Testing Accommodations

Testing accommodations for students with special needs has become a very controversial topic in some states. Most states do not allow students with special needs to have the oral reading of the reading passages. The state of Georgia has been accused of overusing this accommodation. Now the state is closely monitoring the use of this accommodation. The most recent Georgia Department of Education Accommodations Manual states that this is a conditional accommodation and should be used sparingly. The manual also outlines specific guidelines to use to determine if students qualify for this accommodation, for example, non-readers or students with severe decoding deficits (not students reading below grade level). The reason why the oral reading of the reading passages is conditional and considered non-standard administration is because the test is designed to assess reading comprehension. If the reading passages are read to the student, the test will assess listening comprehension. Many parents, teachers, and administrators are irate over this matter. Parents are angry because during IEP meetings, the team identifies the appropriate assessment/testing accommodations for the student. Many list oral reading of test as an accommodation, but parents do not understand that each state determines which accommodations are allowed on state-wide assessments which override the IEP. The parents argue that the students receive these accommodations for the entire school year, and then when it is time for the test, the students are left to perform without some of their accommodations. Teachers and administrators feel that some accommodations level the playing field for students with special needs, and these students deserve to have any accommodation that they need in order to be successful. Surprisingly, some students have revealed that some accommodations are unnecessary and embarrassing.
Should state approved accommodations override the accommodations that have been identified by the IEP team? Is an IEP really individualized?

Inclusion: Co-teaching

In efforts to improve the quality of education and increase academic achievement for students with special needs, many districts have implemented the use of inclusion. Many refer to the sudden popularity of inclusionary practices as the Inclusive Schools Movement. In my school district, the co-taught model/setting is used in most middle schools. Most Program for Exceptional Children (PEC) teachers are faced with resistance from general education (GE) teachers. The GE teachers often exhibit challenges sharing space, responsibility, and accountability. The PEC teachers and students with special needs are often treated as unwanted guests. Many PEC teachers do not act assertively, and therefore the tone is set by the GE teachers in the classrooms. The following are challenges:
1. Many PEC teachers are not proficient in specific content areas.
2. In Georgia PEC teachers are not required to be highly qualified in the content area that they co-teach.
3. Inadequate training, preparation, and support.
4. Insufficient time for collaborative planning.
5. Lack of administrative support.
In my school district, inclusion has a bad reputation! The implementation process was poorly planned, and now the district is investing in extensive training and continuous support.
Do you think that the new training plan will change the attitudes of teachers that have had bad experiences with co-teaching?
Should there be a different plan for individuals that have experience co-teaching?

Georgia Alternate Assessment

In Georgia’s efforts to ensure that all students have access to grade level academic standards, the Georgia Alternate Assessment is an assessment used for students with significant intellectual disabilities. Kindergarten through second grade students are required to complete two Mathematics and English Language Arts entries, and third through eighth grade students are required to complete additional entries for Science and Social Studies. Each entry must have four pieces of evidence. The teachers are given options for the kind of evidence that they display in each portfolio. The evidence options include photographs, student work, permanent product, video tape, audio tape, data collection sheet, and an observation form. The portfolio is designed to display baseline data and progress.
In order for the students to complete activities, the performance tasks must be modified and often redesigned as a prerequisite of the actual standard and task.
The following is one of the GAA approved standards and elements:
M4N2.a Students will understand and apply the concept of rounding numbers. The student will round numbers to the nearest tens, hundreds, or thousands. One of the prerequisites for this skill is to identify numbers. Identifying numbers is a very low level skill for a fourth grader however, for a fourth grader with mild to moderate disabilities, this is an appropriate skill. Now, think about a student with severe or profound disabilities and their ability level. Is it necessary or appropriate to develop a student portfolio for these students using grade level standards? Should these results count towards schools’ Adequate Yearly Progress?