Exam / Test / Accomodations

Exam/Test Accommodations


All identified students are entitled to accommodations on their exams. We realize that you have a lot of work to do, however, these accommodations are necessary to ensure the success of our students and they need to be done. Many resource students experience challenges in reading and/or writing and they need to be given the opportunity to express what they know.


Kindly remember that we are available to go over your regular exams with you and to make suggestions on how to accommodate it for your special education students.


Some common changes include:

· Allow point form answers
· Provide clear examples for the student to follow
· Provide a word bank for ‘fill in the blank’ sections
· Allow for oral evaluation
· Place fewer questions on the exam
· Reduce the number of distracters to 3 in multiple choice sections


It is important to remember that most special needs students work much slower than others and that they often have difficulty remembering information, so memorizing a lot of information is not always possible for them to do. Options include incorporating a review sheet into the exam/testing process, and/or reducing the amount of information to a level that is manageable for them. One way to do this is to eliminate extraneous information.


We appreciate your help in providing a fair testing process for special needs students.


Please feel free to contact us to discuss your exam/test accommodations for special needs students.








Accommodations & Evaluation Strategies for use in the
Preparing of Tests and Exams for Special Needs Students

Language
Layout
Format and
Accommodations

Level

Simplify language

Break one large question into it’s component parts

Give clear, concise explanations

Highlight/underline key words and points

Ensure that the text is easy to read i.e.

Clearly photocopied

Use large font

Adequate spacing

Provide word lists/formulas beside the question or diagram that they are being used for so that the student does not need to flip the pages to see this material.

Space questions so that they are easier to read

Give adequate room for answers



Is the exam the appropriate length?

Include a variety of question types such as: multiple choice, fill-in-the-blank, matching, diagrams, charts, etcetera.

Provide 3 alternatives for multiple choice questions instead of 4 or 5.

Reduce the total number of questions on the exam as compared to a regular exam.

Ask for an outline to an essay question, rather than a completed essay

Ensure a choice of questions

Allow extra time to complete the exam

Permit a review sheet or open book exam


Is the level of the exam appropriate for a special needs student?

When reflecting on this question kindly refer to the information contained in the Language, Layout, Format and Accommodations sections of this document.