#126
During a recent conversation with a colleague, I was reminded of how - with regards to learning differences - the terms accommodations and modifications can be easily confused. Thus, it seems apt to share a reminder of the definitions, as taken from Wrights Law Glossary of Assessment Terms, for both.
ACCOMMODATIONS - Describe changes in format, response, setting, timing, or scheduling that do not alter in any significant way what the test measures or the comparability of scores. Accommodations are designed to ensure that an assessment measures the intended construct, not the child’s disability.
Accommodations affect three areas of testing:
the administration of tests,
how students are allowed to respond to the items, and
the presentation of the tests (how the items are presented to the students on the test instrument).
Accommodations may include Braille forms of a test for blind students or tests in native languages for students whose primary language is other than English.
MODIFICATIONS - Changes in the content, format, and/or administration of a test to accommodate test takers who are unable to take the test under standard test conditions. Modifications alter what the test is designed to measure or the comparability of scores.
In addition, it seems apt to share this ASCD infographic, Differentiation Is, Differentiation Is Not, as a clear understanding of what is and what is not differentiation is paramount to ensure students needs, be it through accommodations or modifications, are met.
References:
Wrightslaw.com Glossary of Assessment Terms
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