ARD Committee DecisionMaking Process and Accommodations Manual Training

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ARD Committee Decision-Making Process and
Accommodations Manual Training

• Fall 2008

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The Equalizer
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Accommodations

• Practices and procedures in the areas of
  presentation, response, setting, and
  timing/scheduling that provide equitable access
  during instruction and assessment for students
  with disabilities
• Intended to reduce or eliminate the effects of
  the disability
• Does not change the student expectation (TEKS)
• Is a civil right

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Modifications

• A change in student expectations (TEKS)
• A change in instructional level
• A significant change or reduction made to the
  general education curriculum (TEKS)
• May have unintended consequence of reducing the
  students opportunity to learn critical content
• Is an educational right

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Numbered Heads Together

• The group members number off.
• The presenter shares the example.
• The group members put their heads together to
  discuss the answer.
• A group member records the answer on the white
  board.
• The presenter spins the spinner, and one member
  of the group reports out.

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Which Concept?

• On a test, students write about characteristics
  that allow members within a species to survive
  and reproduce (Science TEKS). One student with a
  disability is allowed to tell the answer orally.
  Another is allowed to draw and label with sparse
  text. Another arranges a series of pictures
  provided by a teacher and orally explains the
  characteristics.
• Accommodation Other Method of Response

pp. 25-36 Accommodations Manual
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Which Concept?

• Students in a seventh grade classroom are writing
  to entertain by composing a humorous short story
  for a test grade (ELA TEKS). A student with a
  disability uses a graphic organizer visual prompt
  and spell checker when writing.
• Accommodation Blank Graphic Organizer and
  Spelling Assistance

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Which Concept?

• Two students with disabilities in a geometry
  classroom work on identifying solids while other
  members of the class find surface areas and
  volumes of solids in problem solving situations.
  (Math TEKS find surface areas and volumes of
  prisms, pyramids, spheres, cones, cylinders, and
  composites of these figures in problem situations
  )
• Modification

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Which Concept?

• A student is taking a history exam that covers
  the U.S. involvement in WWI. The entire test is
  read to him.
• Accommodation Oral Administration for
  Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies

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Which Concept?

• A student with a visual impairment reads from her
  science and social studies textbooks using an
  eyeglass-mounted magnifier.
• Accommodation Magnifying or Low-Vision Devices

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Which Concept?

• A student creates a journal page that shows the
  order of operations using the sentence, Please
  Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally and the associated
  explanation Parenthesis, Exponents, Multiply,
  Divide, Add, Subtract. She uses this information
  when completing assignments and on tests.
• Accommodation Supplemental Aids

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Which Concept?

• Students in a third grade math class are using
  fraction names and symbols to describe fractional
  parts of whole objects and sets of objects (Math
  TEKS). A student with a disability practices
  filling measuring cups and activates one of two
  BigMacks with pictures attached .
• Modification

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Which Concept?

• When completing independent work and tests, a
  student uses base ten blocks to add and subtract
  to solve problems.
• Accommodation Manipulatives

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Which Concept?

• A students work is sectioned-off with paper
  clips. Each time the student reaches a paper clip
  in his work or on his test, he takes a break from
  the task.
• Accommodation Multiple or Frequent Breaks

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Our Students Grow Up
Next?
Grades 9-12
Age 18
Grades 6-8
Grades 3-5
Grades K-2
3-5 years old
Faster than We Realize.
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4 Main Types of Accommodations

• Presentation
• Allow students to access information in
  alternate formats other than regular print
• Auditory
• Multi-sensory
• Tactile
• Visual

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4 Main Types of Accommodations

• Response
• Allow students to complete activities,
  assignments, and assessments using methods other
  than paper-pencil or machine-scorable responses
• Includes allowing students to solve or organize
  problems using supplemental aids

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4 Main Types of Accommodations

• Setting
• Change the location in which a test or assignment
  is given or the conditions of the assessment
  setting

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4 Main Types of Accommodations

• Timing and Scheduling
• Increase the standard length of time to complete
  an assignment or assessment or possibly change
  the way the time is organized

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Assessment Decisions
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Four Steps for Making Assessment Decisions and
Considering Needed Accommodations
Step One
Step Two
Step Three
Step Four
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Step One
p. 15 ARD Guide
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Step Two
pp. 16- 17 ARD Guide
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Step Three
TAKS
pp. 18, 45, 47, 68 ARD Guide
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Step Three
TAKS (Accommodated)
pp. 18, 45, 47, 68 ARD Guide
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Step Three
TAKS-M
pp. 18, 45, 47, 68 ARD Guide
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Step Three
TAKS-Alt
pp. 18, 45, 47, 68 ARD Guide
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Step Four
Document the appropriate assessment including all
allowable or approved accommodations that the
student will need during testing.
p. 24 ARD Guide
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Using the 4 Steps
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LEP Students Receiving Special Education Services

• ARD committee must work in conjunction with the
  students LPAC to ensure that issues related to
  both the students disability and language
  proficiency are carefully considered.
• Depending on the amount of English they have
  acquired, some LEP students may qualify for a LEP
  exemption from TAKS, TAKS (Accommodated), or from
  TAKS-M.

pp. 27-30 ARD Guide
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LEP Students Receiving Special Education Services

• The state LEP exemption policy, which applies to
  immigrant LEP students, includes immigrant LEP
  students receiving special education services.
• Eligible immigrant LEP students receiving
  special education services may qualify for a LEP
  exemption from TAKS, TAKS
  (Accommodated), or TAKS-M during their first
  three years of enrollment in U.S. schools.

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LEP Students Receiving Special Education Services

• The LPAC and ARDC are to work in conjunction to
  determine LEP exemption eligibility by using the
  criteria defined in the LPAC manual.
• If a student is LEP-exempt from an assessment,
  the ARD committee must document the reason for
  the exemption in the students IEP, and the LPAC
  must document the reason for the exemption in the
  students permanent record file.

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LEP Students Receiving Special Education Services

• LEP-exempt recent immigrants receiving special
  education services who receive TEKS instruction
  must participate in LAT administrations in
  designated grades and subjects.
• LEP-exempt immigrants receiving special education
  services are able to receive accommodations that
  address both their special education needs and
  needs as recent immigrant English Language
  Learners.

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LEP Students Receiving Special Education Services

• LAT administrations of TAKS, including TAKS
  (Accommodated), and TAKS-M are available in the
  following grades and subjects
• Reading/ELA and mathematics, grades 3-8, and 10
• Science, grades 5, 8, and 10

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LEP Students Receiving Special Education Services

• Spanish-version assessments are available in
  grades 3-6 for LAT administrations of TAKS,
  including TAKS (Accommodated). LAT
  administrations of TAKS-M are not available in
  Spanish.
• Test booklets used for LAT administrations are
  available in large print. With the exception of
  TAKS-M, Braille versions of LAT administrations
  are not available.

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LEP Students Receiving Special Education Services

• Neither LEP exemptions nor LAT administrations
  apply to recent immigrants who qualify for
  TAKS-Alt.

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LEP Students Receiving Special Education Services

• The linguistic accommodations used in LAT
  administrations must be consistent with the
  linguistic accommodations used with the student
  in routine reading/ELA, mathematics, and science
  instruction and testing. ARD committees and LPACs
  must work in conjunction on decisions regarding
  LAT assessments and accommodations.

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LEP Students Receiving Special Education Services

• For a LEP-exempt recent immigrant receiving
  special education services, the ARD committee
  must document LAT decisions in the students IEP,
  and the LPAC must document decisions in the
  students permanent record file.
• It is important to note that LEP students
  who do not qualify for an exemption on the
  basis of limited English proficiency are subject
  to the same assessment requirements as non-LEP
  students.

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TX English Language Proficiency Assessment System
(TELPAS) Components

• TELPAS measures the learning of English according
  to a second language acquisition continuum that
  reflects distinct stages of second language
  development.
• TELPAS is composed of multiple choice reading
  tests and holistically rated assessments.

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Participation Guidelines for the TELPASGrades
2-12 Reading Tests

• TELPAS reading tests for grades 2-12 are designed
  to determine where LEP students are on the
  continuum of English-language reading proficiency
  and to measure their growth from year to year .
• With rare exceptions, as of the 2008-2009 school
  year, the TELPAS reading tests will be
  administered exclusively online.

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Participation Guidelines for the TELPASGrades
2-12 Reading Tests

• LEP exemptions are not permitted from the TELPAS
  reading tests, as these tests are designed
  specifically for English language learners.
• TELPAS reading should be an appropriate
  assessment for most LEP students receiving
  special education services who are receiving TEKS
  instruction in reading. Exceptions include
  students who need a Braille version (not
  available) and students whose reading instruction
  is below the level of reading simple words and
  sentences.

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Participation Guidelines for the TELPASGrades
2-12 Reading Tests

• In cases where the students reading instruction
  is below the level of reading simple words and
  sentences, the ARD committee and LPAC may
  collaboratively decide that the students special
  education needs prevent an appropriate
  measurement of growth in English reading
  proficiency and an exemption will be allowed.

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Participation Guidelines for the
TELPASHolistically Rated Components

• LEP students receiving special education services
  should be observed and rated in a domain if their
  IEP includes TEKS instruction in that domain on
  at least a kindergarten level.
• The decision to administer the holistically rated
  assessments in one or more domains should be
  addressed by the ARD committee in conjunction
  with the LPAC and documented in the students IEP
  and permanent record file.

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Student Success Initiative (SSI)

• Texas Reading Initiative
• Texas Mathematics Initiative
• Grade advancement requirements in
• Grade 3 Reading
• Grade 5 Reading and Mathematics
• Grade 8 Reading and Mathematics

pp. 31-35 ARD Guide
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Student Success Initiative (SSI)

• Students who take TAKS, TAKS (Accommodated), and
  TAKS-M are part of the SSI grade advancement
  requirements.
• TAKS-Alt will continue to be unaffected by the
  SSI requirements because the testing window is
  January 5-April 10, 2009, and multiple testing
  opportunities are already a part of the TAKS-Alt
  process.
• English language learners who participate in LAT
  are not subject to SSI requirements.

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Student Success Initiative (SSI)

• However, non-exempt ELLs who take TAKS, TAKS
  (Accommodated), in English or Spanish, or TAKS-M
  are subject to the SSI grade advancement
  requirements.
• In the case of a student receiving special
  education services, the ARD and the LPAC should
  collaborate to determine appropriate assessment
  options.

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Student Success Initiative (SSI)

• A student who takes TAKS, TAKS (Accommodated), or
  TAKS-M is allowed 3 testing opportunities to meet
  the passing standard.
• If the student does not meet the passing
  standard, a GPC is formed to develop an
  accelerated instruction plan (AIP) and make
  promotion decisions for the student. For students
  receiving special education services, the ARD
  committee functions as the GPC.
• The role of the ARD committee in making decisions
  about students subject to SSI requirements is
  defined in TAC 101.2003. (See page 32.)

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Questions