monitoring accommodations in south dakota linda turner special education programs

Monitoring Accommodations in South Dakota

Linda Turner

Special Education Programs

Accommodation Practices in PlacePrior to Peer Review

• IEP Technical Manual– Directions on selecting and documenting

assessments and accommodations

• Special Education onsite monitoring– Documentation of accommodations on IEP– Appropriate accommodations for students

Accommodation Practices Developed During Peer Review

• Accommodations Manual – Adopted from CCSSO template– Train the Trainer model

• 29 Trainers• 21 workshops held, 850 participants

• Flowchart for Assessment Determination– Decisions on assessment and need for

accommodations

Accommodation Issues from Peer Review

• Peer review Fall 2005– A plan for conducting reliability studies for the

scores of subpopulations and studies related to accommodated test situations to ensure that they are instructionally appropriate and that the scores yield valid and reliable results

Accommodation Issues from Peer Review

• Peer Review Spring 2006– Results of studies or a concrete plan and

timeline for student accommodations that examine the degree to which the IEP and the accommodations are congruent

South Dakota’s Journey

• Based on accommodations issues:– RFP issued to conduct Accommodation study

• Study to answer:– Evaluate the congruency among the accommodations

received during assessment to those identified on the IEP for assessment and instruction

– Evaluate the congruency among the accommodations identified on students’ IEPs for instruction and assessment


• Collection of Evidence for study– Online survey

• Conducted K-12 on student instructional accommodations documented on IEP

• Stratified sample selected from grades 3-8 & 11

– Accommodation demographic information from statewide assessment

– Student IEP’s• Stratified sample selected from previous sample• Used as a validity check for online survey and demographic

information collected


• Study results– High level of congruence overall

• 93% math• 92% reading

– Specific accommodations and disability categories with low congruence

• Ex. read aloud accommodations, high number of students received it for assessment but not instruction


• Test administration training and materials updated– List of “accessibility options” available to all

students – Test security agreement/affidavit includes

provision and documentation of accommodations


• Test Security Agreement/Affidavit


• Revision of Special Education Monitoring– Review team monitors IEP’s for

• Accommodations documented appropriately• Assessment determination matches

accommodation selection

– Expanded to include• Disability and needs support accommodations• Assessment accommodations have been used for

instruction• Assessment accommodations were provided


• Revision of Special Education Monitoring– Districts selected for monitoring based on

State Performance Plan data– All districts selected include the

accommodation review– Ensure all districts will be reviewed in a 5 year

period


• Special Education Monitoring– Districts found out of compliance place on an

improvement plan• Review current policy/procedure to determine why

discrepancies are occurring• Develop a process for the documentation and provision of

accommodations for state assessments• Staff training on the procedures/process by Accommodations

Trainer.• Implement procedures and collect data to verify • Analyze data


• Revision of Onsite Testing Visits– Visits included

• Verification of the process to track accommodation needs

• Process by which staff is informed of accommodations

– Expanded to include• Collection of randomly selected IEPs and 504

plans– Verification of individual student accommodations– Classroom visits if testing during visit


• Revision of Onsite Testing Visits– Plans collected will be used for verification

checks against demographic accommodation information from testing

– Districts can be flagged for special education review

– Sanctions followed as appropriate


• Submitting final evidence of for accommodation provision in June

• State has been receiving technical assistance in cooperation with federal DOE

• Developed a timeline and implementation plan with federal DOE

• Final approval expected

monitoring accommodations in south dakota linda turner special education programs

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