that Allow or Prohibit Selected Response
Accommodationsa
a
In addition to the response
accommodations listed in this table, 30
states had “Other” response
accommodations. See Table B.23 in
Appendix B for details
b
A = Allowed; AC = Allowed in Certain
Circumstances; AI = Allowed with
Implications for Scoring; AI/AC =
Allowed with Implications for Scoring
and in Certain Circumstances; UA =
Unique Aggregated; P = Prohibited
Note: The totals in
this table includes 50 states and the
District of Columbia.
Definitions:
Proctor/Scribe = student
responds verbally and a proctor or
scribe then translates this to an answer
sheet; for writing extended responses,
specific instructions about how spelling
and punctuation may be included.
Computer or Machine = computer
or other machine (e.g., typewriter).
Write in Test Booklet = responses
may be written in the test booklet
rather than on answer sheets.
Tape
Recorder = student’s
verbal responses are tape recorded,
generally for later description.
Communication Device = various
devices for the student to use in giving
responses (e.g., symbol boards).
Spell Checker/Assistance = spell
checker as a separate device or within a
word-processing program.
Brailler = device
or computer that generates responses in
braille.
Sign
Responses to Sign Language Interpreter = responses
may be given by sign language to a sign
language interpreter.
Pointing = student
points to response and staff member
translates this onto an answer sheet.
Speech/Text Device = student’s
verbal responses are transferred to text
via speech/text device.
Monitor Placement of Student Responses = the
test administrator or other assistant
monitor’s the placement of the student’s
responses on the answer sheet.
There was little variability in the
Write in Test Booklet accommodation (see
Figure 22). This accommodation was
allowed in 25 states in social studies,
and 35-37 states in each of the other
content areas. Three states allowed this
accommodation in certain circumstances
for every content area, while 1 state
allowed this accommodation in certain
circumstances with implications for
scoring in each content area.
Interestingly, 1 state prohibited the
use of the write in test booklet
accommodation in writing, while no other
states prohibited this accommodation in
any other content areas.
Figure 22. State
Participation Policies for the Write in
Test Booklet Accommodation by Content
Area
In states’ policies on the use of the
Proctor accommodation, the most
variation occurred between Social
Studies and the other content areas (see
Figure 23). There was little variability
across content areas other than Social
Studies. Fewer states (22) allowed this
accommodation in Social Studies, whereas
more states (32-36) allowed this
accommodation in each of the other
content areas. One state allowed this
accommodation with implications for
scoring in Social Studies, compared to 2
in Reading/English Language Arts, Math
and Science, and 4 in Writing. Three
states allowed this accommodation in
certain circumstances in Social Studies
compared to 6-7 states for the other
content areas. Allowing this
accommodation in certain circumstances
with implications for scoring was
similar across content areas with 2-3
states allowing this accommodation in
each content area. Four states
prohibited this accommodation in
Writing.
Figure 23. State
Participation Policies for the Proctor
Accommodation by Content Area
Some variability existed in the
Computer or Machine accommodation (see
Figure 24). This accommodation was
allowed in Social Studies in only 18
states, while it was allowed for a range
of 31-35 states for each of the other
content areas. This accommodation was
allowed under certain circumstances in
Reading/English Language Arts for 9
states. Fewer states (4-5) allowed this
accommodation under certain
circumstances for the other content
areas. This accommodation was allowed in
certain circumstances and with
implications for scoring in 1-3 states.
This accommodation was allowed with
unique aggregation and in certain
circumstances for 1 state in each
content area. Likewise, this
accommodation was prohibited in 1 state
in each content area.
Figure 24. State
Participation Policies for the Computer
or Machine Accommodation by Content Area
The Spell Checker/Assistance
accommodation varied somewhat in how the
policies differed across content areas
(see Figure 25). A range of 7-13 states
allowed this accommodation in each of
the content areas. Consistently, 1 state
in each content area allowed this
accommodation with implications for
scoring. A range of 3-5 states allowed
the Spell Checker/Assistance
accommodation across content areas. A
range of 1-3 states allowed this
accommodation with implications for
scoring across content areas. One state
allowed this accommodation in certain
circumstances with unique aggregation in
Reading/English Language Arts. A larger
number of states (12-18) prohibited this
accommodation in Reading/English
Language Arts, Math, Science, and
Writing. Only 5 states prohibited this
accommodation in Social Studies.
Figure 25. State
Participation Policies for the Spell
Checker/Assistance Accommodation by
Content Area
There was a small amount of
variability across content areas in
state policies on the Speech/Text Device
accommodation (see Figure 26). Fewer
states (13-15) allowed this
accommodation in Reading/English
Language Arts, Writing, and Social
Studies, while more states (20) allowed
this accommodation in Math and Science.
One state allowed this accommodation
with implications for scoring in
Writing, while 2 states had this policy
in Reading/English Language Arts. This
accommodation was allowed in certain
circumstances by 5-6 states in
Reading/English Language Arts, Math,
Science, and Writing. Only 2 states had
this policy in Social Studies. One state
allowed this accommodation with unique
aggregation and in certain
circumstances. This policy was
prohibited in 1-3 states in each content
area.
Figure 26. State
Participation Policies for the
Speech/Text Device Accommodation by
Content Area
Thirty states included “Other”
response accommodations in their
policies. Some of the “Other” responses
included: students can respond in
languages other than English, which is
translated into English by a scribe, the
answer sheet is in large print or has
large margins, or the student hand
writes answers on a separate piece of
paper.
For additional information on these
accommodations as well as more detailed
information on the response
accommodations, see Tables B.22A, B.22B,
and B.23 in Appendix B.
Changes Since 2007
As in 2007, Brailler, Write in Test
Booklets, Proctor/Scribe, and
Computer/Machine were the most
frequently allowed response
accommodations. In general, most
response accommodations stayed about the
same in the number of states allowing
their use. One accommodation, Sign
Responses to Sign Language Interpreter
decreased from being allowed without
restrictions in 18 states in 2007 to
being allowed without restrictions in 14
states in 2009. More response
accommodations were prohibited in 2009
than in 2007. In 2007, 1 response
accommodation (Spell Checker/Assistance)
was prohibited by 1 state. In 2009, 3
response accommodations
(Computer/Machine, Spell
Checker/Assistance, and Speech Device)
were prohibited. Computer/Machine and
Speech Device were prohibited by 1
state, respectively. Spell
Checker/Assistance was prohibited by 16
states.
Scheduling/Timing Accommodations
Scheduling/Timing accommodations are
changes in the timing or scheduling of
an assessment; these accommodations are
summarized in Table 4. The most
frequently allowed accommodations in
this category were Testing with Breaks,
Extended Time, and Time Beneficial to
Student. Forty-two states allowed
Testing with Breaks with no
restrictions, 1 state allowed this
accommodation in certain circumstances,
1 state allowed it with implications for
scoring, and 1 state’s policy reflected
it as a unique aggregated
accommodation/allowed in certain
circumstances. The Extended Time
accommodation was allowed without
restrictions in 38 states. This
accommodation was allowed in certain
circumstances in 4 states, allowed with
implications for scoring in 2 states,
and allowed as a unique aggregated
accommodation in certain circumstances
in 2 states. The Time Beneficial to
Student accommodation was permitted
without restrictions in 37 states, with
another 2 states allowing this
accommodation in certain circumstances.
Two states prohibited Testing Over
Multiple Days; no other scheduling and
timing accommodations were prohibited by
any state.
Eight states listed “Other”
scheduling/timing accommodations that
were not listed in Table 4. Among these
“Other” accommodations were fewer
achievement subtests in a given day (2
states), testing outside the official
testing window (2 states) and allowing
the student to terminate testing when he
or she can no longer continue (2
states).
Additional information on these other
accommodations as well as detailed
information about the Scheduling/Timing
accommodations can be found in Tables
B.24 and B.25 in Appendix B.
Table 4. Number of States
that Allow or Prohibit Selected
Scheduling/Timing Accommodationsa
a
In addition to the scheduling/timing
accommodations listed in this table, 10
states had “Other” scheduling/timing
accommodations. See Table B.25 in
Appendix B for details.
b
A = Allowed; AC = Allowed in Certain
Circumstances; AI = Allowed with
Implications for Scoring; AI/AC =
Allowed with Implications for Scoring
and in Certain Circumstances; UA =
Unique Aggregated; P = Prohibited
Note: Totals include
50 states and the District of Columbia.
Definitions:
Extended Time = student
may take longer than the time typically
allowed.
With
Breaks = time
away from test allowed during tests
typically administered without breaks,
sometimes with conditions about when
this can occur (e.g., not within
subtests) and how long they can be.
Multiple Sessions = assessments
generally given in a single session can
be broken into multiple sessions.
Time
Beneficial to Student = administered
at a time that is most advantageous to
the student.
Over
Multiple Days = administered
over several days when the assessment is
normally administered in one day.
Flexible Scheduling = the
order of subtests may vary from the
typical order of subtests.
Changes Since 2007
As in 2007, the most frequently
allowed Scheduling/Timing accommodations
were: With Breaks, Time Beneficial to
Students, and Extended Time. The number
of states allowing the Extended Time
accommodation increased from 34 states
allowing the accommodations in 2007 to
38 states mentioning the accommodation
as allowed in 2009. Time Beneficial to
Students also increased, from 35 states
allowing the accommodation in 2007, to
37 states allowing it in 2009. The
accommodation Over Multiple Days changed
somewhat. The number of states allowing
this accommodation with no restrictions
decreased from 19 in 2007 to 15 in 2009.
However, the number of states that
allowed the accommodation in certain
circumstances increased from 3 in 2007
to 5 in 2009. Other Scheduling/Timing
accommodations remained about the same
from 2007 to 2009.
Setting Accommodations
Setting accommodations are changes in
the test location or environment. These
accommodations include Individual or
Small Group Administration,
Administration in a Separate Room or
Carrel, and the Proximity of the
Student’s Seat to the Test
Administrator. The results of our
analysis for are displayed in Table 5.
The most frequently allowed setting
accommodations were: Small Group,
Individual, Carrel, and Seat
Location/Proximity. Forty-eight states
permitted testing of students in Small
Group settings with no restrictions, and
47 states allowed the use of the
Individual accommodation without
restrictions. Testing in a Carrel was
indicated as allowed in the policies of
37 states. Seat Location/Proximity was
considered an allowable accommodation in
35 states. Testing in the Student’s Home
was more controversial. This
accommodation was allowed without
restrictions in 18 states’ policies, and
allowed in certain circumstances in the
policies of 2 states. One state
indicated that this accommodation could
be used with implications for scoring
and aggregation.
It is important to note that even
though we documented that only 5 states
allowed the testing of students in the
Special Education Classroom, and 1
additional state allowed this setting
accommodation in certain circumstances,
the policies of many additional states
implied this accommodation was
permitted. It is likely that
individualized or small group testing
occurred in the special education
classroom, but unless a policy
explicitly stated that testing in the
special education classroom was allowed
as an accommodation, we did not mark it
as allowed in this report.
Eight states listed “Other” setting
accommodations in their policies, such
as testing with the teacher or test
administrator facing the student (2
states) and in the general education
classroom with adjustments (2 states).
Additional information on these
“Other” setting accommodations can be
found in Table B.26 and B.27 in Appendix
B.
Table 5. Number of Regular
States that Allow or Prohibit Selected
Setting Accommodationsa
a
In addition to the setting
accommodations listed in this table, 7
states had “Other” setting
accommodations. See Table B.27 in
Appendix B for details.
b
A = Allowed; AC = Allowed in Certain
Circumstances; AI = Allowed with
Implications for Scoring; AI/AC =
Allowed with Implications for Scoring
and in Certain Circumstances; UA =
Unique Aggregated; P = Prohibited
Note: These totals
include 50 states and the District of
Columbia.
Definitions:
Individual
= individual assessed separately from
other students.
Small Group
= student assessed in small group
separate from other students.
Carrel
= student assessed while seated in a
study carrel.
Separate Room
= student assessed in a separate room.
Seat
Location/Proximity
= student is assessed in a specifically
designated seat location, usually in
close proximity to the test
administrator.
Minimize Distractions
= student is assessed in a quiet
environment.
Student’s Home
= student assessed at home, usually when
out of school for illness or other
reasons.
Special Education Classroom
= student is assessed in the special
education classroom.
Increase/Decrease Opportunity for
Movement
= student is assessed in an environment
that allows for increased or decreased
opportunity for movement (e.g., the
student may be allowed to walk around).
Physical Support
= student is provided physical support
during assessed.
Hospital
= student is assessed in a hospital.
Non-school Setting
= student is assessed in a non-school
setting.
Changes Since 2007
As in 2007, the most frequently
allowed setting accommodations were:
Individual, Small Group, and Carrel.
Similar to 2007 most of the
accommodations in the setting
accommodations were not controversial;
in addition, these accommodations
changed only slightly from 2007, with
some accommodations, such as Hospital
decreasing slightly (down 1 from 2007).
Others increased slightly, such as
Minimize Distractions (up 3, from 21 in
2007 to 24 in 2009).
Top of page |
Table of Contents
Discussion
State policies on participation and
accommodations have continued to change.
All states now have accommodations
posted publicly online. These materials
included a wide variety of documents,
including policies and procedures,
handouts for parents, and training
materials.
The 2009 policies on participation
and accommodation for students with
disabilities may reflect changes that
states have made as part of the ongoing
peer review process for standards and
assessments that began in 2004, and is
required for states to receive Title I
funds under ESEA (Christensen, Lail, &
Thurlow, 2007; Thurlow, Christensen, &
Lail, 2008). In this peer review
process, policies for participation and
accommodation were included, and many
states had outstanding issues in these
areas and have been working to address
them.
Since 2007, state policies for
participation and accommodations have
continued to evolve. Specifically,
states have refined their criteria for
participation decisions and guidelines
for the administration of
accommodations. In addition, there have
been overall increases and decreases in
the use of particular accommodations.
Participation Policies
Participation policies continue to
evolve and change, although they have
remained generally stable since 2007.
Participation changes have appeared to
be primarily fine-tuning of policies.
One important change in participation
policies from 2007 was that the number
of states allowing additional testing
options decreased. For example, in 2007,
3 states allowed Selective
Participation; in 2009, only 2 states
had this participation option.
Similarly, in 2007, 23 states had the
Combination Participation option. In
2009, only 16 states had this option in
their policies. Locally Selected
Assessments decreased from 3 states
having this option in 2007 to 1 state
providing it in 2009. Testing with
Modifications or Non-Standard
Accommodations decreased by 1 state for
2009.
States have continued to clarify and
specify when and how students with
disabilities participate in statewide
assessment. For example, most states in
2007 included instructional relevance
and goals as criteria for making
participation decisions. However, other
variables decreased in the number of
states mentioning them. For example,
making decisions based on the Content,
Purpose, or Nature of the assessment was
indicated in fewer policies in 2009 than
in 2007. Likewise, basing decisions on
Student Needs and Characteristics
decreased from 2007 levels.
Another noteworthy change was the
number of states that mentioned
guidelines for administration of
accommodations involving a third
party/access assistant. Although this
increase was slight, the vast majority
of states had some level of information
for third party/access assistants to use
when administering accommodations. This
increase in the number of states with
policies for each type of access
assistant administration (i.e., Scribe,
Reader, and Sign Language Interpreter)
indicates that states understand the
importance of providing instructions to
scribes, readers, and sign language
interpreters so that the test is
administered appropriately, and provides
a valid score for the student.
Accommodations Policies
Historically, accommodations have
sometimes been seen as a way to enable
some students with disabilities to
participate in statewide assessments.
There was often little consideration of
when it was appropriate to use a given
accommodation (Clapper, Morse, Lazarus,
Thompson, & Thurlow, 2005; Lazarus,
Thurlow, Lail, Eisenbraun, & Kato,
2006). That approach has been changing
for some time now, and states continue
to make progress in this direction. In
2007, we saw some states directing more
attention to the validity of
accommodation use through the category
of the Unique Aggregated Accommodation.
In these states, policymakers recognized
that some accommodations are valid for a
small group of students who may need
them (e.g., a student who is unable to
decode text), but that these
accommodations may have been overused in
the past. By allowing them as what we
have called a Unique Aggregated
Accommodation, students who need these
accommodations are able to use them and
thus receive a valid score for the
assessment.
States have continued to explore
whether it is appropriate for students
who meet certain eligibility criteria to
receive a specified bundle of
accommodations. This may be the case for
the read aloud accommodation, in which
state policies indicated that the
accommodations must be given in an
individual or small group setting.
However, other states have developed
more integrated policies. For example,
Texas bundled three accommodations
(orally reading all proper nouns
associated with each passage before
students begin individual reading,
orally reading all questions and answer
choices to students, and extending the
testing time over a 2-day period) for
Grade 3, Grade 4, and Grade 5 students
with dyslexia.
The Read Aloud Questions
accommodation has remained
controversial, and there is little
consensus among states as to when and
how this accommodation should be used.
In this analysis, however, we were able
to examine the Read Aloud Questions
accommodation policies according to
content area, and by breaking down the
policies by content area, we were able
to see that although states were not in
agreement about using this accommodation
for Reading/English Language Arts, there
was some consensus about using the
accommodation for other content area
assessments.
Technology-related accommodations
continued to be used, and many of them
were controversial. More states allowed
certain technology-based accommodations
as an alternative to (or in addition to)
accommodations that serve a similar
purpose but require the use of a third
party to administer. This was only the
second report to track Assistive
Technology. In 2007, 11 states allowed
the use of Assistive Technology without
restriction; an additional 11 states
allowed its use in certain
circumstances, with implications for
scoring, or as a unique accommodation.
These numbers have increased in 2009,
with 16 states allowing Assistive
Technology as an accommodation without
restriction, and 10 states allowing the
accommodation in certain circumstances.
One additional state allowed Assistive
Technology with scoring implications,
and 2 states allowed this accommodation
in certain circumstances and with
scoring implications. This overall
increase in the mention of Assistive
Technology in state accommodation
policies was a recognition of the
growing importance of technology in
assessment. As more states move to
computer testing environments, these
accommodations will be important to
consider.
The overall number of prohibited
accommodations continues to be on the
rise in state policies. In our last
analysis (Christensen et al., 2007) we
found that the number of prohibited
accommodations had more than doubled
since 2005. In the 2009 policies, we
again found a significant number of
prohibited accommodations, particularly
accommodations that were mentioned as
prohibited for one content area but not
another. Using clear language about the
expectation for how an accommodation
should or should not be used, such as
mentioning that an accommodation is
prohibited for a certain assessment, can
be helpful for decision-making teams.
Conclusion
Accommodations continue to play an
important role in helping students with
disabilities access statewide
assessments in order to show what they
know and are able to do. State policies
on accommodations continue to evolve and
change, to reflect the most current
thinking and research on accommodations.
For example, more attention is currently
being given to ensuring that
accommodations use not only gives the
student access to the assessment but
also results in a valid score for that
student. States are able to reflect not
only federal regulations, but also
current thinking on accommodations, as
they continue to hone and improve their
policies.
As many states move toward Common
Core standards and assessments aligned
to those standards, it will be vital to
revisit accommodations policies for
students with disabilities. Through that
work, accommodations policies will
likely change again, as states continue
to strive toward ensuring that students
with disabilities are able to show what
they know and can do on statewide
assessments.
Top of page
|
Table of Contents
References
Christensen, L. L., Lail, K. E., &
Thurlow, M. L. (2007).
Hints and tips for addressing
accommodations issues for peer review.
Minneapolis, MN: University of
Minnesota, National Center on
Educational Outcomes.
Christensen, L. L., Lazarus, S. S.,
Crone, M., & Thurlow, M. L. (2008).
2007 state policies on assessment
participation and accommodations for
students with disabilities
(Synthesis Report 69). Minneapolis, MN:
University of Minnesota, National Center
on Educational Outcomes.
Clapper, A. T., Morse, A. B.,
Lazarus, S. S., Thompson, S. J., &
Thurlow, M. L. (2005). 2003 state
policies on assessment participation and
accommodations for students with
disabilities
(Synthesis Report 56). Minneapolis, MN:
University of Minnesota, National Center
on Educational Outcomes.
Individuals with Disabilities Act.
(2004). Public Law 108-446. Washington,
DC: U. S. Government Printing Office.
Lazarus, S. S., Thurlow, M. L., Lail,
K. E., Eisenbraun, K. D., & Kato, K.
(2006). 2005 state policies on
assessment participation and
accommodations for students with
disabilities (Synthesis Report 64).
Minneapolis, MN: University of
Minnesota, National Center on
Educational Outcomes.
No Child Left Behind Act (2001).
Public Law 107-110. Washington, DC: U.
S. Government Printing Office.
Rivera, C., Collum, E., Shafer, L., &
Sia Jr., J. K. (2005). An analysis of
state assessment policies addressing the
accommodation of English language
learners. In Rivera (Ed.), A national
review of state policy and practice for
English language learners.
Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates,
Inc.
Thurlow, M., L., Christensen, L. L.,
& Lail, K. E. (2008). An analysis of
accommodations issues from the standards
and assessments peer review
(Technical Report 51). Minneapolis, MN:
University of Minnesota, National Center
on Educational Outcomes.
Thurlow, M., House, A., Boys, C.,
Scott, D., & Ysseldyke, J. (2000).
State participation and accommodation
policies for students with disabilities:
1999 update (Synthesis Report 33).
Minneapolis, MN: University of
Minnesota, National Center on
Educational Outcomes.
Thurlow, M., Lazarus, S., Thompson,
S., & Robey, J. (2002).
2001 state policies on assessment
participation and accommodations
(Synthesis Report 46.) Minneapolis, MN:
University of Minnesota, National Center
on Educational Outcomes.
Thurlow, M. L., Scott, D. L., &
Ysseldyke, J. E. (1995).
A compilation of states’ guidelines
for accommodations in assessments for
students with disabilities
(Synthesis Report 18). Minneapolis:
University of Minnesota, National Center
on Educational Outcomes.
Thurlow, M. L., Scott, D. L., &
Ysseldyke, J. E. (1995).
A compilation of states’ guidelines
for including students with disabilities
in assessments (Synthesis Report
17). Minneapolis: University of
Minnesota, National Center on
Educational Outcomes.
Thurlow, M., Seyfarth, A., Scott, D.,
& Ysseldyke, J. (1997).
State assessment policies on
participation and accommodations for
students with disabilities: 1997 update
(Synthesis Report 29). Minneapolis,
MN: University of Minnesota, National
Center on Educational Outcomes.
Thurlow, M. L., Ysseldyke, J. E., &
Silverstein, B. (1993). Testing
accommodations for students with
disabilities: A review of the literature
(Synthesis Report 4). Minneapolis:
University of Minnesota, National Center
on Educational Outcomes.
Top of page |
Table of Contents
Appendix A
State Documents Used in
Analysis of Participation and
Accommodation Policies
Alabama
|
Alabama State
Department of Education
- Alabama Student Assessment
Program Policies and Procedures
for Students of Special
Populations
ftp://ftp.alsde.edu/documents/91/PoliciesAnd%20Procedures_SpecialPopulations_Revised0307.PDF
|
Alaska
|
CCSSO; Alaska
Department of Education and
Early Development -
CCSSO Accommodations Manual -
Adapted for Alaska
http://www.eed.state.ak.us/tls/assessment/accommodations/accommodationsmanual_july2008.pdf
|
Arizona
|
Arizona
Department of Education
- Testing Accommodations:
Guidelines for 2008-2009
http://www.ade.state.az.us/standards/AIMS/Administering?TestingAccommdoations2008-09.pdf
Arizona Department of
Education -
Eligibility Determination Form
Alternate Assessments
http://www.ade.state.az.us/ess/SpecialProjects/aims-a/EligibilityDeterminationForm.pdf
|
Arkansas
|
Arkansas
Department of Education
- Modifications used in the
Classroom and Accommodations
used on State Assessments
http://arkansased.org/testing/pdf/assessment_accommodations.pdf
Arkansas Department of
Education -
2008-2009 Arkansas Alternate
Portfolio Assessment Participant
Validation
Form Students with Disabilities:
Grades 3-8 and 11
http://arkansased.org/testing/pdf/alt_gr3-8_11_valid08-09.pdf
|
California
|
California
Department of Education
- Testing Variations,
Accommodations, and
Modifications
http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/sa/
California Department of
Education -
Appendix A- Eligibility to
Participate in STAR by Taking
the CAPA
http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/sr/capa.asp
California Department of
Education - CAPA
Core Adaptations
http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/sr/coreadaptations.asp
California Department of
Education -
California Modified Assessment
Participation Criteria
http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/sr/participcriteria.asp
California Department of
Education -
Understanding 2009 STAR Program
Tests
http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/sr/documents/stardistsch09.pdf
|
Colorado
|
Colorado
Department of Education
- Colorado Accommodations
Manual
http://www.cde.state.co.us/cdeassess/documents/csap/manuals/2009/2008-2009_CO_Accomm_Man.pdf
Colorado Department of
Education - Student
Assessment System: Procedures
Manual for CSAP, CSAPA, CELApro
http://www.cde.state.co.us/cdeassess/documents/csap/manuals/2009/2008-2009_Procedures_Manual.pdf
|
Connecticut
|
Connecticut
State Department of Education,
Bureau of Student Assessment and
Bureau of Special Education
Assessment Guidelines for
Administering the Connecticut
Mastery Test, Connecticut
Academic Performance Test and
CMT/CAPT Skills Checklist
http://www.csde.state.ct.us/public/cedar/assessment/agl/resources/agl_12_edition-final-11-19-07.pdf
|
Delaware
|
Delaware
Department of Education
- Guidelines for Inclusion
of Students with Disabilities
and English Language Learners
http://www.doe.k12.de.us/aab/files/2008-2009%20GF1%20v5.pdf
Delaware Department of
Education -
Delaware Accommodations Fact
Sheets
http://www.doe.k12.de.us/aab/files/Fact%20sheets%20%20accommodations.pdf
|
District of
Columbia
|
Department of
Education - Chapter
Three Participation Guidelines
http://www.indi.uky.edu/ilssa/dc-cas-alt/administrationGuide/20082009TeacherManual/chapter3.pdf
Department of Education
- Appendix: A Participation
Guidelines and Learner
Characteristic Inventory
http://www.ihdi.uky.edu/ilssa/dc-cas-alt/administrationGuide/20082009TeacherManual/appendixA.pdf
Department of Education
- Approved Accommodations
http://www.ctb.com/ncmedia/6784/approved-accommodations_for_students_with_disabilities_08.pdf
|
Florida
|
Florida
Department of Education
- Test Accommodations for
Students with Disabilities 2003
FCAT
www.fldoe.org/ese/pdf/fcatasd-chart1.pdf
Florida Department of
Education -
Planning FCAT Accommodations for
Students with Disabilities
www.fldoe.org/ese/fcat/fcat-tea.pdf
Florida Department of
Education -
Descriptions of FCAT
Accommodations,
http://www.fldoe.org/ese/pdf/descfcat.pdf
Florida Department of
Education - Florida
Alternate Assessment
Participation Checklist
http://www.fldoe.org/asp/altassessment.asp
|
Georgia
|
Georgia
Department of Education
- Student Assessment
Handbook
http://www.doe.k12.ga.us/DMGetDocument.aspx/Student%20Assessment%20Handbook%202008-2009.pdf?p=6CC6799F8C1371F6E6F831068DAF4D53C727B818AEEBF7BBAE804ABFD452AA7A&Type=D
Georgia Department of
Education -
Accommodations Manual
http://www.doe.k12.ga.us/DMGetDocument.aspx/Accommodation%20Manual%20August%2008.pdf?p=6CC6799F8C1371F6D1C69D60E4029F1085A5BB31C1B556F24ADBA65C89A3BD77&Type=D
|
Hawaii
|
Department of
Education, State of Hawaii
- Slides for Student
Participation and Accommodations
Handbook
http://sao.k-12.hi.us/assessment/hawaiistateassessment/spring09/spring%202009%20HSA%20RM%20
Student%20Population.pdf
Department of Education,
State of Hawaii -
Hawaii State Reading and
Mathematics Assessments: Student
Participation and Accommodations
Handbook
|
Idaho
|
Idaho State
Department of Education
- Test Coordinator’s Guide
for Federal and State
Assessments 2008-2009
http://www.boardofed.idaho.gov/saa/documents/TC_Updates/TC_GuidewithISAT_FINAL0808.pdf
|
Illinois
|
Illinois Board
of Education -
Guidance: Illinois Board of
Education Assessment
Accommodations Students with
Disabilities: IEP and 504,
2008-2009 Year.
http://www.isbe.state.il.us/asseessment/pdfs/guidance_IEP_504.pdf
|
Indiana
|
Indiana
Department of Education
- Indiana Statewide Test for
Educational Progress-Plus
2008-2009 ISTEP+ Program Manual
http://www.doe.in.gov/istep/docs/2008-09-ISTEPProgramManual.pdf
|
Kansas
|
Kansas State
Department of Education
- Statewide Assessments
Participation for Students with
Disabilities IEP Team Decision
Flowchart
http://www.ksde.org/Portals/0/Special%20Education%20Services/assmts/Kamm/Eligibility.pdf
Kansas State Department
of Education -
Accommodations Manual: How to
Select, Administer, and Evaluate
Accommodations for Instruction
and Assessment
http://www.ksde.org/default.aspx?tabid=2371
Kansas State Department
of Education -
Kansas Guidelines for Use of a
Scribe
http://www.ksde.org/Default.aspx?tabid=2372
Kansas State Department
of Education - 2009
Accommodations List
http://www.ksde.org/Default.aspx?tabid=2372
Kansas State Department
of Education -
Read-Aloud and KCA Voice 2009
Policy
http://www.ksde.org/Default.aspx?tabid=2372
Kansas State Department
of Education -
2008-09 Kansas Assessment
Examiner’s Manual: Writing
http://www.ksde.org/Default.aspx?tabid=2374
Kansas State Department
of Education -
2008-09 KAMM Assessment
Examiner’s Manual:
History/Government, Mathematics,
Science, Reading
http://www.ksde.org/Default.aspx?tabid=2374
Kansas State Department
of Education -
2008-09 Kansas Assessment
Examiner’s Manual:
History/Government, Mathematics,
Science, Reading
http://www.ksde.org/Default.aspx?tabid=2374
|
Kentucky
|
Kentucky
Department of Education
- Inclusion of Special
Populations: In the
state-required assessment and
accountability programs 703
KAR5:070
http://www.education.ky.gov/NR/rdanlyres/43445640-02B0-4911-AFF7-2225760B646F/0/inclusionsDocument.pdf
|
Louisiana
|
Louisiana
Department of Education
- Special Populations and
Accommodations
http://www.doe.state.la.us/lde/uploads/12625.pdf
Louisiana Department of
Education -
District and School Test
Coordinator’s Manual, Spring
2009
http://www.doe.state.la.us/lde/saa/2221.html
Louisiana Department of
Education - LEAP
and GEE Special Populations and
Accommodations
http://www.doe.state.la.us/lde/uploads/12522.pdf
Louisiana Department of
Education - LAA 2
Testing with accommodations
http://www.doe.state.la.us/lde/uploads/12521.pdf
Louisiana Department of
Education - LEAP
Alternate Assessment Level 1,
(LAA 1) Participation Criteria
http://www.doe.state.la.us/lde/uploads/4797.pdf
|
Maryland
|
Maryland State
Department of Education
- Maryland Accommodations
Manual
http://www.marylandpublicschools.org/NR/rdonlyres/840EFBB6-CD7D-404E-8ATI-E978F6D508AA/16337/MDAccommodationsManual_21108.pdf
Maryland State
Department of Education
- Maryland Accommodations
Manual
http://www.marylandpublicschools.org/NR/rdonlyres/840EFBB6-CD7D-404E-8ATI-E978F6D508AA/16337/MDAccommodationsManual_21108.pdf
|
Massachusetts
|
Massachusetts
Department of Education
- Requirements for the
Participation of Students with
Disabilities in MCAS
http://www.doe.mass.edu/mcas/participation/sped.pdf
|
Michigan
|
Michigan
Department of Education
- Assessment Accommodation
Summary Table
http:www.michigan.gov/documents/exhibit_B_Accommodations_table_127886_7.pdf
Michigan Department of
Education - Spring
2009 Michigan Merit Examination
(MME) Accommodations Summary
Table
http:www.michigan.gov/documents/mde/mme_2008_accomms_summary_table_2007-11-06_2_214855_7.pdf
Michigan Department of
Education - MEAP
Access Modified Full
Independence Coordinator and
Assessment Administrator Manual
http:www.michigan.gov/documents/mde/09_meap_access_pilot_caam_011309final_263081_7.pdf
|
Minnesota
|
Minnesota
Department of Education
- 2008-09 Procedures Manual
- Chapter 5 - Accommodations
http://education.state.mn.us/mde/accountability_programs/assessment_and_testing/dac_corner/policies
_procedures_guidelines/index.html
Minnesota Department of
Education -
Minnesota Manual of
Accommodations
http://cehd.umn.edu/nceo/teleconferences/tele16/mnmanualofaccommodationspdf.pdf
Minnesota Department of
Education -
Individual Education Plan (IEP)
Team Guide to Statewide
Assessments for 2008-2009
http://education.state.mn.us/mde/learning-support/special-education/evaluation_program_planning_supports/statewide_assessment_for_students_disabilities/index.html
|
Mississippi
|
Mississippi
Department of Education
- Testing Accommodations
Manual
http://www.mde.k12.ms.us/acad/osa/specpop.html
Mississippi Department
of Education -
Testing Students with
Disabilities Regulations
http://www.mde.k12.ms.us/acad/osa/testing_students_with_disabilities_regulations.pdf
|
Missouri
|
Missouri
Department of Elementary and
Secondary Education -
Test Coordinator’s Manual
http://dese.mo.gov/divimprove/assess/map/documents/tcm_2009.pdf
Missouri Department of
Elementary and Secondary
Education -
Missouri Accommodations Manual
(Powerpoint)
http://www.dese.mo.gov/divimprove/assess/tech/accommodationsmanualpowerpoint.pdf
Missouri Department of
Elementary and Secondary
Education -
Appendix: Accommodation Codes
http://www.dese.mo.gov/divimprove/assess/documents/accommodations-codes-09.pdf
Missouri Department of
Elementary and Secondary
Education - Form
D-Part 1: State Assessments
http://www.dese.mo.gov/divspeced/compliance/iep/index.html
|
Montana
|
Montana Office
of Public Instruction -
The Montana Comprehensive
Assessment System Test
Administrator’s Manual
http://www/opi.mt.gov/pub/pdf/assessment/crt/ta/09crttestadminmanual.pdf
Montana Office of Public
Instruction - CRT
Accommodation Manual
http://www.opimt.gov/pub/pdf/assessment/crt/ta/09accommanual.pdf
Montana Office of Public
Instruction -
MontCAS Phase 2
Criterion-References Test
Accommodations
http://www.opi.mt.gov/pdf/assessment/crt/crtaccmmodations.pdf
|
Nebraska
|
Nebraska
Department of Education
- STARTS Alternate Standards
and Assessments for Students
with Disabilities
http://www.nde.state.ne.us/SPED/documents/alternateassessmentmanual5-15-07_001.pdf
Nebraska Department of
Education -
Accommodations Guidelines
http://www.nde.state.ne.us/assessment/documents/accommodationsmanual.pdf
|
Nevada
|
Nevada
Department of Education
- Procedures for the Nevada
Proficiency Examination Program
2008-2009
http://nde.doe.nv.gov/assessment/NPEP/NPEP_0809_all-sections.pdf
Nevada Department of
Education - Nevada
Criterion-Referenced Test
Administrator’s Manual
http://nde.doe.nv.gov/assessment/crt_grade_3-8_TAM_2007.pdf
Nevada Department of
Education - Nevada
High School Proficiency
Examination Test Administrator’s
Manual
http://nde.doe.nv.gov/assessment/NPEP/HSPE_RETEST_TAM.pdf
Nevada Department of
Education - Section
504 Accommodations Form
http://nde.doe.gov/assessment/NPEP/504_accommodations_form_0708.doc
Nevada Department of
Education - IEP
Accommodations Form
http://nde.doe.gov/assessment/NPEP/IEP_accommodations_form_0708.doc
|
New Hampshire
|
New Hampshire
- New England Common
Assessment Program -
Accommodations, Guidelines, and
Procedures: NH Version 3
http://www.ed.state.nh.us/education/doe/organization/curriculum/NECAP/documents/NECAP-NHAccommodationsTrainingGuideNHVersion2008-2009.pdf
New Hampshire -
New England Common
Assessment Program -
Principal/Test Coordinator
Manual Grades 3-8 & 11
http://www.ed.state.nh.us/education/doe/organization/curriculum/NECAP/documents/FINAL2008-09Principal-TestCoordinatorManual8.18.08.pdf
New Hampshire -
Fall Statewide Assessment
Participation Guidelines for
Grades 2-8: Fall NECAP and
School Year NH-Alt
http://www.ed.state.nh.us/education/doe/organization/curriculum/NECAP/documents/Grades2-8ParticipationFall2008-final9-29-2008.pdf
New Hampshire -
Fall Statewide Assessment
Participation Guidelines for
High School: Fall NECAP and
School Year NH-Alt
http://www.ed.state.nh.us/education/doe/organization/curriculum/NECAP/documents/Grade11ParticipationFall2008-final9-29-2008.pdf
New Hampshire -
Decision Making Worksheet:
Participation of Students with
Disabilities in Statewide
Assessment
http://www.ed.state.nh.us/education/doe/organization/curriculum/NECAP%20AH%20Assessment/2007-2008%20AH/documents/NH-AHParticipationDecisionWorksheet.doc
|
New Jersey
|
State of New
Jersey Department of Education
- Accommodations and
Modifications of Test
Administration Procedures for
Statewide Assessments
http://www.state.nj.us/education/specialed/accom900.htm
|
New Mexico
|
New Mexico
Public Education Department
Assessment and Accountability
Division - Testing
Accommodations
http://sde.nm.us/assessmentaccountability/assessmentevaluation/d108/new%20
mexico%20statewide%20assessment%20program%202007-2008%20
New Mexico Public
Education Department -
The New Mexico Alternate
Performance Assessment: New
Mexico’s Alternate Assessment
Based on Alternate Achievement
Standards
http://www.ped.state.nm.us/ayp2007/press/alternative%20assessment_AYPMediaTraining7-25-07.pdf
Harcourt Assessment
- New Mexico English
Language Proficiency Assessment
Accommodations for Students with
Disabilities
http://www.ped.state.nm.us/bilingualmulticultural/d108/nmelpa2006accommodations.pdf
|
New York
|
New York State
Education Department -
New York State Alternate
Assessment Possible Test
Accommodations Listed on the
NYSSA Student Page
http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/osa/nysaa/2008-09/nysaa-accom.pdf
New York State Education
Department -
Frequently Asked Test
Accommodations Questions about
the New York State Alternate
Assessment
http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/osa/nysaa/accom07-08.pdf
New York State Education
Department - Test
Access and Accommodations for
Students with Disabilities
http://www.vesid.nysed.gov/specialed/publications/policy/testaccess/manual506.pdf
|
North Carolina
|
North Carolina
State Board of Education
- Testing Students with
Disabilities
http://www.dpi.state.nc.us/docs/accountability/policyoperations/tswd/0809tswd.pdf
|
North Dakota
|
North Dakota
Department of Education
-
http://www.dpi.state.nd.us/speced/resource/alternate/comparison.pdf
North Dakota Department
of Education -
Assessment Flowchart for IEP
Team Decisions
http://www.dpi.state.nd.us/speced/resource/alternate/iepflowchart.pdf
North Dakota Department
of Public Instruction -
Appendix D. Testing
Guidelines for Students with
Disabilities
http://www.dpi.state.nd.us/testing/assess/manual08.pdf
|
Ohio
|
Ohio Department
of Education -
Statewide Assessment
Accommodations
http://education.ohio.gov/GD/Templates/pages/ODE/ODEdetail.aspx?page=3&TopicRelationID=967&contentID=47700&content=59102
Ohio Department of
Education Office of Assessment
- Assessment Rules Book
http://education.ohio.gov/GD/Templates/pages/ODE/ODEdetail.aspx?page=3&TopicRelationID=9&contentID=43712&content=52186
Ohio Department of
Education, Office for
Exceptional Children -
Guidelines for Participation
in Ohio’s Alternate Assessment
http://education.ohio.gov/GD/Templates/pages/ODE/ODEdetail.aspx?page=3&TopicRelationID=229&ContentID=8695&content=56186
Ohio Department of
Education -
Decision Making Framework
http://education.ohio.gov/GD/Templates/pages/ODE/ODEdetail.aspx?page=3&TopicRelationID=229&ContentID=8695&content=56186
Ohio Department of
Education - Ohio
Achievement and Graduation Tests
http://education.ohio.gov/GD/Templates/pages/ODE/ODEdetail.aspx?page=3&TopicRelationID=229&ContentID=8695&content=56186
|
Oklahoma
|
Oklahoma
Department of Education
- Assessment
http://www.sde.state.ok.us/curriculum/speced/assessment.html
Oklahoma Department of
Education - General
Guidance
http://www.sde.state.ok.us/acctassess/pdf/forms/eo1_test_prep.pdf
Oklahoma Department of
Education - Test
Preparation Manual
http://www.sde.state.ok.us/acctassess/pdf/forms/omaap_test_prep.pdf
Oklahoma Department of
Education -
Criteria Checklist for Assessing
Students with Disabilities on
State Assessments
http://www.sde.state.ok.us/acctassess/pdf/forms/omaap/criteria_check.pdf
Oklahoma Department of
Education -
Oklahoma Test Preparation Manual
http://www.sde.state.ok.us/acctassess/pdf/forms/drc_test_prep_manual.pdf
|
Oregon
|
Oregon
Department of Education
- 2007-2008 Accommodations
Table - Knowledge and Skills
Test Administration
http://www.ode.state.or.us/teachlearn/testing/manuals/tables/ks-accomtable_0708_may-2.pdf
Oregon Department of
Education -
2007-2008 Accommodations Tables
- Writing Test Administration
http://www.ode.state.or.us/teachlearn/testing/manuals/tables/wr-accomtable_0708_feb-4.pdf
Oregon Department of
Education -
2007-2008 Modifications Table
http://www.ode.state.or.us/teachlearn/testing/manuals/tables/asmtksmodtable0708.pdf
Oregon Department of
Education -
Decision Process for Adaptations
to become Accommodations
http://www.ode.state.or.us/opportunities/grants/sig/statewide-assessment/accommodations.pdf
|
Pennsylvania
|
Pennsylvania
Department of Education
- 2007 Accommodations
Guidelines
http://www.pde.state.pa.us/a_and_t/lib/a_andt/accommodationsforallstudents2007.pdf
Pennsylvania Department
of Education - The
2008-2009 Pennsylvania System of
School Assessment Handbook for
Assessment Coordinators
http://www.pde.state.pa.us/a_and_t/lib/a_and_t/2009-Handbook-for-assess-coor-and-Admin.pdf
Pennsylvania Department
of Education - 2008
Accommodations Guidelines
http://www.pde.state.pa.us/a_and_t/lib/a_and_t/2008AccommodationsGuidelines.pdf
|
Rhode Island
|
New England
Common Assessment Program
- New England Common
Assessment Program:
Accommodations, Guidelines, and
Procedures
http://www.ride.ri.gov/assessment/DOCS/NECAP/AccommodationsTrainingGuide.pdf
New England Common
Assessment Program -
New England Common
Assessment Program:
Principal/Test Coordinator
Manual
http://www.ride.ri.gov/assessment/DOCS/NECAP/Test_admin/2008_TESTAdminManuals/2008-09_TestCoordinatorManual.pdf
Rhode Island Department
of Education -
2008-09 RIAA Administration
Manual - Chapter Seven:
Eligibility and Registration
http://www.ride.ri.gov/assessment/DOCS/Alternate/FAQ_2008.pdf
Rhode Island Department
of Education - Memo
subject: Participation Criteria
for the RI Alternate Assessment
ttp://www.ride.ri.gov/assessment/DOCS/Alternate/3.09_lettercriteria_RIAA_Participation.pdf
|
South Carolina
|
South Carolina
Department of Education
- Testing Students with
Disabilities FAQ
http://ed.sc.gov/agency/accountability/assessment/old/assessment/programs/AMC/documents/
IEPteam_FAQ_0307.pdf
South Carolina
Department of Education
- Customized Materials for
PACT, HSAP, and EOCEP
http://ed.sc.gov/agency/accountability/assessment/old/assessment/programs/AMC/documents/
customizedmat_final.pdf
South Carolina
Department of Education
- Appendix C Testing
Students with Documented
Disabilities - End of Course
Examinations
http://ed.sc.gov/agency/accountability/assessment/old/assessment/publications/documents/TAM.pdf
South Carolina
Department of Education
- Appendix C Testing
Students with Documented
Disabilities - High School
Assessment Program
http://ed.sc.gov/agency/accountability/assessment/old/assessment/publications/documents/TAMFall08.pdf
South Carolina
Department of Education
- Appendix C Testing
Students with Documented
Disabilities - Palmetto
Achievement Challenge Tests
http://ed.sc.gov/agency/accountability/assessment/old/assessment/publications/documents/2008TAM.pdf
|
South Dakota
|
South Dakota
Department of Education
- South Dakota Test of
Educational Progress - 2009 Test
Coordinator Handbook
http://doe.sd.gov/octa/assessment/dakSTEP/documents/SD09_TCH_Cr05.pdf
South Dakota Department
of Education -
South Dakota Test of Educational
Progress - 2009 Test Coordinator
Handbook
http://doe.sd.gov/octa/assessment/dakSTEP/documents/SD09_TCH_Cr05.pdf
South Dakota Department
of Education - DACS
Testing Instructions Manual
http://doe.sd.gov/octa/assessment/dacs/manual.asp
|
Tennessee
|
Tennessee
Department of Education
- 2008-2009 TCAP
Accommodations for Students with
Disabilities
http://tennessee.gov/education/speced/doc/930008accominstruct.pdf
State of Tennessee
Department of Education
- TCAP-ALT PA Teacher’s
Manual 2008-2009
http://tennessee.gov/education/speced/doc.80608TCAPTeachManualFin.pdf
TN Department of
Education -
2008-2009 TCAP-Alt Participation
Guidelines
|
Texas
|
Texas Education
Agency - Texas
Assessment of Knowledge and
Skills - Alternate
http://www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/resources/taksalt/training/participation_requirements
_july_2007.pdf
Texas Education Agency
- Texas Education Agency
http://www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/resources/conferences/tac/2008/accommodations
_for_all_students.pdf
Texas Education Agency
- Texas Student Assessment
Program Accommodations Manual
http://www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/admin/accommManual_2008_09.pdf
|
Utah
|
Utah State
Office of Education -
Utah Performance Assessment
System for Students
http://www.schools.utah.gov/assessment/documents/special_needs_accommodations_policy.pdf
|
Vermont
|
New England
Common Assessment Program
- New England Common
Assessment Program:
Accommodations, Guidelines, and
Procedures
http://www.maine.gov/education/lsalt/necap/accommodations_guide_0807.pdf
New England Common
Assessment Program -
New England Common
Assessment Program:
Accommodations, Guidelines, and
Procedures
http://www.maine.gov/education/lsalt/necap/accommodations_guide_0807.pdf
|
Virginia
|
Virginia
Department of Education
- Guidelines for
Administering the Read-Aloud
Accommodation for Standards of
Learning Assessments
http://www.doe.virginia.gov/VDOE/Assessment/Assess.pdf/readaloudguidelines.pdf
Virginia Department of
Education -
Procedures for Participation of
Students with Disabilities in
Virginia’s Accountability System
http://www.doe.virginia.gov/VDOE/Assessment/Participation_guidelines_for_SWD.pdf
|
West Virginia
|
West Virginia
Department of Education
- 2008-2009 West Virginia
Guidelines for Participation in
State Assessments
http://wvde.state.wv.us/oaa/pdf/participation%20Guidelines%202009FINALCOPY_MG_May13_09.pdf
West Virginia Department
of Education - West
Virginia Alternate Performance
Task Assessment (APTA)
http://wvde.state.wv.us/oaa/pdf/2009%20APTA%20Examiners%20Manual%202009%20rev%20203-16-09.pdf
|
Wisconsin
|
WI Department of
Public Instruction -
The Assessment
Accommodations Matrix
http://dpi.wi.gov/oea/pdf/accomm08.pdf
WI Department of Public
Instruction - WI
Alternate Assessment For
Students with Disabilities
http://dpi.wi.gov/oea/wau.gov
WI Department of Public
Instruction -
Including students with special
needs in state assessments
http://dpi.wi/gov/oea/specneed.html
WI Department of Public
Instruction -
Frequently Asked Questions
http://dpi.wi.gov/oea/faqwaa.html
|
Wyoming
|
Wyoming
Department of Education
- Wyoming Accommodations
Manual for Instruction and
Assessment
http://www.k12.wy.us/SAA/Paws/paws_alt/docs/accommodationsmanual.pdf
Wyoming Department of
Education -
Guidelines for Participation in
Wyoming’s Alternate Assessment
http://www.k12.wy.us/SAA/paws_alt/information/guidelines%20for%20participation%20in%20wyoming’s%20alternate%20assessment.pdf
Wyoming Department of
Education - 2009
PAWS Standard Accommodations
http://www.k12.wy.us/SAA/paws_info/docs/PAWs_accommodations.pdf
|
Appendix B
Top of page
|