[Pibe-division] STAR testing alternative for Braille readers?

Thu Sep 8 18:58:07 UTC 2016

Go Gina.  We need more school psychologists who are willing to inform.

--Mary Willows

The National Federation of the blind knows that blindness is not the
characteristic that defines you or your future.  Every day we raise the
expectations of blind people because low expectations create obstacles
between blind people and our dreams. 

You can live the life you want; blindness is not what holds you back.

National Federation of the Blind of California (NFBC)

3934 Kern Court

Pleasanton, CA 94588

925-462-8575

Thank you,

Mary Willows, President NFBC

mwillows at sbcglobal.net 

From: PIBE-Division [mailto:pibe-division-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of
Gina Ouellette via PIBE-Division
Sent: Thursday, September 08, 2016 10:57 AM
To: Professionals in Blindness Education Division List
Cc: Gina Ouellette
Subject: Re: [Pibe-division] STAR testing alternative for Braille readers?

Hi Amy,

The people at STAR need to be educated-Their statement that "the Braille
format is not compatible with computer-adaptive testing" is completely
false. The SBAC/CAASPP tests used in California are also CAT (Computer
Adaptive Test) and are compatible with Braille. by using a refreshable
Braille display. So a blanket statement that all CAT tests won't work with
Braille is totally false. Sounds like the people at STAR are thinking only
of printed Braille. It is true that an embossed Braille test booklet would
be different than a CAT test, because the adaptive test chooses the next
question based on whether or not the student correctly answered the previous
question (while the embossed test is what it is, regardless of whether or
not students get each question right or wrong). However, the problem would
easily be solved by STAR if they made their test compatible with refreshable
Braille displays. Sounds like they need a consultant to teach them a thing
or two about Braille in the modern age!

You can find out more about how SBAC/CAASPP has made their Computer Adaptive
Tests accessible to Braille users here:

http://www.caaspp.org/administration/accessibility/index.html

Near the bottom of the page it says "Accessibility Resource Webcasts and
Trainings". There you will find specific information about using CAT tests
with blind students, and how to configure their devices to work with the
test:

Configuring Testing Devices for Students with Visual Impairments (April
2016) 

*	Archived Webcast (Video)
<http://www.caaspp.org/rsc/videos/archived-webcast_042716.html> 
*	Configuring Testing Devices for Students with Visual Impairments
(PPT) <http://www.caaspp.org/rsc/pdfs/CAASPP.apr_27-slides.2016.ppt>
presentation
*	Configuring Testing Devices for Students with Visual Impairments
<https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B3Zwvd-jgu6STmIybl9OaTdyRXM>
resources-includes handouts, materials, installation files, and sample .brf
& .prn files

Maybe you could send these links on to STAR. It would behoove them to start
working on this now before they get slapped with a lawsuit.!

In regards to your original question (stepping off my soapbox, sorry), the
CAASPP website does have Interim assessment available. These are
specifically designed to monitor ongoing student progress throughout the
school year. However, I think these are only available to users in
California. L I can't find a way to access them without a login. Your state
may also have interim assessments, though, which could fall under the
umbrella of their statewide summative assessments, similar to the way it is
now done in California. 

DIBELS is a good benchmark assessment for reading. You can get it in
contracted and uncontracted Braille for grades 1-6, and uncontracted for
Kindergarten. 

Good luck!

Gina

From: PIBE-Division [mailto:pibe-division-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of
Amy_Brush--- via PIBE-Division
Sent: Tuesday, September 06, 2016 12:06 PM
To: nfb group
Cc: Amy_Brush at caboces.org
Subject: Re: [Pibe-division] STAR testing alternative for Braille readers?

I had explained to them that she uses online technology but the link they
sent me expressly states the following:

Computer-adaptive tests including the STAR Enterprise assessments are not
appropriate for blind students because the student completing the test must
be able to read the text visually; the Braille format is not compatible with
computer-adaptive testing. To take a STAR Early Literacy or STAR Reading
assessment, a student must be able to respond to on-screen prompts that
assess the ability to read print-based text. STAR Math also requires that a
student respond to visual representations of mathematics symbols and
notations. Educators working with a student with a visual impairment are
encouraged to evaluate the suitability of STAR for that particular student
and decide on an appropriate course of action. 

Each item in star testing prompts/predicts the next item, so downloading and
creating a test each month is not possible.  

Thanks for your input.  Amy 

-----"PIBE-Division" <pibe-division-bounces at nfbnet.org> wrote: ----- 

To: Professionals in Blindness Education Division List
<pibe-division at nfbnet.org>
From: Marianne Denning via PIBE-Division 
Sent by: "PIBE-Division" 
Date: 09/06/2016 02:56PM
Cc: Marianne Denning <marianne at denningweb.com>
Subject: Re: [Pibe-division] STAR testing alternative for Braille readers?

I think this is reprehensible.  According to OSEP the school district is out
of compliance. I know that isn't your question but it is a big problem. 

On Tue, Sep 6, 2016 at 2:51 PM, Amy_Brush--- via PIBE-Division
<pibe-division at nfbnet.org> wrote:

Hello all, 

One of my schools using STAR testing to set and track learning benchmarks in
both math and literacy skills for their students.  It is expressly not
recommended by renaissance learning that this system be used with blind
individuals.  However; I'd like to find something comparable that can be
either loaded in her Braille Sense or made into hardcopy Braille for monthly
benchmark testing.  

Does anyone have ideas to help with this solution?  

Thank you, 

Amy B

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-- 

Marianne Denning, TVI, MA

Teacher of students who are blind or visually impaired

(513) 607-6053

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