Mcas accessibility and Accommodations Manual for the Spring 2018 mcas grades 3–8 Tests

B. Guidelines for Selecting Appropriate Accessibility Features and Accommodations for ELL Students

Because a student’s level of English language proficiency is transitional and the student’s linguistic needs will differ from one year to the next, universal and designated accessibility features and accommodations should be examined and revised annually as the ELL student makes progress toward English proficiency.

1. Decision-Making Procedures

The following procedures can be used to make appropriate decisions regarding selection of features and accommodations for ELL students:

1. 
   While examining the range of supports allowed on MCAS tests that may help the ELL student access the curriculum and take assessments more effectively, the student’s classroom teacher should ask him- or herself the following questions:
   
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     Has a particular feature and/or accommodation been used successfully in the past to assist students in similar situations and at similar English proficiency levels?
     

2. 
   While trying out the selected supports during routine instruction to determine whether they meet the student’s needs, the teacher should ask him- or herself the following questions:
   
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     Does the feature and/or accommodation help the student overcome the barrier posed by his or her developing English language proficiency?
     
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     Is the student comfortable using the feature or accommodation?
     

3. 
   The teacher should observe the student in the classroom (or if possible, across different classrooms and school settings) using the feature or accommodation and inform members of the decision-making team which features or accommodations seem most appropriate and effective.
   

Based on the feature(s) and/or accommodations listed in this manual and used successfully in the classroom, the teacher can select the appropriate features and/or accommodations for use on the MCAS tests.

4. 
   The teacher should document the final decisions either on the sample form provided in Appendix B, or use a similar locally designed form, and maintain this information in the student’s file.
   

2. Involving Students in Selecting and Using Accommodations

The more an ELL student is involved in the accommodation selection process, the more likely the accommodations are to be accepted and used by the student. Also, as students’ English proficiency increases, and especially as students reach adolescence and the desire to be more independent increases, students will help determine when the support is no longer useful. Students are likely to increase their self-advocacy abilities over time and ensure that the selected supports are provided during testing. Teachers and other adults can play a role in assisting students to advocate on their own behalf regarding their need for and use of accessibility features and accommodations.
It is important to introduce the use of selected features and accommodations as early as possible in the school year to familiarize students with their use and determine their effectiveness. Accommodations should never be provided for the first time on an assessment.

3. Process for Evaluating the Effectiveness of Accessibility Features and Accommodations

Accessibility features and accommodations should be evaluated over time for their effectiveness. Observations conducted during test administration, interviews with test administrators, and talking with students after testing is likely to yield data that can be useful in guiding the evaluation of the use of features and accommodations at the school, district, and student levels.
The following questions can guide decision-making regarding the effectiveness of the selected accessibility features and accommodations.

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  Was the student familiar with the feature or accommodation prior to testing?
  
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  Does the student use the feature or accommodation routinely?
  
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  Was the student comfortable using the feature or accommodation?
  
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  Does the student’s performance on the assessment improve when the feature or accommodation is used?