accessibility challenges on state assessments maer conference may 1, 2014

Accessibility Challenges on State Assessments

MAER Conference May 1, 2014

Online Testing

Goal of Assessment:

Provide every student with a positive and productive assessment experience, generating results that are a fair and accurate estimate of each student’s achievement.

Online Testing - Benefits Students offered “built-in” accessibility

features that don’t require an IEP/504 plan for usage Perhaps more student needs will be met?

Less paperwork for teachers, students to keep track of

No materials to inventory, monitor, return Adaptive testing individually tailored

test

Online Testing - Benefits More efficient scoring mechanism than

scanning

Quicker turnaround on reporting

Possible increased student engagement in testing process (interactive, customized)

Increased test security

Online Testing - Considerations Will tech-savvy children do better on online

assessments than those students less comfortable with technology? Perhaps increasing socio-economic digital

divide?

Are teachers feeling rushed to implement curricular changes?

What about students who are unable to take online assessments and must take paper/pencil assessments: equivalent?

Online Testing – SBAC Style Students may use their own assistive

technology devices on SBAC – IF they are certified

Manufacturers can submit their products for certification

http://certification.airast.org/

If the device works, it is considered certified, and is added to the list of devices that public can access




Online Testing – SBAC Style

Accessibility Terms:

Embedded/Non-Embedded

Universal Tools

Designated Supports

Accommodations


Embedded Part of the online delivery engine,

digitally-delivered

Non-Embedded Separate, outside of test delivery

engine


Universal Tools Available to all students

Designated Supports Available when indicated by an adult or

team

Accommodations Available only to those students with

documented need (IEP, 504 Plan)


Embedded Universal Tools Breaks

English dictionary

Global Notes

Highlighter

Keyboard Navigation

Zoom


Non-Embedded Universal

Tools Breaks

English dictionary

Scratch Paper

Thesaurus


Embedded Designated Supports

Color Contrast

Masking

Text-to-Speech

Translated Test Directions

Translations (stacked),

Turn off any Universal Tools


Non-Embedded Designated

Supports

Color Contrast

Color Overlay

Magnification

Read Aloud

Scribe


Embedded Accommodations American Sign Language

Braille

Closed Captioning

Text-to-Speech


Non-Embedded

Accommodations Abacus

Alternate Response Option

Print on Demand

Read Aloud (human reader)

Scribe

SBAC Accessibility

Online Testing – Michigan

Currently in process of selecting online test delivery engine

This engine may not have ALL the accessibility features SBAC specifies

All online state assessments will use this test delivery engine

Technology-enhanced Items (TE)

TE: Innovative features in several aspects of item presentation and construct measurement

Enhances the way that the item is presented

Enhances the way a student responds to the item

K-2 MI Interim Assessments

Kindergarten and 1st grade ELA and Mathematics items and passages are technology enabled (reader support)

All K/1 items are technology enhanced (innovative item types)

Majority of 2nd grade items are technology enhanced (less than 10% are traditional multiple choice questions)

K-2 MI Interim Assessments Color graphics

Human readers/audio Male and female

Larger font size than grades 3 and up

When appropriate, include “context” in item to increase interest and provide meaning

No scrolling

Additional K-2 Considerations Item stem needs to include direction

on what to do for the TE item type

Fine motor skills impact K-2 student performance on TE items

Use of mouse Hotspot size and location Precision

K-2 Technology Enhanced Item Types

Drag and drop Select text Select object Hotspot highlighting (color fill) Matching

Hotspot Highlighting (color fill) form of select object

Select Object

Select Object (text)

Drag and Drop with regenerating blocks

Drag and Drop

Drag and drop

Two step: Drag and drop, and Select object (numeral)

Two step: Drag and Drop Regenerating, then Select object (numeral)

Drag and drop multiple times

Matching, two clicks required, no dragging and dropping

SBAC Practice Item (drag/drop)

SBAC Practice Item (enter text)

Challenges of online-testing Students who are blind, have low

vision, or have motor impairments have difficulty with some item types typically used in computer-based testing.

ATEA – Accessibility of Technology-Enhanced Assessments

Students with vision impairments Students with motor impairments

Teacher Panel Feedback Drag and drop

Intuitive, motivating, and efficient for students without vision or motor impairments

Inaccessible to students who cannot see the screen or navigate with a mouse or touchscreen

Difficult to transcribe into Braille or Print

Difficult for text-to-speech screen readers

Teacher Panel Feedback Radio buttons

Many TE tasks can be transformed into radio button tasks

Preferred as long as radio buttons are large

Should work with tab and enter

Best for voice output and switch access

Teacher Panel Feedback Select text

Preferred for students with low vision

Can be printed and transcribed into Braille

May be accessible using text-to-speech screen readers

Accessible to 2-switch systems with tab and select keys

Accessible to single switch systems

Teacher Panel Feedback Sticky drop

better than drag and drop but still difficult for students with motor impairments

Venn diagrams inaccessible to blindmatrix format better

Teacher Panel Feedback Matching

would work on touch screen columns must be identified or labeled columns must be close enough to make

tracking easy Graphics

often cluttered and confusing online graphics too small color cues and highlighting must be

bright

Alternative to drag and drop

Alternative to drag and drop: click to select

Online Considerations

It is critical at all grade levels that all students be comfortable with technology in advance of the test

Learn how to use specific elements (item types, tools) that they will see on the test

Embed technology and accessibility features in classroom instruction

Accessibility Opportunities Sign up for GAAP research studies

Email me

Plan to participate in ATEA Field Tests scheduled for Fall 2014 Email me

Be a reviewer of test items for Bias and Sensitivity – Accessibility Issues committee participation application found at

bottom of page www.michigan.gov/baa or Email me

http://www.michigan.gov/baa

Accessibility Resources Universal Design for Learning

http://cast.org/ Assistive Technology

http://mits.cenmi.org/ American Printing House for the Blind, Inc.

http://www.aph.org/ Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium

http://www.smarterbalanced.org Division of Accountability Services


http://cast.org/

http://mits.cenmi.org/

http://www.aph.org/

http://www.smarterbalanced.org/


Contact information

Linda HowleyAccessibility SpecialistMichigan Department of EducationDivision of Accountability ServicesOffice of Standards and [email protected](517) 241-2525

mailto:[email protected]

accessibility challenges on state assessments maer conference may 1, 2014

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