Participation Matters: Talking Points for SEA Policymakers

Statewide tests are crucial tools for improving the school system because they help guide decisions about policy, instruction, and how funding and supplies are handed out. To make sure these decisions are based on accurate and complete information, every student, including those with disabilities, must be included in the testing system. For many students with disabilities, accessibility features and accommodations are critical. They allow these students to show what they know and can do on tests in a way that is fair, valid, and reliable.

What are Accessibility Features and Accommodations?

Accessibility features and accommodations are changes in procedures or materials that: (a) ensure a student has equitable access to instructional and assessment content, and (b) support valid assessment results for those students who require them (Lazarus et al., 2021). State assessments typically use a multi-tiered approach to accessibility supports. How states name the tiers varies, but the Common Education Data Standards (CEDS) (Peterson et al., 2025) identify the tiers as:

• Universal features are provided to all students. Examples include highlighter and line guide.
• Designated features are available to all students for whom an adult or a team of adults has indicated a need. Examples include color contrast and masking.
• Accommodations are provided only to students with disabilities and must be documented in Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). Examples include braille and signed administration.
• Administrative considerations are used on some assessments and may be provided at the discretion of administrators or educators. Examples include group size and setting.

For statewide accountability assessments, state departments of education determine which accessibility features and accommodations are allowed for each test. These supports can either be built into a computer-based assessment or provided in person by a human.

How States are Preparing Students and Educators

Individualized Education Program (IEP) teams determine which accessibility features and accommodations students with disabilities need on state assessments based on each student’s characteristics. However, IEP teams need to understand how to determine what features students need, and students need to know how and when to use the supports.

IEP Team Engagement: States must ensure IEP team members know how to select accessibility features for students and to document all needed accessibility features—including universal and designated features—to ensure transparency and continued access during instruction and assessment.

Teacher Training: Professional development for educators focuses on ensuring they can effectively instruct students on the strategic use of assessment tools based on individual learning needs.

Preparing Students: Some states have developed specific training modules and implementation guides to help students know how to use accessibility tools.

Talking Points

• High Expectations: Including every student in assessments with the right, familiar supports shows high expectations for all learners and helps them succeed.
• Valid Measurement: Students with disabilities must have the accessibility features and accommodations they need, as required by federal law (ESSA, IDEA). More importantly, this helps ensure that assessment results provide a valid "snapshot" of system performance.
• Preparing Students: Students do not automatically know how and when they need to use accessibility features and accommodations on assessments. They need to be taught. This helps make sure that the assessment results accurately show what students know and can do.
• Classroom-to-Test Alignment: Assessment accessibility features and accommodations work best when they are the same as those students use in class every day.

References

Lazarus, S., Goldstone, L., Wheeler, T., Paul, J., Prestridge, S., Sharp, T., Hochstetter, A., & Warren, S. (2021). CCSSO accessibility manual: How to select, administer, and evaluate use of accessibility supports for instruction and assessment of all students. Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO).

Peterson, T., Lazarus, S. S., Quanbeck, M., Hinkle, A. R., and Liu, K. K. (2025). The development of common terminology (updated edition): Adding accessibility features to the Common Education Data Standards (CEDS) (NCEO Report 447). National Center on Educational Outcomes.