Virginia’s Students with Disabilities Inclusion Guidelines 2017

for Participation in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)

Digitally Based Assessments (DBA) Assessments using Tablets with Keyboards

Grade 8 Writing, Mathematics, Reading, and Social Studies

The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) expects students with disabilities selected for the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Digitally Based Assessments (DBA) will be included as follows:

All students with disabilities who participate in the Standards of Learning (SOL) assessments, including Plain English Mathematics and Virginia Substitute Evaluation Program (VSEP), should participate in NAEP using NAEP accommodations as appropriate.

Only students with disabilities who participate in the Virginia Alternate Assessment Program (VAAP) may be excluded from any NAEP assessment. Any other students with disabilities must have prior VDOE approval for exclusion. Please contact Wendy Geiger, Virginia NAEP State Coordinator, for information.

NAEP 2017 will not produce results for individual students, schools, school divisions, or states. All NAEP 2017 national results are summarized only at the national level. The NAEP assessments do not impact the student or the school, and are instead intended solely to provide a picture of the nation’s educational performance and progress. A student’s Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or Section 504 Plan should not require revisions for the student to participate in NAEP.

Please note the following differences in accommodation practices for Virginia state assessments and the expectation for inclusion on NAEP.

1)  NAEP is a timed test. Students with disabilities who receive additional time on a routine basis on classroom and other assessments are allowed the Extended Time (see Table 2) accommodation on NAEP tests. This does not have to be documented in an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or Section 504 Plan.

2)  NAEP is much shorter than the state assessments, so multiple day testing is not offered. Students who receive a multiple day testing accommodation on the Virginia state assessments should take the NAEP assessments in one day with breaks as needed. Students will complete two 25-30-minute subject matter blocks in only one content area (mathematics or reading) and answer survey questions about their educational experiences. If a student is tested with breaks on a routine basis, please code the Breaks During Testing (see Table 3) accommodation.

3)  For the DBA administrations, NAEP assesses students in groups of 25. If a student is tested on a routine basis in a smaller group, please code the Must Be Tested in a Separate Session (see Table 3) accommodation. NAEP field staff will assist in grouping students into smaller groups.

NAEP tests include short response, extended response, and multiple choice items. Several accommodations provided on Virginia’s assessments are available for all students through universal design elements. The chart below is divided into three sections: Table 1 includes universal design elements that will be available to all students; Table 2 includes accommodations provided by the test delivery system; and Table 3 includes accommodations provided outside the test delivery system. Students are provided earbuds that they may keep and a stylus. Students selected for mathematics or writing will receive scratch paper and a pencil. Students selected for writing will also be provided a mouse.

If you have questions about accommodations for NAEP, please contact Wendy Geiger, Virginia NAEP State Coordinator, at or (804) 786-1939.

Table 1: NAEP DBA Assessments
NAEP Universal Design Elements
Available to All Students /
NAEP
Universal Design Element / NAEP Subject / NAEP Universal Design Element Description / Notes for Virginia /
Zooming / Writing, Mathematics, Reading, Social Studies / Tool to enlarge content onscreen up to 2 times the default text/image size. Students can change text sizes ranging from approximately 12-point font to approximately 24-point font. Twenty-four point font is approximately 1/3-inch tall.
NOTE: Does not include the toolbar, item tabs, scrollbars, calculator, and equation editor. / The NAEP DBA tutorial demonstrates use of the zooming tool.
If the zooming universal design element will not be sufficient, code the Magnification (see Table 2) accommodation.
One-on-One/Small Group / Writing, Mathematics, Reading, Social Studies / All students are interacting on a one-on-one basis with the tablet and will have earbuds to reduce distractions.
Read Aloud and other accommodations will be provided through the tablet and will not distract other students in the room.
NOTE: Students will be tested in the regular session with up to 25 other students. If students need to be assessed in a smaller group, please code the accommodation Must Be Tested in a Separate Session. / If the student needs a group smaller than 25, code the Must Be Tested in a Separate Session (see Table 3) accommodation. NAEP field staff will assist in grouping students into smaller groups.
Directions Only Read Aloud/
Text-to-Speech (English) / Writing, Mathematics, Reading, Social Studies / General directions are read aloud to all students. Directions within the assessment can be selected and read aloud by the system using text-to-speech. / The NAEP DBA tutorial includes how to select some or all the text for text-to-speech.
Read Aloud/Text-to-Speech (English) –
Occasional or Most or All / Writing, Mathematics and Social Studies
Not Allowed for Reading / Students select some or all text to be read aloud by the system using text-to-speech.
Read Aloud/Text-to-Speech (English) – Occasional or Most or All is not allowed for reading passages or reading items. / In addition to the directions, the NAEP DBA testing system’s text-to-speech is available to all students for the entire assessment except for reading. The testing system has the capability for students to highlight text to be read aloud. The NAEP DBA tutorial demonstrates how to select some or all of the text for text-to-speech.
All students are provided with earbuds; however they may use their own earbuds or headsets if desired. The NAEP field staff can provide a limited number of headsets upon request.
For students selected for NAEP reading, an additional parent letter is available notifying parents that the read-aloud accommodation will not be provided for NAEP and that NAEP does not provide individual student, school, or school division level data. Additional parent letters are available on MyNAEP, the secure website for schools, or by contacting Wendy Geiger, Virginia NAEP State Coordinator.
Use a Computer/Tablet to Respond / Writing, Mathematics, Reading, Social Studies / All students respond on NAEP-provided tablets. / Virginia students should be accustomed to using technology for testing.
Color Theming / Writing, Mathematics, Reading, Social Studies / Students have a choice of three color contrast options, including one high-contrast option. The default is black text on white background and the two other options are white text on black background and black text on beige background.
NOTE: This tool is not available for the tutorial and some items. If students need all content in high contrast, please code the accommodation High Contrast for Visually Impaired Students. / The NAEP DBA tutorial demonstrates how to adjust contrast or colors.
Scratchwork/
Highlighter Capability / Writing, Mathematics, Reading, Social Studies / Allows freehand drawing and highlighting on the screen. The scratchwork/highlighter tool is available for most content. / The NAEP DBA tutorial demonstrates how to use the tools.
Elimination Capability / Mathematics, Reading, and Social Studies
Not Allowed for Writing / Allows students to gray out answer choices for multiple-choice items.
NOTE: This tool is not available for constructed-response items. / The NAEP DBA tutorial demonstrates how to use the tools
This capability is not needed for writing since the assessment consists only of responses to two prompts.
Volume Adjustment / Writing, Mathematics, Reading, Social Studies / Some portions of the assessment feature audio, such as text-to-speech or multimedia item content. Students may raise or lower the volume using a control on the tablet. / The NAEP DBA tutorial demonstrates how to use the tools.
Closed Captioning / Writing, Mathematics, Reading, Social Studies / All voice-over narration is closed captioned. / The NAEP DBA tutorial demonstrates how to use the tools.
Electronic Spellcheck and Thesaurus / Writing
Not Allowed for Mathematics. Reading, or Social Studies / Incorporated into the interface with automatic and user-prompted activation options.
Electronic Spellcheck and Thesaurus is only allowed for writing. / The NAEP DBA tutorial demonstrates how to use the tools.
Table 2: NAEP DBA Assessments
NAEP Accommodation Provided by Test Delivery System
Available to Students on an IEP or Section 504 Plan /
NAEP Accommodation / NAEP
Subject / NAEP Accommodation Description / Notes for Virginia
Extended Time / Writing, Mathematics, Reading, Social Studies / This accommodation requires that students be given extra time to complete the assessment.
NOTE: If state test is untimed, students may or may not require extended time on NAEP. NAEP is a timed but not a “speeded” test (it is not designed to evaluate how many questions a student can answer in a limited amount of time). Generally, most students are able to complete the NAEP cognitive sections in the time allowed. / NAEP is a timed test. Students with disabilities who receive additional time on a routine basis on classroom and other assessments are allowed the Extended Time accommodation on NAEP tests. This does not have to be documented in an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or Section 504 Plan.
Magnification / Writing, Mathematics, Reading, Social Studies / For students requiring magnification of all assessment content, including tools, menus, calculator, and equation editor. Screen magnification software allows students to scroll over a portion of the screen to magnify the content on the screen.
NOTE: See Zooming under universal design elements to determine if students need additional magnification. / Code this accommodation if the Zooming universal design function for all students (see Table 1) will not be sufficient.
Low Mobility Version of the Test / Writing, Mathematics, Reading, Social Studies / This accommodation provides a test form with items that are keyboard navigable and do not require the use of the mouse or touch-pad. / Code this only for students with low mobility who cannot use a mouse or touch pad.
Calculator Version of the Test / Mathematics
Not Available for Reading, Social Studies, or Writing / This accommodation provides a mathematics test form that permits the use of a calculator. The calculator is an onscreen calculator provided as part of the assessment system.
Calculator Version of the Test is only available for mathematics. / Code this accommodation only for students whose IEP stipulates use of a Calculator for the section of the Mathematics Standards of Learning (SOL) assessment in which a calculator is not allowed.
Hearing Impaired Version of the Test / Writing
Not Allowed for Mathematics, Reading, Social Studies / This accommodation provides a test form that has all auditory content closed captioned.
Hearing Impaired Version of the Test is only needed for writing since a prompt may contain an oral presentation. / Code this accommodation for a student selected for writing that has a hearing impairment.
High Contrast for Visually Impaired Students / Writing, Mathematics, Reading, Social Studies / This accommodation is for visually impaired students who require high contrast of all content. A special form is provided with all content that is compatible with high contrast, white text on black background. / Code this accommodation if a student needs the high contrast for all content.
Table 3: NAEP DBA Assessments
NAEP Accommodation Provided Outside Test Delivery System
Available to Students on an IEP or Section 504 Plan /
NAEP Accommodation / NAEP
Subject / NAEP Accommodation Description / Notes for Virginia /
Breaks During Testing / Writing, Mathematics, Reading, Social Studies / This accommodation requires that the student be allowed to take breaks as requested or at predetermined intervals during the assessment. This also could mean that the student is allowed to take the assessment in more than one sitting during a single day. / All NAEP testing must be conducted on a single day.
Code this for any student needing frequent, short breaks or needing a break between each of the sections. All NAEP testing must be conducted on a single day. Since NAEP is much shorter than the Virginia Standard of Learning (SOL) assessments, most students who usually take an SOL assessment over multiple days should be administered NAEP with breaks.
Consider also coding the Must Be Tested in a Separate Session (see Table 3) accommodation to avoid disruptions to other students if a student needs very frequent breaks.
Must Be Tested in a Separate Session / Writing, Mathematics, Reading, Social Studies / This accommodation requires that the student be tested away from other students in a separate testing area.
NOTE: This could be a small group or one-on-one. / Code this for ANY student who participates in the Virginia assessment program in a small group or one-on-one. NAEP field staff will assist in grouping students into smaller groups.
Must Have an Aide Present in the Testing Room / Writing, Mathematics, Reading, Social Studies / This accommodation requires that the aide the student regularly works with be present in the testing room while the assessment is being conducted.
NOTE: Only trained NAEP staff may conduct a DBA assessment session. / School staff are encouraged to be in the testing session.
NOTE: Only trained NAEP staff may conduct a DBA session.
Uses Template / Writing, Mathematics, Reading, Social Studies / This is a cutout or overlay provided by the school that is used to focus a student’s attention on one part of a screen by obscuring the other parts of the screen. / The school will need to provide the template(s).
Specify any template(s) needed by the student.
Special Equipment / Writing, Mathematics, Reading, Social Studies / This is a study carrel or portable screen provided by the school used to limit distractions for a student. It may also include special light and furniture used by the student. / The school will need to provide any special equipment.
Specify any special equipment needed by the student.
Preferential Seating / Writing, Mathematics, Reading, Social Studies / This accommodation requires that the student sit in a designated area for the assessment, such as away from other students to limit distractions; a location where there is access to special equipment; or close to the front of the room so the student can see or hear more easily. / The school will need to specify any special seating.