Braille 14 SEA Policy: What is your SEA Policy on allowing the braille This paper-based accommodation for this accommodation assessment? Do you allow local may be used to brailling of Kindergarten and provide access to Alternate ACCESS assessments? the assessment for What is your SEA policy on the a braille-proficient destruction of adapted materials? ELL who is blind. Should they be returned with test materials to the vendor or disposed of at the testing site? Before using the braille format assessment, Response: The guidance found in the WIDA Accessibility and confirm that it is an Accommodations Manual regarding allowable use of 2.4 administering a braille version of this Accommodations the assessment should be followed. accommodation in However, students are expected to your state. be proficient in UEB code. Because Page 17 If state policy WIDA does not currently provide allows, local UEB at grades 9-12, it is the brailling of the decision of the IEP Team as to Kindergarten and whether or not the student will Alternate ACCESS participate in the reading and for ELLs writing domains of the ACCESS assessments is tests. WIDA offers the ACCESS tests allowable. in EBAE at those grade levels. In accordance with However, since Rhode Island state policy, all transitioned fully to UEB several adapted materials, years ago, students are not as well as all expected to know EBAE. form paper containing student answers, must be securely disposed
14 2.4 Accommodations Page 17 Braille This paper-based accommodation may be used to provide access to the assessment for a braille-proficient ELL who is blind. Before using the braille format assessment, confirm that it is an allowable use of this accommodation in your state. If state policy allows, local brailling of the Kindergarten and Alternate ACCESS for ELLs assessments is allowable. In accordance with state policy, all adapted materials, as well as all form paper containing student answers, must be securely disposed SEA Policy: What is your SEA Policy on allowing the braille accommodation for this assessment? Do you allow local brailling of Kindergarten and Alternate ACCESS assessments? What is your SEA policy on the destruction of adapted materials? Should they be returned with test materials to the vendor or disposed of at the testing site? Response: The guidance found in the WIDA Accessibility and Accommodations Manual regarding administering a braille version of the assessment should be followed. However, students are expected to be proficient in UEB code. Because WIDA does not currently provide UEB at grades 9-12, it is the decision of the IEP Team as to whether or not the student will participate in the reading and writing domains of the ACCESS tests. WIDA offers the ACCESS tests in EBAE at those grade levels. However, since Rhode Island transitioned fully to UEB several years ago, students are not expected to know EBAE.
RI-Accessibility-and-Accommodations-Policies.docx