Smarter Balanced Accessibility Webinar

March 26, 2014

Office of Standards & AssessmentMichigan Department of Education

IntroductionsLinda HowleyAccessibility Specialist, Office of Standards & Assessment howleyl@michigan.gov

Jennifer Paul EL Assessment Consultant, Office of Standards & Assessment paulj@michigan.gov

Special Guests:

Andrew J. MiddlesteadDirector, OSA

Matt AyotteOnline Assessment Specialist, OSA

Gayle DejongeMEAP Project Coordinator, OSA

John JaquithStudents with Disabilities Assessment Consultant, OSA

Joanne Winkelman, Ph.D.Policy Coordinator, Office of Special Education

Today’s Goals• Provide an overview of

accessibility and accommodations features provided by the Smarter Balanced assessments

• Provide an overview of differences between Michigan’s past practices and future practices

General SBAC Updates

What are Michigan’s plans for CCSS assessment implementation?

New Opportunities

Technology will enable students to show us what

they’ve learned in new ways.

Technology will enable expanded opportunities for

accessing content.

But…

…just because we can, doesn’t mean we should.

SBAC Accessibility & Accommodations Policy • State dept. of education personnel

• MDE participation on SBAC A & A Workgroup

• ELL Advisory Committee* • SWD Advisory Committee*• Agencies such as American Printing

House for the Blind (APH), staff from Gallaudet University, NCEO

• Actively solicited and listened to feedback from advocacy groups

*Go to www.smarterbalanced.org for full lists of committee members.

In Addition

• Numerous literature reviews• Research based frameworks

created by internationally recognized researchers

• Cog labs

SBAC Categories

Universal Tools• Breaks• Calculator (for calculator-allowed

items)• Digital notepad• English dictionary (for ELA performance

task full writes)• English glossary• Expandable passages• Global notes (for ELA performance

tasks)• Highlighter

Universal Tools Cont.

• Keyboard navigation• Mark for review• Math tools• Spell check (for some ELA items)• Strikethrough• Writing tools• Zoom• Scratch paper• Thesaurus

Designated Supports

• Color contrast• Masking• Text-to-speech (for Math stimuli and

ELA items)• Translated test directions (for math

items)• Translations (glossaries) (for math

items)• Translations (stacked) (for math items)• Turn off universal tools

Designated Supports Cont.

• Bilingual dictionary (for ELA-performance task full writes)

• Magnification• Read aloud (for math and ELA

items, not for reading passages)• Scribe (for ELA non-writing items

and math items)• Separate setting

Accommodations

• American Sign Language (for ELA Listening items and math items)

• Braille• Closed captioning (for ELA

Listening items)• Text-to-speech (for ELA reading

passages)

Accommodations Cont.• Abacus• Alternate response options• Calculator (for calculator allowed items

only)• Multiplication table (grade 4 and above

math items)• Print on demand• Read aloud (for ELA reading passages, grades 6-8 & 11,

blind students in grades 3-8 and 11 who do not yet have adequate braille skills)

• Scribe• Speech-to-text

SBAC Field Test Reminders

• Turn on/off universal tools, designated supports, and accommodations in TIDE

• Refer to TIDE User Guides

• Check with your School & District Test Coordinator when you have questions

SBAC Resources Available at

sbac.portal.airast.org/field-test/resources

•Usability, Accessibility, and Accommodations Guidelines

•Guidelines: Frequently Asked Questions

•Accessibility & Accommodations Module

•Let’s Talk Universal Tools Module

•Getting Students Ready for the Field Test – Information on Item and Response Types

Wait! There’s more!

• Guidelines for Read Aloud• Scribing Protocol• Accessibility Guide for Classroom

Activities

• Embedded Designated Support – Glossaries Description

• Technology Requirements for Text-To-Braille

• Embedded Dictionary/Thesaurus• Embedded Accommodation – American

Sign Language (ASL) Instructions

Consistency is key!Consistency is key!

What if I have questions about technology?

sbac.portal.airast.org/field-test/resources

•TIDE User Guides•Technical Specifications Manual for Online Testing•Technology Requirements for Online Testing

When in doubt, check with your technology coordinator.

SBAC Field Test Help Desk: 1-855-833-1969

Wrap-up

• Questions• Post presentation • Post FAQs from this webinar