Improving the Accessibility of State-Mandated Assessments: Findings from a Focus Group of State Education Agency Representatives

Ensuring participation in state-mandated assessments by students who need accessible educational materials (AEM) and related technologies is an extension of the National Center on Accessible Educational Materials for Learning at CAST's (AEM Center) technical assistance activities. The needs of students who rely on AEM for daily learning transfer to state-mandated and large-scale assessments. The purpose of this interim report is to provide state leaders and test developers with initial considerations for improving the accessibility of state-mandated assessments for students with disabilities, specifically those who use AT and AEM in daily instruction. These findings can be used by states to inform the development of policies and guidelines and by test developers to inform the design of assessment systems and platforms. Most desirable is that the findings will help initiate improved collaboration between and among states, districts, and test developers. Six general findings were identified by the AEM Center: (1) Accessibility requirements need to be explicit and strategically communicated to test developers; (2) Students need access to the same features and tools used for daily learning; (3) Security measures commonly interfere with accessibility; (4) The coordination between SEAs and LEAs needs to be improved; (5) Differentiated training and technical assistance are needed; and (6) States should support each other by adopting a holistic, unified approach.