PARCC Accessibility Features and Accommodations Manual Training

for Parents

Presented on November 20, 2014

Presented by the:

Office of Special Education and Student Services

Office of Shared Accountability

Office of Curriculum and Instructional Programs

Participant Outcomes

Participants will:

• Review of the PARCC Accessibility Features and Accommodations that will be available for the 1st Year of the Operational Assessments

• Review of the PARCC Personal Needs Profile (PNP)

• Review the alignment between the PARCC Accommodations policies and the current Maryland Accommodations policies

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PARCC Comprehensive Accessibility Policies [Section 2]

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Features for All Students

Accessibility Features*

Identified in advance

Accommodations**

* Available to all participating students**For students with disabilities, English learners, and English learners with disabilities

Accessibility Features for All Students

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Accessibility Features for All Students

Audio Amplification

Blank Paper (provided by test administrator)

Eliminate Answer Choices

Flag Items for Review

General Administration Directions Clarified (by test administrator)

General Administration Directions Read Aloud and Repeated (by test administrator)

Highlight Tool

Accessibility Features for All Students

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Accessibility Features for All Students

Headphones or Noise Buffers

Line Reader Tool

Magnification/Enlargement Device

NotePad

Pop-Up Glossary

Redirect Student to Test (by test administrator)

External Spell Checker Device

Writing Tools

Eliminate Answer Choices (practice test)

Line Reader (tutorial)

Magnification Device (tutorial)

Accessibility Features Identified in Advance

• Available to all students (i.e., not limited to students with IEPs, 504 plans, or English learners), but will be determined by school-based educators prior to the assessment, based on each student’s Personal Needs Profile (PNP).

• Based on each student’s individual needs, a PNP is created for the student to ensure that he or she receives appropriate access without the distraction of other tools and features that are notrequired by the student.

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Accessibility Features Identified in Advance

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Accessibility Features Identified in Advance

Answer Masking

Background/Font Color (Color Contrast)

Text-to-Speech for the Mathematics Assessments

Human Reader or Human Signer Online Mathematics Assessments

Answer Masking (tutorial)

Text-to-Speech for Mathematics (tutorial)

Accommodations for Students with Disabilities and English

Learners[Section 3]

• Provide equitable access during instruction and assessments;

• Mitigate the effects of a student’s disability;

• Do not reduce learning or achievement expectations;

• Do not change the construct being assessed; and

• Do not compromise the integrity or validity of the assessment.

Purpose of Accommodations

Accommodations for Students with Disabilities

[Section 3]

Presentation Accommodations

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Content Area Presentation Accommodations

ELA/Literacy

2i: Text-to-Speech

for the ELA/Literacy

2j: Screen Reader

Version for

ELA/Literacy

2k: ASL Video for

the ELA/Literacy

2l: Human

Reader/Human

Signer for the

ELA/Literacy

Text-to-Speech, Screen Reader Version , ASL Video or Human

Reader/Human Signer for the ELA/Literacy Assessments, including items,

response options, and passages

In making decisions whether to provide the student with this accommodation, IEP and 504 teams are instructed to consider whether the student has:

Blindness or a visual impairment and has not learned (or is unable to use) braille;

OR A disability that severely limits or prevents him/her from accessing printed text, even after varied and repeated attempts to teach the student to do so (e.g., student is unable to decode printed text **CHANGE**);

OR Deafness or a hearing impairment and is severely limited or prevented from decoding text due to a documented history of early and prolonged language deprivation

Presentation Accommodations

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Content Area Presentation Accommodations

ELA/Literacy

2i: Text-to-Speech

for the ELA/Literacy

2j: Screen Reader

Version for

ELA/Literacy

2k: ASL Video for

the ELA/Literacy

2l: Human

Reader/Human

Signer for the

ELA/Literacy

Text-to-Speech, Screen Reader Version , ASL Video or Human

Reader/Human Signer for the ELA/Literacy Assessments, including items,

response options, and passages

Before listing the accommodation in the student’s IEP or 504 plan, teams should also consider whether:

• The student has access to printed text during routine instruction through a reader or other spoken-text audio format, or signer;

• The student’s inability to decode printed text or read braille is documented in evaluation summaries from locally-administered diagnostic assessments; or

• The student receives ongoing, intensive instruction and/or interventions in the foundational reading skills to continue to attain the important college and career-ready skill of independent reading.

Note: PARCC will conduct additional research to provide PARCC states with

Appendix D: Text-to-Speech, Human Reader, or Interpreter

Accommodation for ELA/Literacy Assessments Individualized Education Program (IEP) or 504 Plan Decision-Making Tool

• PARCC has developed an IEP and 504 Decision-Making Tool for States Use.

• This decision-making tool is an optional tool that can be used to document the IEP or 504 team decision for a student’s participation in the ELA/literacy assessments for grades 3-11.

Let’s take a look at the tool!

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Response Accommodations

Updated Calculation Accommodation Policy**: Calculators may now be used on all non-calculator sections of the mathematics assessments. PARCC has removed the fluency Sub Claim E as a stand-alone claim of the PARCC assessments.

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Content Area Response Accommodations

Mathematics 3e: Calculation Device and Mathematics Tools(on Non-calculator Sessions of Mathematics Assessments)

In making decisions whether to provide the student with this accommodation, IEP and 504 teams should consider whether the student has:

• A disability that severely limits or prevents the student’s ability to perform basic calculations (i.e., single-digit addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division), even after varied and repeated attempts to teach the student to do so.

Timing and Scheduling Accommodations for Field Test

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Category Timing and Scheduling Accommodation

Timing & Scheduling 4a: Extended TimeStudents have until the end of the school day to complete a single test unit administered during the prescribed testing window.

It is recommended to test students with the extended time accommodation in a separate setting to minimize distractions to other students, and to schedule these students for testing in the morning to allow adequate time for completion of a test unit by the end of the school day.

Refer to the Test Administrator Manuals for additional information regarding test units and timing since teams will need to consider if the original timing of the assessment will meet the students’ needs.

Refer to Appendix E: Guidance for Selecting and Administering the Extended Time Accommodations.

Accommodations for English Learners

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KEY for Table 5:

Highly recommended for use by English learners at this ELP level

Recommended for use by English learners at this ELP level

May not be appropriate for students at this ELP level

Accommodations for English Learners

Accommodations for English Learners

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Content Area English Learner Accommodations

Both Content Areas 6a: Extended Time

Students have until the end of the school day to complete a single test unit administered during the prescribed testing window. It is recommended to test students with the extended time accommodation in a separate setting to minimize distractions to other students, and to schedule these students for testing in the morning to allow adequate time for completion of a test unit by the end of the school day.

Refer to the Test Administrator Manuals for additional information regarding test units and timing since teams will need to consider if the original timing of the assessment will meet the students’ needs.

Refer to Appendix E: Guidance for Selecting and Administering the Extended Time Accommodations.

Module 1: PARCC Assessments Overview

Questions and Closure

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