Accommodations

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• Accommodations
• Colorado Department of Education
• Exceptional Student Leadership Unit
• Dena Coggins

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Whats New and Exciting for this Yearfor
Accommodations

• Focused Ten Statewide Trainings
• What are accommodations and modifications?
• How do IEP teams determine appropriate
  accommodations?
• What considerations should be made when choosing
  and implementing accommodations during classroom
  instruction (The Five Step Process)?
• What accommodations are available for students
  with disabilities on the state assessments?
• What are nonstandard accommodations for
  assessment purposes?
• How are accommodations documented on the IEP?

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Whats New for Assessment Accommodations

• Statement regarding which accommodation to use
  for the reading/writing section of the
  assessment. (page 40)
• Cleaner language around students with short term
  illnesses/physical health issues. (page 41)
• Scribe issues and new restrictions (page 56)
• New accommodation Abacus (page 57)
• New language around Assistive Technology
  Accommodations (page 52)

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Identifiable Need

• Page 13 in the Manual
• An accommodation provided for a student with an
  identifiable need is very different than what
  happens in the classroom to ensure good
  instruction. Teachers always provide
  accommodations for students during instruction,
  for example a student does not finish their math
  problem so the teacher has the student stay in
  for recess to finish it. These types of
  situation are not really accommodations that
  level the playing field for students with an
  identifiable need but rather a best practice to
  ensure that the student understood how to
  complete the problem. This is very different
  than a student who has been evaluated as needing
  this accommodation to demonstrate what he/she
  know on a regular basis. For example, a student
  with a visual motor disability might need extra
  time finishing a math problem due to the need to
  process the information that is presented.

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What are Accommodation?

• Definition Accommodations are practices and
  procedures in the areas of presentation,
  response, setting, and timing/scheduling that
  provide equitable instructional and assessment
  access for students with disabilities.
• Accommodations reduce or eliminate the effects of
  a students disability and do not reduce learning
  expectations.

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What are Modifications?

• Definition Modifications are changing, or
  reducing learning or assessment expectations.
• Examples include
• Requiring a student to learn less material
• Reducing assignments so a student only needs to
  complete the easiest problems
• Revising assignments to make them easier
  (crossing out response items)
• Giving students hints or clues to guide them to a
  correct answer

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Accommodations vs. Modifications
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Determine the Appropriate Accommodations for both
Instruction and Assessment

• 5 Step Process
• Step 1 Expect students with disabilities to
  achieve grade level content
  standards
• Step 2 Learn about accommodations for
  instruction and assessment
• Step 3 Select accommodations for instruction
  and assessment for individual students
• Step 4 Administer accommodations during
  instruction and assessment
• Step 5 Evaluate and improve accommodations use
• From The Colorado Accommodations Manual

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Procedures for Accommodations on State Assessments

• Accommodations must be based upon individual
  student needs.
• Accommodations may not be based on a category of
  disability, or be specific to a program.
• Accommodations must be determined as the result
  of a formal evaluation conducted by the
  educational team who monitor and create the
  students formal education plan. The evaluation
  process and plan formulation must include the
  parent and student.

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Procedures for Accommodations on State Assessments

• Accommodations must be used regularly during
  assessment and instruction. They must be in place
  at least three months prior to the state wide
  assessment. Accommodations must not be introduced
  for the first time during state test
  administration.
• Accommodations must be documented in a formal
  education plan such as an IEP, 504, advanced
  learning plan, health care plan, intervention
  (RtI) plan, Individual learning plan (ILP), ELA
  Plan or another school or district formal
  education plan that is the result of a formal
  evaluation conducted by an educational team.

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Other Notes Regarding Assessment Accommodations

• Accommodations that do not require documentation
  on a state assessment data grid (outlined in
  Section 7) must still be documented as a need on
  the formal learning plan or another school or
  district document.
• A student may be allowed more than one
  accommodation. For example, a student who is
  administered the Oral Translation of CSAP may
  also require extra time.
• If more than one accommodation is used on the
  CSAP, only one accommodation bubble can be filled
  in on the student data grid.

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Visual Presentation Accommodations


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Tactile Presentation Accommodations

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Auditory Presentation Accommodations
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Multisensory Accommodations
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Response Accommodations
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Materials or Device Accommodations
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Setting Accommodations
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Timing Accommodations
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Large Print and Braille Accommodations

• Large print comes in an 18 point font type
• Braille comes in contracted and un-contracted
• Both large print and Braille must be ordered
  through the online enrollment process
• If you need large print that is larger than 18 pt
  that is done through the nonstandard
  accommodation process

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Teacher Read Directions and Oral Scripts

• These are secure materials
• Must be followed exactly as they are written
  using the same tone and inflection
• Must be administered in a separate environment,
  individually or in a small group
• For directions regarding repeating directions or
  answer choices please see the notes in the
  teacher read directions or the oral scripts.

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Extended Time

• Extended time does not mean unlimited time. It
  generally means time and a half. If a student
  will require time beyond that it will need to be
  documented in the formal plan the amount of time
  that the student will need
• It is understood that some accommodations will
  always take longer than time and a half such as
  Braille or oral scripts.
• This accommodations must be administered in a
  separate environment individually or in a small
  group with no more than 25 students

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Scribe

• This accommodation is only appropriate for
  students who are unable to write in the test
  booklet.
• Assistive technology must be considered and
  documented prior to determining the need for a
  scribe
• Students should be afforded a scribe throughout
  all content areas.
• The same scribe must be used for the entire
  section administered
• This accommodation must be administered
  individually in a separate setting

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What are Nonstandard Accommodations?

• Two Types for assessment purposes
• Approved nonstandard accommodations
• This is an accommodation that is not listed as a
  standard accommodation that may be available to
  students with disabilities.
• This type of accommodation is not approved until
  an application has been submitted to the state
  and has been deemed as approved.
• ,tracking devices, graph paper etc.
• Non-approved nonstandard accommodation
• These types of accommodations may be used on the
  assessments but they will result in a no score.
  The students test is ruled invalid.
• Examples the use of a calculator, teacher reads
  the reading assessment to the student etc.

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For More Information

• Colorado Accommodations Manual
• http//www.cde.state.co.us/cdeassess/publications.
  html