Layered EducationWhat it looks like
- Fails tests but can explain the content
- Supports used in class but not on tests, or the reverse
- The pair is unsure how to grade modified work
Accommodations
Grading and Assessment Access
Making sure a test measures what the student knows, and grading fairly.
Why it happens
A test should measure the target skill, not the access skill. When reading, writing speed, or format gets in the way, the grade says less about what the student knows.
Try this tomorrow
- For each test, name the target skill and remove barriers that are not it
- Use the same supports in class that the student will have on tests
- Decide together, before grading, how accommodated and modified work is scored
- Check which supports are allowed on state tests
If two of you are in the room
Co-teaching pairs can split this between them, and swap who takes which part so both teachers work with every student.
One teacher
Designs the assessment and names the target skill.
The other teacher
Checks access for each student with an IEP and arranges setting and timing.
What the research can and cannot tell us
Research on test accommodations is mixed: effects differ by student and by accommodation. Inclusive grading models rest on expert guidance more than on outcome studies.
Keep in mind
Grading policy is set locally. Check your school's policy and the IEP before changing how any student is graded. This is educational information only, not legal advice.
Resources
8 resources for this topic, drawn from 6 organizations. Everything opens free, and the ones from other organizations open on their own sites.
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Instructional Versus Testing Accommodations
Separate target skills from access skills when you design a classroom test.
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Grading Exceptional Learners
A five-step model: decide accommodation or modification first, then grade against the right standard.
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California Assessment Accessibility Resources Matrix
Look up which tools, supports, and accommodations are allowed on each California test.
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Accessibility Resources for California Assessments
Demonstration videos, training modules, and a tool for matching students to test supports.
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Usability, Accessibility, and Accommodations Guidelines
How each state test support works. It advises using the same supports during instruction.
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Grading in Inclusive Classrooms
Five grading adaptations and a shared process for product, process, and progress grades. Written for students with significant cognitive disabilities.
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Talking About Grading with Families and Students
How to explain grades in an inclusive classroom to a family and to the student.
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Selecting Appropriate Testing Accommodations for Students with Disabilities
A researcher explains how to match a testing accommodation to the student's need without changing the skill the test measures. Transcript included.
These resources are shared for professional learning and planning. They are meant to inform your professional judgment, not replace it. Each student's IEP and your district, state and federal requirements always come first. Listing a resource here is not an endorsement by Layered Education. This is educational information only, not legal advice.
Get the next tool by email
Join the educator list and your welcome gift arrives today: The Barrier to Support Menu, which names seven things that block a student's access, what to try for each one, and what to watch for. After that, you get the new tools as they land.
Are you a parent or caregiver? Start on our For Families page, where the welcome gift is written for you.
Want help putting this to work?
Facilitated co-planning days give a pair protected time to pick a focal student, choose one thing to try, and plan who does what. The first call is free.