2004 – 2005

TCAP Accommodations

Instructions

 

 

§       For Students With Disabilities

§       For Use By Any Student – General Education, Special Education, and ELL – as Appropriate

§      For students With Disabilities – Identified Under IDEA or Section 504 Guidelines

504 Resources Online

 

2004 – 2005 TCAP Accommodations Instructions

For Students With Disabilities

(Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and Section 504)

 

These instructions have been developed as a guide for Individual Education Plan (IEP) Team and 504 Review Committees when considering a student’s involvement in state/district-mandated large-scale assessments.

 

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Title II of the American Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) provide that: “No otherwise qualified individual with handicaps in the United States…Shall, solely be reason of his/her handicap, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.”  The 1997 Reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) states that all students with disabilities must be included in state, regional, and district large-scale assessments, with results from assessments reported and findings aggregated with the total school population. In addition in 2001, the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) mandated accountability for the participation of all students in statewide assessments. On December 9, 2003, the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education of the U.S. Department of Education issued the final regulation for assessing students with disabilities under NCLB. The regulation provides guidance for the use of accommodations in the assessment of students with disabilities.

 

Page 68700 of Federal Register/Vol. 68, No. 236 States:

 

          “The Department expects most students with disabilities to participate in

the regular statewide assessment either without accommodations or with appropriate accommodations that are consistent with accommodations provided during regular instruction. Current §200.6 requires that the IEP team determine the accommodations necessary to measure the academic achievement of students with disabilities relative to the State’s academic content and achievement standards for the grade in which the students is enrolled. Through the IEP process, parents should be informed of the potential consequences, if any for their child if he or she participates in a regular assessment with particular accommodations…”

 

The IEP Team or Section 504 Committee can determine if a student with a disability will be administered a state-mandated test under standard conditions, be administered a state-mandated test with accommodations, or participate in alternate assessment.  The decision must be documented in the current IEP or 504 Service Plan.  Each member of the Team/Committee is to have access to the accommodation information contained within this publication prior to the meeting.

 

The IEP Team or Section 504 Committee must determine specific procedures for accommodation use to avoid any anomalies or inappropriate administrations. The Team/Committee must specify, to the greatest degree possible, information that will guide the school test coordinator and Test Administrator when providing accommodations to students.

 

The Tennessee comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) includes the following assessments:

 

TCAP Assessment	Grades Assessed
Achievement	Grades 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8       (Grades K, 1, 2: Optional for        district-wide assessment)
Writing	Grades 5, 8, 11
Gateway Assessments required for students entering high school Fall of 2001 and thereafter Ø     Gateway Mathematics Ø     Gateway Language Arts Ø     Gateway Science	Taken at completion of related courses       (or as determined by the IEP        Team)
Competency Only for students who entered high school prior to Fall of 2001 Ø     Mathematics Ø     English/Language Arts	Available only for students with IEPs who fall within the Competency diploma requirement and are currently enrolled or have exited with a Special Education diploma and are returning to attempt exit with a Regular diploma. These students may take the Competency Test until age 22.
End-of Course (EOC) Tests	Taken at completion of specified courses
TCAP Alternate Assessment	Grades Assessed
TCAP-Alt Portfolio (PA)     TCAP-Alt Alternate Standards Assessment (ASA)	PA: Grades 3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10         (Grades K,1,2: Optional for         district-wide assessment) ASA: Grades 3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10         (Grade 2: Optional for district-wide          assessment)   Note: Students participating in ASA must also participate in 11th grade Writing Assessment.

 

NOTE:  If a system chooses to administer a non-mandated, district-wide assessment, the appropriate procedure would be to implement the applicable Allowable, and/or Special Accommodations or ELL Accommodations.

 

 

All Special and ELL Accommodations used must be appropriate for the individual student and documented on the IEP or 504 Service Plan as a classroom accommodation that has been used consistently during the school year prior to the TCAP Assessment, the IEP Team or 504 Review Committee must attach documentation showing this accommodation was implemented within the regular classroom as an intervention. If an accommodation is discussed at the IEP or 504 Service Plan meeting, but has not been used in the student’s program to the extent that the student is proficient with the accommodation, the accommodation may not be used. The student will not perform any better on the assessment and in some cases not as well, if the student has not been using the same accommodation on a consistent basis over a period of time across appropriate areas of the curriculum. The goal in using accommodations is to give students with disabilities an equal opportunity in assessment, not to give students with disabilities an unfair advantage over other students or to subvert the purpose of the test. An accommodation based solely on its potential to enhance performance beyond providing equal opportunity to perform is inappropriate and can result in nullification of the test scores.

 

Prior to any state or district-wide testing, Test Administrators must receive information regarding any accommodations used by students participating in the assessments.

 

• Special education personnel are responsible for ensuring proper use of Special Accommodations by special education students. Special education personnel are not responsible for overseeing Allowable Accommodations for students without IEPs.
• School level 504 Coordinators are responsible for ensuring proper use of accommodations by students receiving services under Section 504.
• ESL personnel are responsible for ensuring proper use of ELL Accommodations by ELL students.
• When students receive a combination of ESL and 504 and/or special education services, the ESL, Special Education and/or 504 Coordinators at the school level should work together to ensure appropriate use of documented accommodations.

 

Directions – Documentation of Accommodations on IEPs and 504 Service Plans

 

504 Review Committees should attach to the student’s 504 Service Plan all TCAP Allowable/Special Accommodations Addendum(s) that correspond to the assessments the student will be taking during the current school year.

IEP Teams must complete the State/District-Mandated Assessments section of the IEP (shown on following page) and attached the TCAP Allowable/Special Accommodations Addendum for each TCAP Assessment that will be administered to the student during the school year.

 

Example from State/District-Mandated Assessments section of the IEP

State/District-Mandated Assessments: (Check either Number 1 or Number 2. The appropriate TCAP Accommodation Addendum must be attached to this IEP.)   ___ Student will participate in the following State/District Mandated Assessment(s):                      □ Achievement          □ Writing         □ Competency          □ EOC          □ Gateway       Gateway Tests         Score/Date/Pass (Y/N)          Competency Tests          Score/Date/Pass (Y/N)       □ Mathematics         _____/____/________           (For students entering high school prior to ’01-’02)       □ Language Arts      _____/____/________           □ Mathematics                 ____/____/_________       □ Science                 _____/____/________           □ Language Arts              ____/____/_________         End – of – Course Test(s):       □  __________________      □  __________________      □  __________________       □  __________________      □  __________________      □  __________________         □  District Assessment: ______________________________________         (Check A, B, and/or C to indicate accommodations to be provided).       □ A. No Accommodations       □ B. Allowable Accommodations       □ C. Special Accommodations       □ D. ELL Accommodations                   □ Yes  □ No – Accommodations Addendum(s) Attached ___ Student will participate in the TCAP Alternate Assessment (TCAP-Alt.).              □ Yes  □ No – TCAP – Alt Participation Addendum Attached

 

The following instructions outline completion of the state/district-mandated assessment section of the IEP.

1)    ___ Student will participate in the following state/district-mandated assessment(s):

            Check #1 if the student is participating in any of the statewide or district

            assessments.

      

       □Achievement        □ Writing       □ Competency        □ EOC        □ Gateway

            Check box (es) next to the TCAP assessments in which the student will

            participate.

     Gateway Tests  Score/Date/Pass (Y/N)    Competency Tests  Score/Date/Pass (Y/N)

     □ Mathematics    ____/____/________    □ Mathematics         ____/____/_________

     □ Language Arts ____/____/________    □ Language Arts      ____/____/_________

     □ Science            ____/____/________   

                Indicate under the student’s required graduation tests (Gateway or Competency) whether the

                   student will participate in the mathematics, language arts or science tests. Record the

                   student’s most recent score, date of the test and if the student passed the test as yes (Y) or

                   no (N), when applicable.

 

      End – of – Course Test(s):

     □  __________________      □  __________________      □  __________________

      □  __________________      □  __________________      □  __________________

                    EOC tests are taken at the completion of English I, Math Foundations II, US History and

                        Physical Science. Write the applicable course(s) in which the student will participate this

                        year and check the box next to that course. Note: If the student is enrolled in a course in

                        which EOC field testing is scheduled, the student should participate in field testing using

                        all appropriate accommodations.

 

            □ District Assessment: _________________________

                       Check if the student will participate in district-wide assessment this year. Write the name of

                       the assessment on the line provided.

 

            □ A. No Accommodations

          □ B. Allowable Accommodations

          □ C.  Special Accommodations

          □ D.  ELL Accommodations

                  

                   Check boxes A and/or B, C, and/or D to indicate accommodations being provided. If an

                      accommodation is not used throughout the student’s education program, do not use the

                      accommodation during the assessment.

 

             □  Yes  □  No – Accommodations Addendum(s) Attached

                   Check “Yes” or “No” to document if the completed accommodations addendum has been

                      attached to the IEP.

 

        2) ___ Student will participate in the TCAP-Alternate Assessment (TCAP-Alt):

                       Check #2 if the student meets participation criteria for the Tennessee Comprehensive

                       Assessment Program-Alternate (TCAP-Alt). If the student meets criteria for the TCAP-Alt,

                       the TCAP-Alt Participation Addendum must be completed by the IEP Team and attached to

                       the IEP.

 

             □ Yes □ No – TCAP-Alt Participation Addendum (s) Attached

                    Check “Yes” or “No” to document if the completed TCAP-Alt Participation Addendum has

                        been attached to the IEP.

 

COMPLETING THE ACCOMMODATIONS ADDENDUMS

 

Addendums are provided for each of the TCAP assessments – Achievement, Competency, EOC, Gateway, and Writing. Each Addendum outlines both Allowable and Special Accommodations available for the specific assessment. After the IEP Team or 504 Review Committee determines all assessments in which the student will participate throughout the school year, considerations are given to the appropriate available accommodations that the student will use. An addendum for each assessment in which the student will participate may be found in the Appendix of this document and must be completed during the student’s annual IEP or 504 Team meeting.

 

The IEP Team or 504 Review Committee will check the box on the Accommodation Addendum(s) to indicate whether the student is receiving services through special education or Section 504. The date the addendum is completed and name of the student should be entered in the spaces provided.

The “Allowable Accommodations” table on each page lists the Allowable Accommodations available for that assessment. The IEP Team or 504 Review Committee will consider each of these accommodations as it relates to the student’s educational program. Check “Yes” or “No” next to each accommodation that is to be used on the assessment.

 

The “Special Accommodations” table on each page lists the Special Accommodations available for that assessment. The “Accommodations” column describes the accommodation and provides the corresponding letter to be coded on the assessment answer document. The “Documentation Verification” column records the consistent use of that accommodation within the student’s general education program. Note that some accommodations available to students receiving special education services may not be extended to those students with services under Section 504. When accommodations are not available to student with 504 plans, the boxes have been darkened. If an accommodation is to be used for the assessment, check “Yes” or “No” in the corresponding box to document consistent use of that accommodation in the classroom.

 

The “Required Conditions for Accommodations” column defines the required conditions for each accommodation for each TCAP assessment. A student must meet the requirements for that accommodation before it may be used.

 

The “Notations” column provides additional information applicable to each accommodation. This may include considerations such as Extended Time limits, directions for accommodation usage, when the accommodation may or may not be sued, or Allowable Accommodations including Flexible Scheduling and Flexible Setting needed for implementation.

 

The ELL Accommodations Addendum is located in the Appendix of this document. ELL Accommodations may be used in conjunction with Allowable and Special Accommodations by students who score as “limited English proficient” when the student has either an IEP or a 504 Service Plan. ELL Accommodations are not listed with the TCAP test-specific Allowable/Special Accommodations Addendums. When the student qualifies for Special Accommodations (IEP or 504 Service Plan), the ELL Accommodations Addendum must be attached to the IEP or 504 Service Plan. If Extended Time is documented on both the Allowable/Special Accommodations Addendums and the ELL Addendum, the amount of Extended Time should be determined by the IEP Team or 504 Review Committee.       

 

2004-2005 TCAP Allowable Accommodations

Use of Allowable Accommodations is based on individual student need and may be used by any student as necessary. This chart indicates Allowable Accommodations available to each TCAP assessment. Students may use Multiple Allowable Accommodations.

Test Accommodation	TCAP Achievement	TCAP  Competency	TCAP End-of-Course(EOC) TCAP Gateway	TCAP Writing
Large Print or Braille (Readers for illustrations and graphs are permitted if verified Visual Impairment is documented on IEP)	Extended Time is allowed if student meets required conditions for Special Accommodation A	Untimed	EOC – Extended Time is allowed if student meets required conditions for Special Accommodation A Gateway - Untimed	Extended Time is allowed if student meets required conditions for Special Accommodation A
Sign Oral Instructions Verbatim	Allowed	Allowed	Allowed	Allowed
Re-read/sign Oral Instructions Verbatim	Allowed	Allowed	Allowed	Allowed
Calculator/Mathematics Tables (Items not measuring computation)	Allowable for specified subtests. Click here for Multiplication Tables See Test Administration Manual for Instructions.	Special Accommodation Only	Allowed See Test Administration Manual for calculator restrictions.	Not Applicable – no calculations
Flexible Setting	Allowed	Allowed	Allowed	Allowed
Individual
Small Group
Designated Part of Room
Study Carrel
Other Classroom
Homebound/Out of School
Visual/Tactile Aids	Allowed	Allowed	Allowed	Allowed
Magnification Equipment
Templates, Masks, Pointers
Abacus
Auditory Aids	Allowed	Allowed	Allowed	Allowed
Amplification
Noise Buffer
Multiple Testing Sessions (within school day)	Allowed	Allowed	Allowed	Allowed
Flexible Scheduling	Allowed	Allowed (Competency Tests are untimed. The student should have as much time to complete the test as need during the school day.	Allowed (Gateway Tests are untimed. The student should have as much time to complete the test as needed during the school day.	Allowed
Flexible Scheduling of Subtests
Flexible Time of Day
Scribe/Recording Answers	Allowed	Allowed	Allowed	Special Accommodation Only
Student Answers in Test Booklet				Special Accommodation Only
Student Answers on Separate Sheet of Paper				Special Accommodation Only
Marking in Test Booklet	Allowed	Allowed	Allowed	Not Applicable
Student Reads Aloud to Self	Allowed	Allowed	Allowed	Allowed