al) Testing Students With Disabilities

This paper provides an overview of the types of testing accommodations used for students with disabilities and presents arguments for and against their use. It begins by discussing student participation in educational assessments and federal requirements concerning the participation of students with disabilities. The types of accommodations are then reviewed, including: (1) presentation accommodations, described as changes made to the presentation of the test or test directions such as large print versions, Braille versions, sign language translations, or reading aloud; (2) response accommodations, described as changes made to the way students respond to a test question or prompt, such as allowing a student to indicate an answer by pointing or gesturing, using a scribe to record written answers, and technological recording methods; (3) setting accommodations, described as changes to the testing environment or location, such as administering the test in small groups, individually, or even at a student's home; and (4) scheduling accommodations, described as changes in the timing or scheduling of testing such as extending the length of given time for the test to be completed and allowing testing breaks. The paper concludes with a review of arguments for and against testing accommodations. (CR) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document