STAAR Accommodations

1. STAAR Accommodations An Overview and Update of TEA’s Policies

2. Testing Humor

3. More Testing Humor

4. OK. Last One.

5. Objectives • Welcome • Specific Accommodation Policies • Accommodations for Students with Disabilities • The Accommodation Triangle • Policy Changes • Summary

6. Specific Accommodation Policies

7. Who Might Need an Accommodation? For purposes of statewide assessments, a student needing accommodations due to a disability includes: • A student with an identified disability who receives special education services and meets established eligibility criteria for certain accommodations; • A student with an identified disability who receives Section 504 services and meets established eligibility criteria for certain accommodations; • A student with a disabling condition who does not receive special education or Section 504 services but meets established eligibility criteria for certain accommodations.

8. Who Determines Need? • For students receiving special education services, the ARD committee; • For students receiving Section 504 services, Section 504 placement committee; • Where a student does not receive services but meets eligibility criteria because of a disabling condition, the decision is made by an appropriate team at the campus level. • Applies to students taking STAAR, STAAR Spanish, STAAR Modified, STAAR L, and TELPAS.

9. Optional Test Administration Procedures and Materials • Some procedures and materials that have been “testing accommodations” in previous years will now be considered “Optional Test Administration Procedures and Materials”; • Available to any student who needs them; • Not intended for every student in a class or disability category; • Related to best practices for instruction; • Use during the statewide assessment is not recorded on student’s answer document.

10. Examples of Allowable Procedures and Materials • Reading the test aloud to self • Colored overlays • Blank place markers • Preferential seating • Scratch paper • Magnifying devices • Highlighters / colored pencils

12. Accommodations for Students with Disabilities

13. Utilizing Accommodations The use of accommodations primarily occurs in the classroom on a daily basis.

14. Defining Accommodations • Are changes to instructional materials, procedures, or techniques that are made on an individual basis and allow a student with a disability to participate in grade-level or course instruction and testing. • Should be evaluated regularly to determine effectiveness and to help plan for accommodations the student will need each year. • Are not changes to the content being assessed and should not replace the teaching of subject-specific knowledge and skills as outlined in the TEKS. • Should not be provided to an entire group of students, such as those in the same class or with the same disability.

15. Accommodations Are . . . • Changes to instructional materials, procedures, or techniques that allow a student with a disability to participate meaningfully in grade-level or course instruction; • Should be effective in allowing a student access to the TEKS; • Must be individualized for each student; • Intended to reduce the effect of a student’s disability; • Should be routinely used during classroom instruction and testing; • May be appropriate for classroom use but may not be appropriate or allowed for use on a statewide assessment; • Should be documented in the appropriate student paperwork; • Should be evaluated regularly to determine effectiveness.

16. Accommodations Are Not . . . • Necessary for every student; • Changes to the performance criteria of an assignment or assessment; • Changes to the content being assessed and should not replace the teaching of subject-specific knowledge and skills as outlined in the TEKS; • Should not be provided to an entire group of students; • Intended to provide a student with a disability an advantage; • Should not be provided to a student without evidence of effectiveness from year to year.

17. Using Accommodations on Statewide Assessments • Accommodations provided to students during classroom instruction and testing may differ from those allowed for use on statewide assessments; • Should not discourage the use of appropriate accommodations during instruction; • Opportunity to learn verses measuring mastery of state-mandated curriculum.

18. The Accommodation Triangle

19. Testing Accommodations • After determining the instructional accommodations that are effective for a student, determine whether the accommodation(s) are allowed on a statewide assessment. • The Accommodation Triangle organizes accommodations for students with disabilities by type in accordance with the specificity of the eligibility criteria and the need for TEA approval. • The accommodation type is recorded on the student’s answer document.

20. The Accommodation Triangle

21. Type 1 Accommodations 1 • Available to students who have a specific need; • For students who routinely, independently, and effectively use the accommodation during classroom instruction and testing; • It is not necessary to submit an Accommodation Request Form to TEA; • Examples include: • Individual or small-group administration • Reminders to stay on task • Amplification devices • Projection devices

22. Type 2 Accommodations 2 • Includes the requirements of Type 1, along with specific eligibility criteria; • It is not necessary to submit an Accommodation Request Form to TEA; • Examples include: • Spelling assistance • Math manipulatives • Calculation devices • Supplemental aids • Extra time • Large print • Dictionary

23. Defining “Routinely, Independently and Effectively” • Routinely -Used often enough that student is familiar and comfortable using accommodation on a statewide assessment -Not necessarily used every day • Independently -Only applicable to some accommodations (e.g., applies to use of a calculator but not to an oral administration) • Effectively -Accommodation meets student needs as evidenced by scores and observations with or without accommodation use

24. Type 3 Accommodations 3 • Requires the submission of an Accommodation Request Form to TEA; • Determined by the appropriate team at the campus level (e.g., ARD committee, Section 504 placement committee, RTI team, student assistance team); • Student must meet ALL eligibility criteria listed; • Examples include: • Transcribing • Photocopy • Extra Day

25. The Accommodation Triangle

27. Supplemental Aids Supplemental aids are paper-based resources that assist a student in recalling information. For a student who meets the eligibility criteria, this accommodation may be used on STAAR STAAR Spanish STAAR Modified STAAR L Description of Accommodation Assessments

28. A student may use this accommodation if he or she receives special education services, routinely, independently, and effectively uses this accommodation during classroom instruction and testing, and has a disability that affects memory retrieval, focus, or organization that is severe enough to prevent him or her from learning and retaining information as effectively as non-disabled peers despite multiple opportunities to learn, varied instructional strategies, and high-quality instruction. Student Eligibility Criteria

29. Eligibility Criteria Clarification If the eligibility criteria looks similar to this… …then the student must meet ALL of the criteria listed “and” means that ALL lines with a check box must be true Texas Education Agency January 25, 2012

30. Eligibility Criteria Clarification If the eligibility criteria looks like this Then the student must meet ALL of the first few bullets AND ONE of last few bullets. Texas Education Agency January 25, 2012

31. TEA 12/2011

33. Examples of Supplemental Aids • Only the following supplemental aids listed are allowed for eligible students: • Mnemonic Devices (all subjects) • Blank Graphic Organizers (all subjects) • Math Charts (mathematics) • Graphics & Pictorial Models (mathematics) • Grammar & Mechanics Rules (written composition) • Graphics (science / social studies) • No accommodation request form is required; • There is no special request process for additional supplemental aids.

34. Mnemonic Devices • Mnemonic devices may be used for ALL subjects. • A mnemonic device is a learning technique that assists with memory. Only mnemonic devices that are acronyms or phrases based on an acronym should be used. The subject-specific words that the mnemonic represents are NEVER allowed.

35. All Subjects: Mnemonic Devices KPCOFGS or King Philip Came Over For Good Spaghetti PEMDAS or Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally DMSB or Dad Mother Sister Brother TEA 12/2011

36. All Subjects: Mnemonic Devices Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family Genus Species Parentheses Exponents Multiplication Division Addition Subtraction Divide Multiply Subtract Bring down TEA 12/2011

37. Blank Graphic Organizers • Blank graphic organizers may be used for ALL subjects. • Blank graphic organizers should NEVER contain titles, words, labels, colors used as labels, pictures, acronyms, mnemonics, numbers, symbols, or variables.

38. All Subjects: Blank Graphic Organizers 1&2 Group 2 Group 1 TEA 12/2011

39. All Subjects: Blank Graphic Organizers TEA 12/2011

40. All Subjects: Blank Graphic Organizers G TEA 12/2011

41. Mathematics • Addition charts may be used. • The addition chart must be a grid used to find the sum, not a list of addition facts. Each axis may be numbered up to 9, but no higher than 9. Indicating special numbers (e.g., highlighting or circling even numbers within the body of the chart) is NEVER allowed.

42. Mathematics: Addition Charts 1 + 1 = 2 2 + 2 = 4 3 + 3 = 6 4 + 4 = 8 5 + 5 = 10 6 + 6 = 12 7 + 7 = 14 8 + 8 = 16 9 + 9 = 18 10 + 10 = 20 TEA 12/2011

43. Mathematics • Multiplication charts may be used. • The multiplication chart must be a grid used to find the product, not a list of multiplication facts. Each axis may be numbered up to 12, but no higher than 12. Indicating special numbers (e.g., highlighting or circling perfect squares within the body of the chart) is NEVER allowed.

44. Mathematics: Multiplication Charts 1 x 0 = 0 2 x 0 = 0 1 x 1 = 1 2 x 1 = 2 1 x 2 = 2 2 x 2 = 4 1 x 3 = 3 2 x 3 = 6 1 x 4 = 4 2 x 4 = 8 1 x 5 = 5 2 x 5 = 10 1 x 6 = 6 2 x 6 = 12 1 x 7 = 7 2 x 7 = 14 1 x 8 = 8 2 x 8 = 16 1 x 9 = 9 2 x 9 = 18 X X TEA 12/2011

45. Mathematics • A 100 chart may be used. • Indicating special numbers (e.g., highlighting or circling prime numbers within the body of the chart) is NEVER allowed.

46. Mathematics: 100 Chart TEA 12/2011

47. Mathematics • A place value chart may be used. • Words for place value labels and a decimal point are allowed only if they are grade-appropriate. Including numbers as specific examples is NEVER allowed.

48. Mathematics: Place Value Chart 7 1 . 2 TEA 12/2011

49. Mathematics • Pictorial models of fraction bars or fraction circles may be used. • The models may be labeled to show each individual fraction, but they should NEVER show equivalencies or a cumulative sequence.

50. Mathematics: Pictorial Models of Fractions TEA 12/2011