Ed. Week is having a live chat this Thursday afternoon, 3 to 4 ET, to discuss PARCC and Smarter Balanced accommodations for students with disabilities. They say this assessment will “offer the promise of more inclusion and self-sufficiency for students with special needs and English-language learners.”
How any assessment is going to do all that for any child is beyond me, but here is their idea of something new and innovative. Now they are going to permit “critical accommodations” quite differently. They claim they will allow read-aloud modifications which they call “text-to-speech” accommodations.
I presume they are actually saying the teacher or volunteer will be permitted to read parts of the test to the student with disabilities. I think I am getting pretty good at deciphering Common Core speak.
The Ed. Week experts presenting on this are not from special education that I can tell, but from systems assessment design, designated to address the underrepresented populations.
Most of you won’t be fooled any more than me. I mean really—they are just re-mashing potatoes. Teachers have been accommodating students with disabilities like this since standardized testing became a reality for children. This is nothing unique no matter what fancy pansy terms they use.
But the issue of reading parts of the test is contentious. Some claim it is a cop out. You either teach students with disabilities how to read or not. Others say it is ridiculous to not consider disabilities like dyslexia. That argument surrounds the fact that you should be able to determine what a child knows and understands even if they have a reading disability.
But the big question is—are they backtracking? Arne Duncan has been spouting off for years implying that all students with disabilities must take the test the same way, implying it is an insult to them to do otherwise.
So are they leaning away from that idea and back towards real accommodations? Do they suddenly realize that students learn differently and that it is outrageous to think otherwise?
Or are those kidders just fooling with us? Stay tuned.
Lyn H says
May 28, 2014 at 6:43 pmI wonder if it is as simple as the ADA requiring by law reasonable accommodations to eliminate barriers to entry – be it physical or information access. Yawn- so they are just getting around to reading the law? “Reasonable accommodation” means necessary and appropriate modification and adjustments not imposing a disproportionate or undue burden, where needed in a particular case, to ensure to persons with disabilities the enjoyment or exercise on an equal basis with others of all human rights and fundamental freedoms.” – which I’m sure includes going to public school and taking a test. And always, for years, included included in such accommodations — Read out loud…. These people are incredulous.
Nancy Bailey says
May 28, 2014 at 10:02 pmLyn, I very much agree. I think ADA is in a fight with CCSS, PARCC, and Smarter Balance and it will be interesting to see who wins.
Donna C says
May 29, 2014 at 9:44 pmSince the new assessments are computer based, I see text-to-speech as the computer reading to the student, not the teacher. I can’t imagine they would let you actually read to the student because teachers are not supposed to see the test. Also, how could they trust us not to prompt or use inflections that may give the students clues to the correct answers, which would taint their precious data..
Nancy Bailey says
May 29, 2014 at 10:17 pmHi Donna, Excellent point! I’m sure you are right. It makes perfect sense. I would think that would be very awkward with students who have disabilities however…. Thank you!