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DeSSA Accessibility Guidelines Online Training, 2014-2015

English Language Learners

Helen Dennis – Office of AssessmentSarah Celestin – Exceptional Children (Special Education)

Terry Richard – Exceptional Children (ELL/Migrant)October 2014

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Purpose of the Accessibility Guidelines Training Session

Become familiar with:• Smarter Accommodations and Supports• DCAS Accommodations• DCAS ALT 1 Accommodations• Differences/similarities between DCAS/Smarter

Accommodations• Policies, expectations, and timelines related to

assessment accommodations and supports• Forms and Databases

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DeSSA Accessibility Guidelines

This document provides guidelines for making decisions about the inclusion in assessments of • students with disabilities (SWD), • English language learners (ELL), • students who are classified as both (SWD/ELL);• “General Ed Students With Supports,”

(students not identified as SWD or ELL that may be provided supports during assessments)

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What is DeSSA?

• Delaware• System of• Student• Assessments

• Includes Smarter, DCAS, DCAS ALT 1, SAT/PSAT, ACCESS/ALT ACCESS, NAEP

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Assessments Covered by Guidelines

• Smarter (ELA/Math)– Accommodations and Supports

• DCAS (Science/Social)– Accommodations

• High School End-of-Course (Math/History)– Accommodations

• DCAS ALT-1 (ELA/Math/Science/Social)– Accommodations

• ACCESS & ACCESS ALT (English Language Acquisition)– Accommodations

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Different tests, different purpose, different accommodations

DeSSA covers a variety of tests with a variety of purposes:• DCAS/Smarter – measures content knowledge/skills based

on standards• DCAS—ALT 1– measures content knowledge/skills based on

extended standards• ACCESS, ACCESS ALT – measure language proficiency• SAT/PSAT – measure college readiness

Accommodations may change based on the purposes and the constructs of the tests.

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Smarter

• Content Areas:– ELA: Items measuring reading, listening, writing,

research– Mathematics

• Accommodations and Supports for SWDs• Supports for ELLs and Gen Ed students receiving

supports• Universal tools for all

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Smarter

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What are Smarter “Designated Supports?”

• Another name for an accessibility feature of the test that is available to selected groups– Available to more student-types than Smarter Accommodations

• ELL, SWD, 504, Gen Ed

– Might be called accommodations on another test (i.e. DCAS)– Might be called universal tools on another test– Include ELL related features

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What are the Available Supports?

Embedded• 3.01 Color contrast (on-

screen) • 3.02 Masking• 3.03 Text-to-speech for items • 3.04 Translated test

directions • 3.05 Translations (glossaries) • 3.06 Spanish Translations

(stacked) • 3.07 Turn off any universal

tools

Non-Embedded• 4.01 Bilingual dictionary • 4.02 Color Contrast (printed) • 4.03 Color overlays • 4.04 Magnification • 4.05 Human Reader - items • 4.06 Scribe • 4.07 Separate Setting • 4.08 Translations (glossaries) • 4.09 Translated test directions • 4.10 Paper/Pencil• 4.11 Noise Buffers

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What are Universal Tools?

• Accessibility feature available to all students– No need to select prior to test– Student selects independently/spontaneously during the test

• Smarter Balanced Module on Embedded Universal Tools and Online Features :– Narrated module: https://

docs.google.com/file/d/0B9nrTDov_T0zaTUtLXhrYnRLZWs/edit?pli=1

– Non-narrated module: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B9nrTDov_T0zcXAxQWs5T29iZms/edit?pli=1

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Smarter – DCAS Crosswalk

http://www.doe.k12.de.us/assessment/files/Accoms_Crosswalk_DCAS-SBAC.pdf

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Supports for Limited English Language Proficiency

DCAS Science/Social Studies and EOC Math/History

Smarter ELA/Math

Text to Speech – Test Questions

Available Available for ELA & Math (Including ELA PT passages).

Human Reader – Test Questions

Available Available for ELA & Math (including ELA PT passages).

Text to Speech – Reading Passages

Not Applicable Not Available*

Human Reader – Reading Passages

Not Applicable Not Available*

* Except to ELLS with and IEP or 504• We expect Smarter to announce that TTS to be available in Spanish for spring 2015.

SmarterText-to-Speech/Human Reader for

ELLs and Gen Ed with SupportsQuestions/Items Passages

Embedded (TTS)

Grades 3-5 Available Not programmed

Grades 6-8 Available Not Available*

Non-Embedded (Human Reader)

Grades 3-5 Available Not Available*

Grades 6-8 Available Not Available*

*Unless student is also a student with an IEP or a 504 plan.

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Language Translation SupportsDCAS Science/Social Studies and EOC Math/History

Smarter ELA/Math

Full Spanish Translation – Stacked (online)

Available Available for Math only (not permitted for ELA)

Full translation in Other Languages (besides Spanish)

Human Interpreter/Translator

Not available. Human Interpreter/Translator NOT PERMITTED.

Print Glossary or word to word dictionary

Permitted in Print. Selected by school.

Available from Smarter in 10 languages. Use of non-smarter-produced glossary not permitted. For MATH only.

Translations (Glossaries) Embedded. Online glossary or word-to-word dictionary

Not available Available for 10 languages with audio. For MATH only.

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Translated Glossaries & Full Translations

• Following languages are listed in the Smarter Accommodation & Supports “Frequently Asked Questions”

• Full translation for Spanish (“stacked” with English )• Math only (not ELA)

Vietnamese

Arabic

Tagalog

Ilokano

Cantonese

Mandarin

Korean

Punjabi

Russian

Ukrainian

Smarter Supports for ELL Students: Dictionaries

Bilingual (Translated) English only – gives meaning in English for an English word

Embedded See “glossary, embedded, bilingual” (next slide)

English Language Dictionary

Category: Universal ToolAvailable to: EveryoneMode: OnlineSubject: ELA Performance Task

Non-Embedded Bilingual Dictionary (Print)

Category: Designated SupportAvailable to: ELLs & identified othersMode: printSubject: ELA Performance Task

English Language Dictionary

Category: Universal ToolAvailable to: EveryoneMode: OnlineSubject: ELA Performance Task

When and to whom are dictionaries available?

Smarter Supports for ELL Students: GlossariesBilingual (Translated word to word, no definitions)

English – gives meaning in English for an English word

Embedded (online)

Bilingual Glossary Category: Designated SupportAvailable to: ELLs & identified othersMode: OnlineSubject: Math

How it Works: Translations for these terms appear on screen when students click on them. Students can also select the audio icon next to the glossary term and listen to the audio recording of the glossary.

English GlossaryCategory: Universal ToolAvailable to: EveryoneMode: OnlineSubject: Math and ELA

How it Works: Via pop-up window, grade and context-appropriate definitions of specific construct-irrelevant terms are shown in English on the screen. Student can access the embedded glossary by clicking on any of the pre-selected terms.

Non-Embedded (not online)

See Bilingual Dictionary (Non-Embedded)

N/A

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DCAS

• Science and Social Studies only • Same accommodation policy as previous years– Accommodations only (No Supports)– Formally identified students only• ELL (English language learners)• SWD (students with disabilities)

• Universal design features for all

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DCAS ALT-1

• Alternate test for students with significant cognitive disabilities

• Reading, Math, Science, Social Studies• Participation Guidelines– Increasing number of ELLs documented with significant

cognitive disabilities• 2014-15: For the first time, DOE will track some

accommodations in the Assessment Accommodations Database

• Test Characteristics Profile

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Accommodations & Supports Timeline for General Assessments

• When can I plan accommodations & supports?– Any time before the assessment.

• When can I enter accommodations & supports?– Between test windows– during the planned test window, prior to testing– With 3 days prior to testing, (number specified in DeSSA Test

Administrator Training)– Do not enter accommodations for 2015-16 before spring 2015 window

closes (June 4). • When should the student start using the accommodation &

supports?– In the classroom – as soon as it can benefit the student– On the test –

• after the student becomes proficient in the accom or support• after it is showing in the TIDE database

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Accommodations & Supports in Classroom and Assessment

Smarter Accommod-

ations & Supports

DCAS Accommodations

and supports

Classroom Accoms and Supports

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Accommodations Form

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Accommodations Listings/Forms• Smarter Example

Recently-Arrived ELL/Immigrants

• Recently arrived LEP student: an LEP student who has attended schools in the United States for less than 12 months.

• During his/her first 12 months attending schools in the U.S., a State may exempt such a student from one administration of the State’s reading/language arts assessment.

• For purposes of participation in a State's assessment system, recently arrived LEP students must take an English proficiency assessment – (no exemption from ACCESS, ALT ACCESS)

ELL Exemptions From Smarter Reading or DCAS ALT 1 Reading

• Accom 9.01 (from Smarter Reading) or Accom 901 (from DCAS ALT 1)• Student must be formally identified as ELL and immigrant• Student is Not enrolled in U.S. schools for a 90 day period or longer

(excluding June, July, August). The 90 days must occur between Sept 1 – May 30 to qualify the student as immigrant.

• Student is Not FEP• Student has been entered into ELL 2.0 by school• Student’s most recent immigration date has been entered into ELL 2.0

by school • Exemption lasts 12 months.• If student’s 12 months expires during the spring test window, then the

student must test during the window. – It does not matter when the student tests in the window, as long as

the student tests

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Accommodations for ELLS taking the Alternate Assessment

DCAS ALT 1

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DCA ALT 1 Accommodations Tracking Overview

• Substitution or Presentation of response cards• Large Print• Magnification• ASL• Braille & tactile graphics• ELL-related accommodations– Translator/interpreter items– Translator/interpreter reading passages– Translation of construct-irrelevant words– Definition of construct-irrelevant words

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Accommodations on the English Language Proficiency Assessments

• ACCESS, ALT ACCESS• Refer to pages 59-68 of the DeSSA Accommodations

forms. • Take the WIDA training in winter/spring• Select accommodations for SWD/ELLs on ACCESS

with an understanding of the purpose of ACCESS test– NOT the same purpose as Smarter Reading and DCAS

ALT-1 Reading.– Probably different accommodations selected for different

purposes

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Switching between General and Alternate Assessments

• Document the decision to switch BEFORE the opening of the Spring Window

• After you administer a spring test, it is too late to switch tests.

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Technical

Assessment Accommodations Database

• Access Via IMS

• Contains Accommodations and Supports for – Students with Disabilities (IEP, 504)– ELLs– Gen Ed with Supports

• Enter, List, or Report Accommodations and Supports• Data for AIR TIDE (Test Information Distribution

Engine) is extracted from it

Opening Screen (“Search” Screen)

Students with IEP’s

Search Results Screen

Edit, View

Student-Related Reports

Currently-DCAS only

Report Results Screen

Save, Print

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Help! None of Our Reading Accommodations “Rolled Up”

• Accommodations could not be rolled up from DCAS reading to Smarter ELA. They are too different.– The list of accommodations & supports are permitted;– The rules about who can have which accommodations & supports.

• Schools must enter all Smarter ELA accommodations and supports. – Use the crosswalk from last spring’s field test – determine what accommodations and supports offered on Smarter ELA are

similar to DCAS Reading Accommodations.• Schools must also enter all Smarter math accommodations and

supports. – The only math accommodations in the system are DCAS math

accommodations. – Math rolled up because High School End of Course Algebra II and Integrated

Math III tests are still being offered.

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Smarter Reset Policy

• Different from previous DCAS Reset Policy• If student answered 6 or more items, no reset will be

granted. – If the test was administered incorrectly (i.e., the wrong

accommodations were provided), the test will be invalidated, and the student will not get another opportunity to test.

• If the student answered fewer than 6 items, a reset can be granted. – If the test was administered incorrectly, the test reset will give

you another chance to administer the test correctly.• DCAS/EOC will adopt the new Smarter reset policy.

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AIR TIDE

• In 2014-15, TIDE will contain all information related to – Smarter ELA/Math– DCAS Science/Social Studies– EOC Alg II/IM III, US History– DCAS ALT 1 ELA/Math/Science/Social Studies

• Student will have one record in TIDE that has the info for all his/her tests

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Paper/Pencil (incl. Braille p/p)

• Support 4.10

• Available for Spring 2015 (not yet official)– Intended for schools nationally that do not have

adequate internet access

• Use of “Print on Demand” is preferred• Paper/Pencil flag in eSchool or add support in

database for identified Gen Ed with Supports

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Future Updates to 2014-15 Accessibility Guidelines

• Additional updates and clarifications are likely between now and spring 2015 testing

• Look out on DOE website and DCAS Portal – Updates memo– Updated Accommodations form

• Expected future updates– Announcement regarding Spanish TTS

• DOE Training on how to use the Assessment Accommodations Database

• Smarter module on universal tools

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Upcoming Training

• Additional Accessibility Guidelines training for DCAS--ALT 1 coordinators and test administrators

• DOE Training on how to use the Assessment Accommodations Database

• Smarter module on universal tools• DCAS ALT 1 Online Update Training• DCAS ALT 1 Face to Face training for new TAs

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Questions

• Sarah Celestin – Students with Disabilitieso 302-735-4210o Sarah.Celestin@doe.k12.de.us

• Terry Richard – English Language Learnerso 302-735-4210o Terry.Richard@doe.k12.de.us

• Helen Dennis – Office of Assessmento 302-735-4090o Helen.Dennis@doe.k12.de.us