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Highlighting, Coloring, Circling, or Marking a Response

Allowing a student with a significant cognitive disability and limited expressive language skills to indicate an answer with a special marking.

 

Allowable on at least one state assessment Allowable on state assessment: This accommodation is allowable on at least one state assessment. See which tests allow this accommodation

Assistive Technology

intellectual disability traumatic brain injury autism response accommodation staar alternate 2 response mode

Examples Include:

  • Highlighting the correct answer.

  • Coloring around the correct answer.

  • Circling the correct answer.

  • Marking the correct answer in some other way.

How to Implement:

  • 1.

    Decide which questions or tasks the student will respond to by marking an answer choice.

    Decide which questions or tasks the student will respond to by marking an answer choice.

  • 2.

    Prepare materials such as text, images, or other media, that may be used to represent answer choices.

    Prepare materials such as text, images, or other media, that may be used to represent answer choices.

  • 3.

    Consult the student's IEP to determine how many answer choices to offer and whether the student needs adaptations to the writing utensil, paper, or

    Consult the student's IEP to determine how many answer choices to offer and whether the student needs adaptations to the writing utensil, paper, or paper positioning.

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  • 4.

    Use the student's IEP to determine the best way to prompt the student and how to adjust your prompting, as needed.

    Use the student's IEP to determine the best way to prompt the student and how to adjust your prompting, as needed.

  • 5.

    Present the student with a question and prompt the student to answer.

    Present the student with a question and prompt the student to answer.

  • 6.

    Wait at least five seconds for the student to respond.

    Wait at least five seconds for the student to respond.

  • 7.

    Monitor and record the level of your prompting, the accuracy of the student's responses, and the student's engagement to judge instructional effectiveness.

    Monitor and record the level of your prompting, the accuracy of the student's responses, and the student's engagement to judge instructional effectiveness.

  • 8.

    Share progress and effectiveness with the student, the educational team, and the family.

    Share progress and effectiveness with the student, the educational team, and the family.

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Note: Review the STAAR Alternate 2 Test Administrator Manual for presentation instructions during test administration.

State Assessment
Allowability

Some accommodations appropriate for instructional use may not be allowable on a statewide assessment. Select the state assessment to view the implementation policies.

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STAAR Alternate 2 + –

May be used as a form of physical response if the accommodation is documented in the student's IEP and follows these guidelines:

  • maintain the integrity of the assessment,

  • avoid leading to or providing the student a direct answer,

  • be used routinely in instruction,

  • reflect the student’s learning styles, and

  • allow a student to respond using a mode that is appropriate for the student.