TEA Information on TAKS & Accommodations

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TEA Information on TAKS & Accommodations

Posted by:

" Noe " cnoe59@... noechuck

Thu Sep 17, 2009 6:16 am

(PDT)

TEA recently posted some information that you need to be aware of.

One item is the standards that have been set for passing the TAKS-M. TEA says

that " For TAKS-M, each grade and subject assessed has a passing standard

that was recommended by educators from across the state of Texas and then

approved by the Commissioner of Education. District staff, teachers, and

parents can use the chart linked below to determine where a student's score

falls within the three established performance standards, also known as

performance levels (Commended Performance, Met Standard, and Did Not Meet

Standard). Students scoring in the Commended and Met Standard performance

levels for any given assessment have passed that particular assessment.

Performance Level Descriptors (PLDs) are intended to help parents, educators,

and others understand what students who score at a given performance standard

on TAKS-M are expected to know and be able to do at the time of testing. "

This information is available at: http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index3.aspx?id=3636 & menu_id3=793#standards

The other item is a very important resource for parents. It is the 2009-10

Accommodations Manual. Each year TEA updates this manual. This year's manual

cover continues to say that it is guidelines for selecting, providing, &

evaluating the use of accommodations for all students. The introduction says

that " The information in this manual is applicable to all students

requiring accommodations. When appropriate accommodations are provided in

classroom instruction and testing, students are more successful in learning.

When students are provided appropriate accommodations that are allowed during

state assessments, their test results will be more valid and reliable

indicators of what they know and can do in relation to the grade-level Texas

Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). "

Manipulatives have been added to the list of accommodations allowed for the

TAKS (Accommodated). The list of allowable supplemental aids for TAKS

(Accommodated) has been expanded and includes additional examples.

The manual also includes a long list of accommodations that are allowed for

specific TAKS tests. Of course there are accommodations that can be used for

instruction, but are not allowed for the TAKS tests.

I strongly recommend that you study this manual, if you have any questions or

concerns about accommodations being used for instruction and/or TAKS testing.

You then have time to have an ARD meeting to discuss your concerns and

hopefully have them addressed.

Accommodation use on End-of-Course Assessments is not addressed in the manual

since they are not currently required for graduation. Schools are allowed to

use " their best judgment " to decide appropriate end of course accommodations.

The Accommodations Manual and related materials can be found at: http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index3.aspx?id=3696 & menu_id3=793

Chuck Noe

Education Specialist

Partners Resource Network