Scribd
Upload
21 views

Lesson-3-Using-Test-Adaptation-and-Accommodations

Uploaded by

Janine Jerica Jontilano
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
21 views

Lesson-3-Using-Test-Adaptation-and-Accommodations

Uploaded by

Janine Jerica Jontilano
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 24

Using Test

Adaptations and
Accommodations
SNEd 125: Educational Assessment of Students with
Additional Needs
OUTLINE
A. Test Adaptations
B. Test Accessibility
C. Testing Accommodations
D. Recommendations for Making
Accommodations Decisions
Introduction

Although the use of well-designed standardized tests can enhance


assessment decision-making, it does not result in optimal measurement
for every student. In fact, for some students, the way that a test is
administered under standardized conditions may actually prohibit their
demonstration of true knowledge and skill. Clearly, changes in test
conditions may be needed. However, some changes can have a
negative impact on the validity of test scores. Educators must attend to
the kinds of adaptations that can be made without compromising the
technical adequacy of tests.
Test Adaptations
Reasons
Changes in student • diversity in terms of language, academic background,
experiences, opportunities, skills, abilities and
population disabilities

• push for high standards -> push measures


Changes in
• decisions on similarities of standards for students with
educational standards and without disabilities

The need for accurate • make the assessments less “difficult” to reduce the risk
assessment of committing inaccurate measurement

• national laws and orders of the ministry (department) of


It is required by law education
Principles of Universal Design

Flexibility in Simple and Perceptible


Equitable use
use intuitive information

Size and space


Tolerance for Low physical
for approach
error effort
and use
Applying Universal Design

Inclusive
Precisely defined Accessible, Amenable to
assessment
constructs nonbiased items accommodations
population

Simple, clear, and


Maximum
intuitive Maximum
readability and
instructions and legibility
comprehensibility
procedures
Universal design applications
promote better testing for all
Test
Accommodations
Factors to Consider
Difference between test adaptations
and test accommodations
Test adaptations refer to changes made to the content, format, or administration of a
test to make it accessible to individuals with disabilities or from different cultural or
linguistic backgrounds. Test adaptations are typically more substantial and may
involve modifications to the test items, scoring procedures, or administration
conditions.

Test accommodations, on the other hand, are changes made to the test
administration process to provide individuals with disabilities or other impairments
with an equal opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge and skills. Test
accommodations are typically less substantial and may involve providing extended
time, alternative formats, or assistive technology during the test administration.
Factors to Consider in Making
Accommodation Decisions

Ability to • unfair if the test stimuli are in a format that,


because of a disability, the student does not
understand understand.
• For example, tests in print are considered unfair
assessment for students with severe visual impairments.
• Tests with oral directions are considered unfair
stimuli for students with hearing impairments.
Factors to Consider in Making
Accommodation Decisions

• students are required to respond but may be


Ability to limited because of their disability

respond to • For example, some students with cerebral


palsy may lack sufficient motor ability to
assessment arrange blocks.
• Others may have sufficient motor ability but
stimuli have such slowed responses that timed tests
are inappropriate estimates of their abilities.
Factors to Consider in Making
Accommodation Decisions

• Adaptations of measures require changing either


stimulus presentation or response requirements.
• The adaptation may make the test items easier
Normative or more difficult, and change the construct being
comparisons measured.
• It is important to describe the change when
reporting the score and to use caution in score
interpretation.
Factors to Consider in Making
Accommodation Decisions

• Diversity of students in age, readiness,


academic background, and skills.
Appropriateness • When out-of-level tests are given and
of the level of norm-referenced interpretations are
items made, the students are compared with
a group of students who differ from
them.
Factors to Consider in Making
Accommodation Decisions

Exposure to • The administration of tests that contain


the material that students have not had an
curriculum opportunity to learn
• Example: Students with sensory
being tested impairments have not had an opportunity
(opportunity to learn the content of test items that use
verbal or auditory stimuli.
to learn)
Factors to Consider in Making
Accommodation Decisions

• Students should be tested in settings in which


they can demonstrate maximal performance.
• If students cannot easily gain access to a
Environmental testing setting, this may diminish their
conditions performance.
• Tests should always be given in settings that
students with disabilities can access with
ease.
Factors to Consider in Making
Accommodation Decisions

• Respect to authority
• Relationship with the same
Cultural and opposite sex
considerations
• Establishing rapport
• Challenges of acculturation
Factors to Consider in Making
Accommodation Decisions

• First language or mother-tongue


• Vocabulary level
Linguistic
• English language acquisition
considerations
• Immersion and similarity to
English for ESL learners.
Categories of Testing
Accommodations
What is an accommodation?
An accommodation is any change in testing materials or
procedures that enables students to participate in
assessments so that their abilities with respect to what is
intended to be measured can be more accurately assessed.
There are four general types of accommodations:
■ Presentation (for example, repeat directions, read aloud)
■ Response (for example, mark answers in book, point to answers)
■ Setting (for example, study carrel, separate room, specia lighting)
■ Timing/schedule (for example, extended time, frequent breaks,
multiple days)
What is an accommodation?

In addition, ELL accommodations are sometimes categorized as


follows:
■ English language (for example, simplifying the English language in
the stem of an item, providing a customized English dictionary that
includes definitions for difficult words on the test)
■ Native language (for example, providing a side-by-side test
translation, providing directions in the student’s native language)
■ Other (for example, extended time, small group testing)
Considerations

Legal: • Is an individual sufficiently disabled to require


taking an accommodated test?

Technical: • To what extent can we adapt measures and


still have technically adequate tests?

Political: • Is it fair to give accommodations to some


students, yet deny them to others?.
Impact of Accommodations on Test
Validity

No impact on validity
May impact on validity
Affect validity
Eligibility and Accountability
Decisions
Eligibility Accountability

• Use of primary language • Written guidelines


• Stimuli and response formats • Collaborative
• English proficiency (use non- • Current practices
verbal, L1, use commercial • Accommodations before
ones, develop your own, assessment
interpreter) • Systematic and documented
• No test at all • Parental involvement
• Dynamic accommodations

You might also like