Testing Accommodation and Modification

What are the challenges for students in gaining permission to use technology as an accommodation?
The appropriate technology must be available to be used as an accommodation. If not, it may take time to procure, and often schools' administration may disregard the necessity because it is not readily available. Also, it takes time for the IEP or 504 plan to be reviewed by teams and administration, often times not in time for the tests or assessments.


-Who is responsible for getting permission for a student to use an accommodation?
The IEP team- parents, general ed and special ed teachers, students, service providers, school psychologists, and at times, the principal.
If test is needs revision/modification such as Braille, then the following must be done:
A request to open the test earlier to make these changes must be submitted to and approved by the Office of State Assessment. The request must be faxed by the principal and must indicate that permission is needed to revise the format based in the student's IEP/504 Plan. 

-What is the difference between a testing accommodation and a testing modification?
An accommodation is any alteration of time, administration, or supplementary help that accommodates the individual's ability to take the same test given to all students. However, a modification is just that, any change within the test itself to suit the needs of the student.

-What are potential issues for students working with a live scribe or proctor?
A live scribe or proctor potentially have a margin of error. It is possible for the scribe or proctor to change/modify the words for the benefit or detriment of the students' needs. There aren't usually third parties who monitor this situation, especially if the test is administered in a separate location, so there is a potential risk for errors.

-What are the challenges in using text to speech software in assessments?
Text to speech software can be used during testing, but then must also be used in a separate location, so as not to distract other test takers. This then becomes both an accommodation as well as a modification.

-Should these policies be applied to teacher created tests as well?
They don't need to be if the teacher created tests are universally designed, however if not, then differentiation should take place with these supplemental accommodations or modifications.

-Can a reading passage be signed to a student who is deaf?
Of course. A listening passage, no, but any reading passage can be assigned to a person who is deaf or hearing impaired. If it is a spoken passage that is assigned, then the student must receive testing modifications for response that can be written using text-to-speech software.

-When appropriate how can we ensure that our students know and/or understand the accommodations available to them?
Parents must be involved and students as well. It is the IEP team's responsibility to inform the parents and students of their rights and all the accommodations and modifications which are available to them.

-What are the consequences if a school fails to provide the testing accommodations required by the student's IEP/504 plan?
If a school fails to provide accommodations, a student's test scores may be rendered invalid. At the elementary and intermediate level, the school would report that the test was not administered correctly. Tests required for graduation would have to be re-administered during a subsequent exam period.

-What if any of this should be reevaluated?
I believe the accommodations/modifications should be reevaluated annually with each year's IEP. If an IEP is not in place, then the students' needs should be reevaluated in regards to the 504 plan.

My experience:
I have taught students and am currently teaching students who are both Standardized test takers with testing accommodations, and also Alternate Assessment students. However, I have yet to have experience with a student who is standardized, with testing modifications.

Whether standardized or alternate, all of this information is deemed in their IEPs. I have had qualms with some IEPs exorbitant use of "Extended time" as an accommodation for struggling test takers. Often times, this time and a half, or double time just adds more time for the student to sit and do nothing, adding more anxiety to an already difficult task. Those making testing accommodations should fully understand the students' needs and ability before being put in place. 

Separate location, use of scribe, and questions read and re-read, frequent breaks, etc. have all been successful and necessary accommodations for many of my students.
Testing Modifications? I have never used, they never been encouraged, and I don’t know anyone who has. That being said, I have not had any students with visual, speech or hearing impairments. However, I beg a question:
Is NYSAA (New York State Alternate Assessment) a form of Testing modification? It is, in theory, a portfolio assessment of tasks aligned with the standardized tests. Therefore, it is in itself a from of test modification. And having put together NYSAA datafolios, I have thus performed my own form of testing modification.