Accommodations
Accommodations are changes to materials or procedures that enable students with disabilities or English language learners (ELLs) to participate meaningfully in learning and testing. It is important to keep in mind that while some accommodations may be appropriate for instructional use, they may not be appropriate or allowable on a statewide assessment.
Accommodations for students with disabilities are intended to provide students with effective and equitable access to grade-level or course curriculum and assessments. For the purposes of the statewide assessments, students needing accommodations due to a disability include:
- Students with an identified disability who receive special education services and meet established eligibility criteria for certain accommodations
- Students with an identified disability who receive Section 504 services and meet established eligibility criteria for certain accommodations
- Students with a disabling condition who do not receive special education or Section 504 services but meet established eligibility criteria for certain accommodations
For students who receive special education or Section 504 services, the decision for a student to use accommodations during the statewide assessments is made by the ARD committee or Section 504 placement committee. In those instances where a student does not receive services but meets the eligibility criteria because of a disabling condition, the decision about using accommodations on the statewide assessments is made by the appropriate team of people at the campus level, such as the Response to Intervention (RTI) team or student assistance team.
STAAR Accommodation Page
The TEA Accommodation Resource Page lists the allowable Accessibility Features, Designated Supports requiring local approval and Designated Supports requiring TEA approval. It describes each support with the eligibility criteria and documentation requirements.
District and Campus Coordinator Resources Online
Accessibility Policy documents listed on the Accommodation Resources webpage are currently located in the District and Campus Coordinator Resources online.
Accommodation Request Process
For designated supports requiring TEA approval, the appropriate team of people at the campus level determines whether the student meets all of the specific eligibility criteria and, if so, submits an Accommodation Request Form to TEA. Educators must read and understand the information in the links below prior to submitting an Accommodation Request Form to TEA.
Accommodation Monitoring Form
Educators should collect and analyze data pertaining to the use and effectiveness of accommodations (e.g., assignment/test scores with and without the accommodation, observational reports). This data will show whether the student still needs the accommodation or whether it is now unnecessary.
The Accommodation Monitoring Form is a tool that can be used to collect data on accommodation use and effectiveness.
The Accommodation Monitoring Form is a tool that can be used to collect data on accommodation use and effectiveness.
