ACCOMMODATIONSSTAAR

STAAR Spanish STAAR Modified

STAAR L or TELPAS

Critical Information about Accommodations for Students with Disabilities

For the purposes of statewide testing, students needing accommodations due to a disability include◦ 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

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Critical Information about Accommodations for Students with Disabilities

Who makes decisions about accommodation use during statewide assessments for students with disabilities and where should the decisions be documented?

◦ Special education services: the ARD committee; IEP

◦ Section 504 services: the 504 placement committee; IAP

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Critical Information about Accommodations for Students with Disabilities

◦ No special education or Section 504 services: the appropriate team of people at the campus level; documentation determined at local level

Response to Intervention (RTI) team and student assistance team are just examples

This applies to a small group of students

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Optional Test Administration Procedures and Materials

Referred to as Related Testing Procedures

Includes some called testing accommodations in previous years

Available to any student who needs them

Use of these are not recorded on the student’s answer document

Authority for decision is the same as for accommodations

The CTC will need to know in order to plan for test days

Descriptions and guidelines for use included in document on Accommodations for SWD (Students with Disabilities) webpage and in test administrator manuals 5

Optional Test AdministrationProcedures and Materials

A student may use the following procedures and materials during the statewide assessments:

1. Procedures or materials to minimize distractions (e.g., stress ball, noise-reducing headphones)

2. Reading test aloud to self (e.g., reading into a voice-feedback device or voice recorder)

3. Signing or translating test administration directions

4. Reading assistance on grade 3 mathematics

If distracting to other students, an individual administration may be required.

5. Individual or small-group testing

6. Colored overlays7. Magnifying devices8. Place markers9. Highlighters or colored

pencils10. Preferential seating11. Scratch paper /

other workspace

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The Accommodation Triangle

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8http://www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/accommodations/staar-telpas/

AccommodationsAny Student* SpEd or 504 SpEd Only

Preferential Seating Calculators Math Manipulatives

Individual or Small Group

Dictionary Supplemental Aids

Signing or translating test directions

Oral Administration** includes students who do not receive services but are identified with dyslexia

Reading test aloud to selfScratch paperGr. 3 Reading Assistance (Math only)Minimize DistractionsColored OverlaysMagnifying DevicesBlank Place MarkersHighlighters/Colored pencils

9*Available to any student who needs them. Authority for this decision is the same as for accommodations.

More to come…

Calculation Devices Reminder

Gr. 3-8 math & science tests for STAAR, STAAR Spanish, STAAR Modified, STAAR L

Eligibility Criteria◦ Special education or Section 504◦ Routinely, independently, & effectively uses this

accommodation during classroom instruction and testing

◦ Gr. 3-4: physical disability that prevents student from writing or an impairment in vision that prevents student from seeing the numbers used in computations

◦ Gr. 5-8: meets one criteria from Gr. 3-4 or has a disability that affects math calculations (unable to memorize basic facts or perform steps in an algorithm)

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Calculation Devices Reminder

Required for STAAR, STAAR Modified, and STAAR L ◦ Algebra I◦ geometry◦ Biology

◦STAAR and STAAR L ◦ Algebra II◦ chemistry◦ physics

Not an accommodation for these tests 11

Calculation Devices Examples/TypesThis accommodation may ONLY include

◦Four-function calculator◦Scientific calculator◦Graphing calculator◦Large-key calculator◦Abacus or Cranmer modified abacus◦Audio-graphing calculator◦Speech output calculator

This is an exhaustive list. No other calculators are allowed.

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Dictionary ReminderGr. 3-5 reading tests for STAAR, STAAR

Spanish, STAAR ModifiedEligibility Criteria

◦Special education or Section 504◦Routinely, independently, & effectively…◦Disability that affects memory retrieval

and/or decoding skills

Required for STAAR and STAAR Modified gr. 6-8 reading, gr. 7 writing, English I & II; STAAR English III; not an accommodation

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Dictionary Examples/Types

This accommodation may ONLY include◦Standard/general dictionary in English (or

Spanish)◦Dictionary/thesaurus combo◦Electronic dictionary (no Internet access)◦Bilingual dictionary◦ESL dictionary◦Picture dictionary◦Sign language dictionary

This is an exhaustive list. No other dictionaries are allowed.

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Oral/Signed Administration

STAAR, STAAR Spanish, STAAR Modified, & STAAR L◦Test questions and answer choices for all math,

science, and social studies tests, including EOC

STAAR, STAAR Spanish, & STAAR Modified◦ Gr. 3-8 reading test questions and answer choices only;

NEVER the reading selections

◦ English I, II, III test questions and answer choices from the reading section; NEVER the reading selections; NEVER the revising & editing passages, questions, or answer choices; OK to read the writing prompt (more specific info to come)

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Oral/Signed Administration

Eligibility Criteria◦ Routinely and effectively…◦ Meets one of the following:

The student receives special education services and is identified with dyslexia or has evidence of reading difficulties

The student receives Section 504 services and is identified with dyslexia or has evidence of reading difficulties.

The student does not receive special education or Section 504 services but is identified with dyslexia.

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Oral Administration Examples/Types

TWO levels of reading support:◦ Reading parts of the test questions

and/or answer choices at student request◦ Reading all test questions and answer choices

throughout the test

Removed the level of “reading the test in its entirety” because reading selections can never be read aloud

For other subjects, all words in the test questions and answer choices can be read aloud

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Mathematics Manipulatives

STAAR, STAAR Spanish, STAAR Modified, STAAR L mathematics tests

Eligibility Criteria◦Special education only◦Routinely, independently, and effectively…◦Has a disability that affects memory retrieval, focus, or organization such that he or she cannot learn and retain information as effectively as non-disabled peers despite multiple opportunities to learn, varied instructional strategies, and high-quality instruction.

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Math Manipulatives Examples/TypesThis accommodation may ONLY

include◦ Real or play money◦ Clocks (instructional clocks, not a wall

clock)◦ Base-ten blocks◦ Counters◦ Algebra tiles◦ Fraction pieces◦ Geometric figures

This is an exhaustive list. No other manipulatives are allowed.

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Supplemental AidsSTAAR, STAAR Spanish, STAAR Modified,

STAAR LEligibility Criteria

◦ Special education only◦ Routinely, independently, & effectively…◦ Has a disability that affects memory

retrieval, focus, or organization such that he or she cannot learn and retain information as effectively as non-disabled peers despite multiple opportunities to learn, varied instructional strategies, and high-quality instruction.

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Supplemental Aids Examples/Types

This accommodation may ONLY include◦ All subjects: mnemonic devices, blank

graphic organizers◦ Math: addition & multiplication charts,100

chart, place value chart, pictorial models of fraction bars/circles & geometric figures

◦ Writing: grammar and mechanics rules◦ Science: graphics, formula triangles◦ Social studies: blank maps, timelines

This is an exhaustive list. No other supplemental aids are allowed.

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Want additional manipulatives and supplemental aids?

For the 2011-2012 school year, these lists represent what eligible students can use.

TEA will not accept ARFs for additional manipulatives or supplemental aids.

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Be Sure to Carefully Read…

This section provides detailed information that is integral to the appropriate use of each accommodation. For instance, the section may include test administration instructions, security precautions, and training requirements.

The intent of this section is to assist districts in making accommodation decisions. It will be updated as needed based on educator feedback. This section will not be included on all accommodations.

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Former Dyslexia Accommodations

The Dyslexia Bundled Accommodations were part of the TAKS program for reading grades 3 through 8.

The bundle of 3 accommodations does not exist for the STAAR program.

However, there are several accommodations that could be useful for a student with dyslexia.

Oral administration will now be expanded to include allowing the TA to read aloud the questions and answer choices from the reading tests to students who meet the eligibility criteria; the TA can never read aloud the reading selections. 24

Former Dyslexia Accommodations

Extra time to complete the test (until the end of the published school day) may be allowed if the student meets the eligibility criteria. Students identified with dyslexia will most likely be included in the eligibility criteria.

Having an extra day to complete the test is reserved for students with serious medical conditions or other unique and severe situations. Students identified with dyslexia will most likely NOT be included in the eligibility criteria.

(These policies have not yet been finalized.)

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Contact InformationCheck inside pisd for latest

updates and information

E-mailLori.perez@pisd.edu

Call x28847

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