Assessment Accommodations for Students with Disabilities Fiarness, appropriateness, and validity of scores
Definition Assessment accommodations= Changes in the standard assessment procedures used to minimize the impact of student characteristics that are irrelevant to the construct being measured (i.e. hearing, sight, speech, language, or motor impediments) The goal of accommodations is to provide the most accurate measure of the construct itself Modification = changes to the content of instruction or assessment to address disability (e.g., omitting all story problems)
Major Legislation that Impacts the Assessment of Students with Disabilities Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)= Requires public schools to provide students with disabilities a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE), and was reauthorized as IDEA in 1997 Greatest impact is that schools must provide necessary services to students with disabilities whenever appropriate Also advocates for inclusion, which is the teaching of students with disabilities alongside their general education peers with full attention to the integration of students with disability in instruction
IDEA Continued Students must also be provided an Individual Education Program (IEP), which is generally written by a specialized committee and reviewed as necessary This committee may involve specialists, professionals, regular teachers, and even students when appropriate
IDEA Categories of Disabilities Learning disabilities Communicational disabilities Intellectual disabilities Emotional disturbance Other Health Impairments Multiple disabilities Hearing disabilities Orthopedic disabilities Autism Vision Disabilities Traumatic Brain Injury Developmental Delay
Section 504 Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973= Prohibits discrimination against an individual with a disability in any agency or program that receives federal funds This therefore applies to state and local education agencies Under 504, an individual with a disability is defined as anyone with a physical or mental disability that substantially limits one or more life activities Some students may not qualify for services under IDEA, but still qualify under Section 504
The Rationale for Assessment Accommodations The goal is to allow students with disabilities to obtain more valid scores (i.e., scores that reflect the construct being measured) Fairness to all parties is the central issue when considering assessment accommodations
When Are Accommodations NOT Appropriate or Necessary? 1. If the affected ability is directly relevant to the construct being measured 2. If the purpose of the test is to assess the presence and degree of the disability 3. Depending on the disability of the student Students may require accommodations on one test but not another
Strategies for Accommodations Changes in the presentation format= changing the medium or format used to present the directions, items, or tasks to the student i.e. using large print letters, reading the test aloud, or altering the number of items that appear on a page Changes in response format= Allowing students to respond with their preferred method of communication i.e. giving answers via oral response, sign language, or having an aide scribe
Strategies for Accommodations Changes in timing= Changing the duration of time during which the test is administered i.e. extended time 50% additional time is usually adequate for students with disabilities Changes in setting= Allowing students to be tested in a setting that will enable them to perform at their best i.e. administering the test in a small group of individualized setting, or in a different room
Strategies for Accommodations Adaptive devices and supports= Allowing students to use technology or devices that help minimize the effects of their disability i.e. hearing aids, visual aids, calculators, or reference materials
Strategies for Modifications Using only a portion of a test= Involves deleting certain subtests or parts of a test that may be inappropriate for a student with a disability For a student with visual impairment, this might be deleting a portion of a test that requires them to reference graphs or picture cues Using alternate assessments may also be necessary
Determining What Accommodations and modifications to Provide Rely on the professional judgment of yourself and others involved in the student s education Accommodations should be: Tailored to meet the specific needs of individual students Similar to ones they routinely receive in their classroom instruction Able to promote the independent functioning of the student Periodically reevaluated as the needs of the student change
Reporting Results of Accomodated Assessments There is some debate over whether reporting results with nonstandard administration flags that denote that accommodations were given during the test are discriminatory or useful to the interpreter If the accommodations used make the results of the test differ significantly from those of students who did not receive accommodations, then it should be noted; all other extraneous information should not be reported When permissible by law, the exact form of accommodations given should be reported