Assessment Accommodations

Assessment Accommodations for WKCE Testing and Classroom
DPI has developed two draft documents that are intended to provide support in selecting, administering, and evaluating the effectiveness of accommodations used by students with disabilities and/or students who are English language learners. The Wisconsin Accommodations Guide for Students with Disabilities is available at: http://dpi.wi.gov/sped/hmnew.html and the Wisconsin Accommodations Guide for English Language Learners can be found at: http://dpi.wi.gov/ell/documents-at-a-glance.html.
What is an Accommodation?

Accommodations are practices and procedures that provide equitable access to grade-level content. Accommodations are intended to reduce or eliminate the effects of a student’s disability or level of language acquisition; they do not reduce learning expectations. The accommodations provided to a student must be the same for classroom instruction, classroom assessments, and district and state assessments. It is critical to note, that although some accommodations may be appropriate for instructional use, they may not be appropriate for use on a standardized assessment. Please note the following distinctions:

• Accommodations are for students with disabilities and English Language Learners; they do not change the content being assessed or the skill level. Examples of accommodations include a large-print test or using a scribe to record student answers.
• Allowable test practices are for all students, as needed, and are now described in a separate matrix; they do not alter the content being tested. Examples of allowable test practices include using color overlays or testing in a distraction-free location.
• Modifications do change what is being assessed and are not allowed for any student during Wisconsin Student Assessment System (WSAS) testing. Examples of modifications include reducing the number of answer choices or shortening the length of the test.

Students who receive accommodations on the WKCE test should also be receiving accommodations during the school year in their regular education classes.  Here is a link to the Accommodations Matrix for Students with Disabilities, ELL, and all students: http://dpi.wi.gov/oea/accommtrx.html. Accommodations should be listed as part of a student's IEP.