presentation mode testing accommodations

Initial Thoughts

Perspectives & resources, what should teachers know about accommodations for students with disabilities.

• Page 1: Accommodations
• Page 2: Practices Confused with Accommodations

What types of accommodations are commonly used for students with disabilities?

• Page 3: Instructional Versus Testing Accommodations
• Page 4: Selecting an Accommodation

Page 5: Presentation Accommodations

• Page 6: Response Accommodations
• Page 7: Setting Accommodations
• Page 8: Timing and Scheduling Accommodations

What are the teacher’s responsibilities for students with disabilities who use accommodations?

• Page 9: Implementing an Accommodation
• Page 10: Evaluating Effectiveness
• Page 11: References, Additional Resources, and Credits

They provide support that allows students with disabilities to access the same instructional opportunities as students without disabilities ; however, keep in mind that presentation accommodations:

• Do not change the expectations for learning
• Do not reduce the requirements of the task
• Do not change what the student is required to learn

The table below offers examples, though by no means an exhaustive list, of presentation accommodations that address some of the common barriers or challenges students experience when they access learning.

Several of the accommodations listed in the table above are also instructional strategies or interventions, including advance organizers, previewing vocabulary, graphic organizers, and study guides. How can teachers tell the difference between the two when they plan instruction for an individual student? As outlined in the table below, one key difference is the purpose for which each is used.

Following are examples of presentation accommodations teachers can implement to help students access learning.

Kaden Age: 10 Disability: attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

Kaden is an energetic 10-year-old who often becomes distracted by what is going on around him and has difficulty identifying main points during instruction. To address Kaden’s challenges, his teacher gives him a graphic organizer, allowing him to better follow her instruction.

Rae Age: 15 Disability: learning disability (LD)

Rae has difficulty identifying and remembering important information. For this reason, any time her teacher uses a handout in class, she highlights key information (i.e., a visual cue) on Rae’s copy.

Cierra Age: 6 Disability: autism spectrum disorder (ASD)

Cierra has difficulty comprehending information presented orally. To support her, the teacher provides diagrams and pictures (i.e., alternate format) to help her remember and follow classroom procedures, such as washing hands before lunch and walking down the hall to the cafeteria.

Keep in Mind

It is possible to bundle accommodations within the same category (e.g., two presentation accommodations) or from different categories (e.g., presentation and setting accommodations). However, teachers might want to start by implementing just one accommodation. Doing so will allow the teacher to collect data about that single accommodation, evaluate its effectiveness, and determine whether it is practical for use in the classroom. After effectively implementing one accommodation, the teacher can then implement another that also might benefit the student.

• Enroll & Pay
• Jayhawk GPS
• Prospective Students
• Current Students
• Degree Programs

Teacher Tools Related to Assessment Accommodations

List of tools, response assessment accommodations.

Response accommodations allow students to respond to test questions in different ways or to solve or organize a response using some type of assistive device or organizer. Examples of response accommodations include the following: expressing a response to a scribe through speech; sign language, pointing, or by using an assistive communication device; typing on or speaking to a word processor; typing on a Brailler; and writing in a test booklet instead of on an answer sheet.

Setting Assessment Accommodations

Setting accommodations change the location in which an assessment is given or the conditions of the assessment setting. The testing location should be as free as possible from noise, traffic, and other interruptions, and there should be good lighting and ventilation, comfortable room temperature, and adequate space for test booklets and answer sheets on students' desks.

Timing and Scheduling Assessment Accommodations

Timing and scheduling accommodations change the allowable length of testing time and may also change the way the time is organized. They provide students with the time and the breaks they need to complete the test. Other changes may include the particular time of day, day of the week, or number of days over which a test is administered.

Presentation Assessment Accommodations

Presentation accommodations allow students to access test directions or content in ways that do not require them to visually read standard print. These alternate modes of access include visual, tactile, auditory, and a combination of visual and auditory. Sometimes presentation accommodations refer to test instructions only, and sometimes they are used for all or part of the test.

Teacher Tools For Assessment Accommodations Forms and checklists are available to assist teachers in facilitating assessment accommodations for students.

• Accommodations Considerations for Assessment and Instruction
• Format to Remind Teachers About a Student's Accommodation Needs
• Planning for Test Day
• Teacher Evaluation of Assessment Accommodations
• Student Evaluation of Assessment Accommodations
• Accommodations Journal: Keeping Track of What Works