Reasonable adjustment in assessments for learners with SpLD - what does the future hold?Abi James

University of Southampton

BDA NTC

Reasonable adjustments

“Where a disabled person is at a substantial disadvantage in comparison with people who are not disabled, there is a duty to take reasonable steps to remove that disadvantage by (i) changing provisions, criteria or practices, (ii) altering, removing or providing a reasonable alternative means of avoiding physical features and (iii) providing auxiliary aids”

Equality and Human Rights Commissionhttp://www.equalityhumanrights.com/private-and-public-sector-guidance/guidance-all/glossary-terms

Principles for making reasonable adjustments for awarding bodies

Reasonable adjustments are available to candidates with a disabilities but adjustments to assessments: • should not invalidate the assessment requirements of the

qualification; • should not give the candidate an unfair advantage; • should reflect the candidate’s normal way of working; • should be based on the individual needs of the candidate

Equality Act, Disability & SpLDsConsider…• Is everyone with a Specific Learning Difficulty disabled?

• Does a Specific Learning Difficulty have a ‘substantial’ and ‘long-term’ effect on an individual?

• Do Specific Learning Difficulties impact an individual’s daily tasks?

Probably but not necessarilyEducation providers & qualification providers may have an anticipatory equality duty

SpLDs are neurological and independent of intelligence

1. People whose overall level of intellectual and language functioning is such as to predispose them towards finding the acquisition of literacy, numeracy, learning and work-related skills difficult: that is, people who have problems learning most things.

2. People whose intellectual and language functioning is at an average or better than average level, but who have specific areas of cognitive weakness that undermine their acquisition of some skills.

(2) Is the dyslexia group

McLoughlin, David; Leather, Carol (2013-02-14). The Dyslexic Adult: Interventions and Outcomes - An Evidence-based Approach

Different philosophies to “substantial disadvantage”

• Schools– Establish if there is a significant difference from the

average expected performance. – No account of the individual’s potential performance

• Higher Education– Establish if there is a significant difference from the

individual’s expected performance. – No linked to average expected performance

What evidence of substantive impairment is required?

• Standardised scores for speed scores

• Usual way of working

School (JCQ regulations)

• Diagnosis of SpLD after age 16 following SASC guidelines

Higher Education

• Positive screening or previous diagnosis sufficient for claiming Access to Work Support

Workplace

Vocational & professional assessments?

For example…• Student A has poor handwriting and uses a word

processor for assignments For A-levels able to use a word processor as it

is their usual way of working At university must hand write as they are not

disabled Student B is diagnosed with dyslexia at age 14

but standard scores are not be 81. Did not receive extra time at GCSE or A-level At university is able to request extra time

through disability officer

Adjustments to assessments:

• Should not invalidate the assessment requirements of the qualification;

• Should not give the candidate an unfair advantage;

Detailed assessment criteria are keye.g. SPAG requirements in GCSEs

Reasonable adjustment in practical exams

Christopher Hope, Chief Political Correspondent, Daily Telegraph:

“ I complained to the ISTD, who made it clear that “reasonable adjustments” could be made – such as allowing more time or extra lighting – but essentially the challenge of the test could not be amended.”

Spanish exam example• A student with low vision uses

text to speech to help with reading a proof reading.

• Requests use of Spanish text to speech in an exam to assess reading and spelling

• Spanish is phonetically regular. Therefore spelling errors easily identified and corrected using speech

• Student is allowed to use English text to speech only as spelling is part of the assessment criteria

Traditional assessments…

“…tend to measure things that teachers aren't trying to measure (visual acuity, decoding ability, typing ability, motivation), thus confounding the results and leading us to make inaccurate inferences about students’ learning”

Rose & Meyer (2002)

Universal Design for Learning, UDL

Applying universal design principles to learning, including assessment

www.udlcenter.org

UK – limited awareness, referred to as “Inclusive design for learning”

Universal Design for Assessment (UDA)Designed and developed from the beginning:

• To allow participation of the widest possible range of students

• To result in valid inferences about performance for all students who participate in the assessment.– Inclusive Assessment Population– Precisely Defined Constructs– Accessible, Non-Biased Item– Amendable to Accommodations– Simple, Clear, and Intuitive Instructions and Procedures– Maximum Readability and Comprehensibility– Maximum Legibility

http://www.cehd.umn.edu/NCEO/onlinepubs/synthesis44.html

Dyslexia Friendly Assessment• Inclusive Assessment Population: • Precisely Defined Constructs• Accessible, Non-Biased Item: • Amendable to Accommodations:• Simple, Clear, and Intuitive Instructions

and Procedures: Maximum Readability and Comprehensibility:

• Maximum Legibility

Computer based assessment

Computer-Based Assessment & Accessibility

• Computer-based testing can be more accessible but can just as easily present more barriers

• They must:– be compatible with assistive technology & follow

accessibility stands (e.g. colour contrast)– allow for accommodations (e.g. additional time)– enable candidates to apply usual coping strategies (e.g.

enabling answers to be reviewed and proofed)• Universal design principles and accessibility requirements

must be included in design/procurement stages

Computer-Based Assessment & Accessibility

• Flash-based assessments usually not accessible and not adaptable. E.g.

– Not compatible with text to speech

– Timing can not be altered

• But solutions available:

– Built-in accessibility tools e.g. read aloud button, colour options

– Adaptive testing with accessible question banks

“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” 

Albert Einstein

http://www.joebower.org/2011/08/

Contact details

Abi Jamesa.james@soton.ac.ukhttps://access.ecs.soton.ac.uk/ATbar: www.atbar.org STEMReader: www.stemreader.org.uk