Standardized Testing And Students With Assistive Tech

In recent years there has been a boom ofabout 85 percent of students with disabilities to
standardized testing within American schools. Studentsparticipate in the Wisconsin State Assessment
are being tested in reading, math, science, social studiesSystem, according to a study authored by Eva M.
for state and school district standards that are used toKubinski at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Center
show compliance with No Child Left Behind, along withfor Education Research.
NCLB testing students are also being hit withFor those students unable to be tested, even with
graduation tests, testing to move forward in the schoolaccommodations, the state developed an alternate
progression ( i.e. a student must pass this test beforeperformance indicator tied to the state's standards for
moving onto the next grade level).use by schools to assess the 2 percent of Wisconsin
With the increasing number of tests given to studentsstudents with severe disabilities or limited English
where the results weigh heavily on the school, schoolproficiency, Kubinski wrote in her paper."
districts, or individual students performance, where doWhat does this mean for students with Assistive
students with disabilities fall into this mix? WhereTechnology or AAC? Based on the research found,
especially students with Assistive Technology orhaving an Assistive Technology device would allow a
Augmentative Communication? Federal law requiresIEP team to determine if accommodations on
states and school districts to include students withstandardized tests were needed. Each student is as
disabilities in large-scale assessments, and to reportunique as their assistive technology device and
their scores publicly, in disaggregated form, as a waytherefore it can be said that each student is going to
of determining how well schools are serving thesepose different circumstances when it comes to testing
students. This is a matter of system accountability.in the school setting. According to IDEA, as stated
Federal law is silent, however, on whether states orearlier, the IEP team must determine what
schools districts should impose high-stakesaccommodations must be made for the student to be
consequences on individual students with disabilitiessuccessful on the test. These accommodations must
who fail large-scale tests. In other words, while federalbe written in the students IEP.
law mandates participation in large-scale tests andSince the students using AT/AAC vary greatly and
public reporting of disaggregated scores, it is for statesmany have underlying issues as to why they have
to decide whether large-scale tests will result inAAC devices, such as other confounding disabilities. It
individual high-stakes consequences and, if so, foris important that the IEP determines whether the
which students (Heubert, 2002).device the student uses for communication is going to
Accommodations are able to be granted to studentsbe part of the accommodation for the Standardized
with disabilities without loosing the standardization oftest or if it is not needed. It will be important to
the test. An accommodation is considered, any changedetermine that and then prepare the student that they
to the standard test format to assess an individual'swill or will not be able to use the device during the test.
abilities, rather than his or herdisabilities. AlthoughThis is especially important if the device can not be
allowable accommodations vary, they general fall inused during the test, since this is the students voice.
one of four categories:o Presentation (e.g., directionsIEP teams must work to find the best
questions read aloud, large print).o Response (e.g., useaccommodations for the student to be successful,
of a scribe).o Setting (small group or individual testing,there are various ways to do that, including the
study carrel).o Timing/Scheduling (extended time,Dynamic Assessment of Testing
additional breaks; Wahburn-Moses, 2003)Accommodations (DATA), which helps teachers
IDEA requires that the IEP team documents anydetermine which students willbenefit from which
accommodations in the students Individualizedaccommodations.
Education Plan. As Washburn-Moses (2003) stated,Based on the information provided it can be concluded
"The IEP teamshould focus on the student's strengths,that each students case is going to be very different,
weaknesses, and individual learning characteristics, andbut overall each student that qualifies for special
refrain from basing their decision on the student'seducation, including those who use assistive technology
disabilitylevel or current placement. Team membersor augmentative communication devices can qualify
should consider only those accommodations that thefor special accommodations of standardized testing
student uses during classroom instruction and testing,which will allow those students to complete the tests
as opposed to introducing new accommodationswith reasonable scores.
specifically for use on the state test (Thurlow et al.). ItReferences
is extremelyimportant to document on the IEP theDunne, D. (2000). Are high stakes tests punishing some
team's decision regarding accommodations, as well asstudents? Education Weekly 34(1) 32-35.
the justification for that decision."Heubert, J.P. (2002). Disability, race, and high-stakes
Dunne (2002), stated in an Education World article, "Intesting of students. NCAC. 4(1) 38-45.
Wisconsin, students with disabilities are being allowedSindelar, T., Hager, R., & Smith, D. (2003). High
testing accommodations so that more can take thestakes testing standards for students with disabilities.
test. The accommodations include increased time toNeighborhood Legal Services, Inc.
take a test, use of a scribe to write down answers,Washburn-Moses, L. (2003). What every special
and use of a reader to read instructions and questionseducator should know about high stakes testing.
aloud. Those types of accommodations will allowTeaching Exceptional Children 35(4) 12-15.