Testing Accommodations

Assessment accommodations are modifications made to the way a test is presented or how a student responds, designed to remove barriers and allow individuals with disabilities to demonstrate their knowledge and skills on equal footing with others. These changes do not alter the content of the assessment or lower the standards being measured, but rather aim to provide fair and equitable access to the evaluation process. Accommodations can be divided into four categories:

• Presentation Accommodations: Changes in the way test items are presented to a student (i.e., large print, braille, oral presentation, translated oral presentation, etc.);

• Response Accommodations: Changes in the way a student responds to test items (i.e., uses scribe, responds in Spanish, uses assistive technology device, etc.);

• Setting Accommodations: Changes in the test environment's setting (i.e., small group or individual administration); and/or

• Timing Accommodations: Changes in the scheduling of the assessment (i.e., allowing multiple breaks, providing extra time, testing at specific times of the day, etc.).