Accommodations for Students with Disabilities

1
Accommodations for Students with Disabilities

• Eva M. Kubinski, MS
• Special Education Team
• Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction
• 2009 Children Come First Conference
• November 16, 2009

2
Acknowledgment

• Much of the information provided in the upcoming
  slides is based on a document developed by the
  Council of Chief State School Officers titled
  Accommodations Manual How to Select,
  Administer and Evaluate Use of Accommodations for
  Instruction and Assessment of Students with
  Disabilities (August 2005)
• WI DPIs Assessment Matrix is available online
  http//www.dpi.wi.gov/oea/pdf/accom09.pdf

3
Meet your presenter Eva.

• Eva has a processing problem
• Is both near-sighted and far-sighted
• Has trouble seeing objects both near and far away
• Sometimes sees two of everything
• How does Evas difference impact her ability to
  learn?
• She has trouble reading the board
• She has trouble reading small print unless held
  far away
• What was the result of an intelligence test
  administered on the blackboard?
• She could not answer basic questions on her own
• She appeared to not understand the questions she
  was asked to read to herself

4
Conclusion

• Eva has learning differences that will hinder her
  ability to be successful.
• Eva might not succeed in a regular classroom
• Eva may require Special Education Services,
  including accommodations
• and/or modifications

5
Now if you give her glasses

• What if Eva is allowed to wear her glasses during
  the test?
• She does much better than without!
• Is it cheating to allow her to wear her glasses?
• Did they make the items easier?
• Did they give her an unfair advantage?
• Would they give you an unfair advantage?

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Accommodations - Definition

• Provide equitable access during instruction and
  assessments
• Reduce or eliminate the effects of a students
  disability
• Some that are appropriate for classroom or
  instructional use are NOT appropriate for
  assessment
• Different from modifications

7
Accommodations - Purpose

• Equal access to GRADE-LEVEL CONTENT
• Allow students with disabilities the opportunity
  to demonstrate what they have learned

8
Accommodations in your life

• What do you think are some accommodations youve
  used in your life, work or home?
• Share with your neighbor

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Accommodations Applications

• The use of accommodations is linked through each
  of these areas

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INCLUDE ALL STUDENTS IN INSTRUCTION AND
ASSESSMENTS

• To include all students in standards-based
  instruction and assessments
• Provide accommodations during instruction and
  assessment to increase access
• Use alternate assessments for students with
  significant cognitive disabilities
• Follow state guidelines for decisions about the
  provision of alternate assessments

11
Important Considerations

• The use of accommodations, both instructional and
  assessment/testing
• Are determined by the members of the IEP team
• Are identified in the students IEP
• Are pre-planned both regarding instruction and
  assessment
• Are part of the students daily instructional
  experience
• Assessment accommodations are only from the
  approved assessment accommodations matrix unless
  a request is submitted in writing and approved by
  DPI

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Types of Accommodations

• Instructional versus assessment
• Presentation
• Response
• Setting
• Timing and scheduling

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Instructional Accommodations

• Accommodations used during the course of
  instruction to help students with disabilities
  access or learn academic content.

14
Assessment Accommodations

• Accommodations used during an assessment or test
  to help students with disabilities demonstrate or
  show what they have learned and know.

15
Presentation Accommodations

• These types of accommodations allow students to
  access information in a different format e.g.,
  if they can not visually read standard print,
  they may access the information via auditory,
  tactile, visual or other multisensory means.

16
Response Accommodations

• Allow students to complete activities,
  assignments, and assessments in different ways or
  to solve or organize problems using some type of
  assistive device or organizer.

17
Setting Accommodations

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

18
Timing Scheduling Accommodations

• Increase the allowable length of time to complete
  an assessment or assignment.
• Change the way a students time is organized

19
What about modifications?

• Reduce learning expectations.
• May be a necessary step to teach a new skill or
  concept.

20
How to choose?

• Should always be done during the IEP Team process
  an IEP Team decision.
• Should take into consideration all the available
  information and data.
• What are the students learning strengths and
  needs?
• How do the students learning needs affect the
  achievement of grade level content standards?
• What has worked or not worked in the past?

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If the accommodations match a students needs,
consider

• The students willingness to learn to use the
  accommodation
• Opportunities to learn how to use the
  accommodation in classroom settings
• Conditions for use on state assessments

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Also involve the student

• Involve students in selecting, using, and
  evaluating accommodations
• The more input students have in selecting their
  accommodations, the more likely the
  accommodations will be used
• Students should see accommodations as adding
  value to their daily lifenot only in schoolbut
  for postsecondary, career, and community life

23
Where are accommodations documented on the IEP?

• DPI Model Forms I-5 Special Factors
• DPI Model Forms I-7 Participation in Statewide
  Assessments
• DPI Model Forms I-9 Summary

24
Helping students focus

• Organizational aids
• Environmental adaptations
• Instructional strategies

25
Organizational Aides

• Use of an agenda or timetable
• Extra copy of textbooks that can be kept at home
• Checklists that show all the steps in a task (and
  as student gets older, can help develop
  checklist)
• Graphic organizers for written work
• Communication between home and school about
  progress e.g., assignment notebook

26
Environmental/Classroom Adaptations

• Communicate information with the needs of
  students with auditory issues in mind
• Using varying intonation
• Using visuals, demonstrations
• Summarize key points
• Avoid information overload
• Provide areas for students in different parts of
  the room based on noise and activity level
• Sound-field amplification
• Multiple modes of presenting information

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Instructional strategies

• Cooperative learning opportunities (with careful
  consideration of who is a member of which group)
• Hands-on learning opportunities
• Use of scaffolding strategies such as graphic
  organizers with cues
• Student-directed activities

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Resources

• Wisconsin DPI Assessment Accommodations Matrix
  http//www.dpi.state.wi.us/oea/pdf/accom08.pdf
• Council of Chief State School Officers
  Accommodations Manual
• http//www.ccsso.org/content/pdfs/AccommodationsMa
  nual.pdf
• WI DPI call 800-441-4563 toll-free
• Office of Education Accountability
• Special Education Team