Data Informed Accessibility - Making Optimal Needs-based Decisions (DIAMOND): Publications & Presentations

A report from the DIAMOND project on phone interviews conducted with educators to highlight effective practices being used to implement accessibility features and accommodations in their classrooms during instruction and during assessments. Educators were asked about two kinds of accessibility features (universal features and designated features) and about accommodations.

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Educators' Experiences With and Attitudes Toward Accessibility Features and Accommodations

A report from the DIAMOND project that explores the results of an online survey about educators' familiarity with and attitudes toward accessibility features and accommodations. Most of the 2,000 respondents reported that they work with students who use accessibility features and accommodations, which they believe to have a positive impact on educational outcomes. However, the survey results also show noticeable differences between different groups of educators and suggest that teachers in general education and English learner education may need more support in making and implementing decisions about accessibility features and accommodations.

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Data Informed Accessibility: A Review of the Literature

The purpose of this literature review is to: (a) summarize the shift that has occurred in approaches to accessibility in testing (including the paradigm shift of what accessibility for all students means, and its relationship to accessibility in instruction), (b) identify the gaps in educators' knowledge and application of accessibility approaches and their need for training, and (c) explore the approaches to professional development that might be used to develop accessibility and accommodations training for all educators.

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White Paper on Common Accessibility Language for States and Assessment Vendors

Different test platforms use different terminology for the accessibility features and accommodations that they offer, which can make it difficult for students, parents, educators, and administrators to understand the available options and select the appropriate supports. DIAMOND project staff outlined the problem and offered recommendations in this white paper.

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A Spanish language version of this paper is also available: Informe sobre el desarrollo de un lenguaje común de la accesibilidad para los estados y proveedores de evaluaciones

Educators’ Thoughts on Making Decisions About Accessibility for All Students

This report describes the asynchronous online focus group activity of the DIAMOND project. The goal of conducting the focus groups was to gather in-depth information about teachers’ experiences with accessibility features and accommodations in the classroom and on assessments. The results from the focus groups contribute to the project’s development of guidelines for making informed decisions about accessibility features and accommodations.

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Additional Educators’ Perspectives on Classroom Implementation of Accessibility Features and Accommodations

A second report from the DIAMOND project on phone interviews conducted with educators to highlight effective practices being used to implement accessibility features and accommodations in their classrooms during instruction and during assessments. Educators were asked about two kinds of accessibility features (universal features and designated features) and about accommodations. This report on the second cohort of interviewees presents separate findings as well as an overall summary for the two cohorts.

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Usability and Pilot Testing of the DIAMOND Online Professional Development Module

One of the main goals of the Data Informed Accessibility – Making Optimal Needs-based Decisions (DIAMOND) project was to create an online professional development module to help educators to make decisions about accessibility features and accommodations for their students. By December 2018, a working version of this module was completed. DIAMOND staff then began a series of tests to understand how this module could better meet the needs and preferences of educators. First, the University of Minnesota’s User Experience Support Laboratory helped lead two separate usability tests with Minnesota educators. Second, DIAMOND staff conducted a pilot test with educators from several DIAMOND partner states. This report summarizes the findings of each of these tests and outlines the measures that DIAMOND staff have taken to respond to feedback.

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Student Demonstrations of their Use of Accessibility Features and Accommodations

This report presents information from a study by the Data Informed Accessibility—Making Optimal Needs-based Decisions (DIAMOND) project that examined classroom use of accessibility features and accommodations gathered through in-person interviews with teachers and in-person demonstrations with students. The report catalogs the accessibility features and accommodations used in class that were helpful to students, identifies reasons that certain accessibility features and accommodations were and were not used, and explores barriers to the effective use of accessibility features and accommodations.

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PRESENTATIONS

Using Online Modules to Learn about Accessibility Features and Accommodations , Martha Thurlow, Darrell Peterson, and Erik Larson, NABE Conference (March 8, 2019)

Trends in Accommodations and Accessibility Features English Learners Received on Statewide Assessments , Yi-Chen Wu and Martha Thurlow, NABE Conference (March 7, 2019)

Planning for Successfully Including and Accommodating Your Students in Assessments , Yi-Chen Wu, Linda Goldstone, and Martha Thurlow (February 2, 2019)

Erik Larson presentation, AERA, New York City (April 15, 2018) How Much Do Educators Know about Accessibility Features and Accommodations?

Using Online Professional Development Modules to Learn about Accessibility Features and Accommodations , Kristi Liu, Darrell Peterson, and Erik Larson (November 17, 2018)

Martha Thurlow and Erik Larson, National Association of Bilingual Education (NABE) Conference DIAMOND Project: Making Optimal Accessibility Decisions for English Learners (February 25, 2017)

Minnesota English Learner Education (MELEd) Conference

More accessibility features and accommodations are available to English learners than ever before. While this can result in better educational outcomes for them, it can put a great burden on educators as they decide which supports are suited to individual students’ needs and preferences. This presentation focused on the results of survey conducted in DIAMOND’s nine partner states, highlighting particular challenges for EL educators.

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National Conference on Student Assessment (NCSA)

The DIAMOND project aims to help teachers in member states make optimal accessibility and accommodations decisions for all of their students. During this presentation, member state representatives highlighted accessibility and accommodations issues and NCEO staff explained how the DIAMOND project’s activities would address these needs.

See the slides [PPT download]