Science ACCOMMODATIONS for Students with Disabilities Taking STAAR, STAAR Spanish, STAAR Modified, STAAR L, or TELPAS

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ScienceACCOMMODATIONSfor Students with
Disabilities Taking STAAR, STAAR Spanish, STAAR
Modified, STAAR L, or TELPAS

• Summarized by TISD Assessment Office from TETN
  Events 10416/10417
• October 13, 2011/November 18, 2011
• TEA Student Assessment Division

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Individual/Small Group
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Accommodation-Specific Policy

• For each type of accommodation, the following
  color-coded information is available through the
  links in the Accommodation Triangle
• Description of Accommodation
• Assessments on which it may be used
• Student Eligibility Criteria
• Authority for Decision and Required
  Documentation
• Examples/Types
• Special Instructions/Considerations
• Student Scenarios (if applicable)

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Supplemental Aids

• Description of Accommodation
• Supplemental aids are paper-based resources
  that assist a student in recalling information.
• Assessments
• STAAR, STAAR Spanish, STAAR Modified, STAAR L

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Supplemental Aids

• Student Eligibility Criteria
• Special education only
• Routinely, independently, effectively used
• Has a disability that affects memory retrieval,
  focus, or organization and is severe enough to
  prevent student from learning and retaining
  information as effectively as non-disabled peers
  despite multiple opportunities to learn, varied
  instructional strategies, and high-quality
  instruction.

10/13/2011 TETN 10416/11/18/11 10417 TEA
Student Assessment Division
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Supplemental Aids Examples/Types

• This accommodation may ONLY include
• Mnemonic devices, blank graphic organizers
• Graphics of scientific concepts WITHOUT titles,
  words, labels, acronyms, mnemonics, symbols, or
  variables. Colors are considered labels.
• Formula triangles representing relation-
• ships between variables may be used.
• Only formulas that appear on the appropriate
  state-supplied reference materials may be
  represented. The triangles may only include
  variables e.g., a triangle showing the
  relationship between mass, density, and volume
  can only contain the variables m, D, and V.
  Symbols for mathematical operations (e.g., x, )
  are NEVER allowed.

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Supplemental Aids Examples/Types

• This is an exhaustive list.
• No other supplemental aids are allowed.
• Be sure to read the complete accommodation policy
  for guidelines regarding labeling and other
  details on the Accommodations Triangle.

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Supplemental Aids

• Special Instructions/Considerations
• Be sure to read this section in the
  Accommodations Triangle for other related
  information and security requirements,

10/13/2011 TETN 10416/11/18/11 10417 TEA
Student Assessment Division
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Want additional supplemental aids?

• For the 2011-2012 school year, these lists
  represent what eligible students can use.
• TEA will not accept ARFs for additional
  supplemental aids.
• TEA encourages feedback from educators about
  supplemental aids that can be added to the lists
  for future years. This will be requested after
  spring testing.

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Calculation Devices

• Description of Accommodation
• This accommodation provides an alternate method
  of computation for a student who is unable to
  effectively use paper-and-pencil methods.
• Assessments
• STAAR Grades 5 and 8 science tests
• STAAR Spanish grade 5 science test
• STAAR Modified grades 5 and 8 science tests
• STAAR L grades 5 and 8 science tests

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Calculation Devices

• Student Eligibility Criteria
• Special education or Section 504
• Routinely, independently, effectively uses this
  accommodation during classroom instruction and
  testing
• Meets at least one of the following for the
  applicable grade (see next slide)

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Calculation Devices

• Student Eligibility Criteria continued
• Grades 5 and 8 The student has
• a physical disability that prevents student from
  independently writing the numbers required for
  computations and cannot effectively use other
  allowable materials to address this need (e.g.,
  whiteboard, graph paper).
• an impairment in vision that prevents student
  from seeing the numbers he/she has written during
  computations and cannot effectively use other
  allowable materials to address this need (e.g.,
  magnifier).
• has a disability that affects math calculations.
  Even after intensive instruction and remediation,
  the student is consistently unable to memorize
  basic addition, subtraction, multiplication, or
  division facts or perform the steps in an
  algorithm correctly when solving problems.

10/13/2011 TETN 10416/11/18/11 10417 TEA
Student Assessment Division
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Calculation Devices Reminder

• Required for STAAR, STAAR Modified, and STAAR L
  biology, and STAAR and STAAR L chemistry and
  physics.
• Not an accommodation for these tests

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Calculation Devices Examples/Types

• This 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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Oral/Signed Administration

• Description of Accommodation
• This accommodation allows a test administrator
  to provide reading support, through speech or
  signing, to a student with a disability.
• Assessments
• STAAR, STAAR Spanish, STAAR Modified, STAAR L
• Test questions and answer choices may be read
  aloud to eligible students for all science tests
  (grades 5 and 8, biology, chemistry and physics)

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Oral/Signed Administration

• Student Eligibility Criteria
• Routinely and effectively used
• Meets at least 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
• For science, all words in the test questions and
  answer choices can be read aloud including words
  in graphics such as tables, charts, graphs,
• diagrams, photographs, etc.)

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Oral Administration

• Special Instructions/Considerations
• Be sure to read this section in the
  Accommodations Triangle for test administrator
  training requirements and responsibilities

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Additional Resources

• TEA Accommodations Web Page
• http//www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/acco
  mmodations/staar-telpas/
• TISD SharePoint Assessment Page
• http//tisdsp01/curriculum/staffsupport/assessment
  /SitePages/Home.aspx
• TISD Assessment Office, Special Education Office,
  Science Curriculum Coordinator and Facilitators