LAUSD Accessibility And Accommodations - REF-6420.1 - Reference Guide

Oct 3, 2026

Uploaded by Bintang

Guidance for LAUSD schools on selecting and implementing Universal Accessibility Tools, Designated Supports, and Accommodations for Smarter Balanced (SB) and California Alternate Assessment (CAA) testing. The reference guide outlines major updates for the 2015-16 testing windows, clarifies text-to-speech/read-aloud and Braille supports, and explains how to mark supports in TOMS and related data systems. It also describes routing to district and school roles and establishes support levels for Common Core-aligned assessments.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages21

Reading Time53 min

AccessFree to download

Purpose

Background

Purpose of Guidelines

Designated Supports and Accommodations in TOMS

Universal Accessibility Tools

TITLE: LAUSD Accessibility And Accommodations Guidelines For Smarter Balanced Assessments NUMBER: REF-6420.1 ISSUER: Cynthia Lim, Executive Director Office of Data and Accountability DATE: February 5, 2016 ROUTING Local District Superintendents Local District Administration Special Education Service Center, Instruction and Operations Principals Assistant Principals School Coordinators Special Education Teachers Related Services Staff District/School Nurses CAASPP Test Coordinators PURPOSE: This Reference Guide provides guidance for schools regarding the Universal Accessibility Tools, Designated Supports, and Accommodations for Smarter Balanced (SB) and California Alternate Assessment (CAA) tests. This reference guide has been updated for the 2015-16 testing windows. MAJOR CHANGES: 􀁸 Text-to-speech and read-aloud for reading passages has been expanded to include all Smarter Balanced grades (3-8, 11). More guidance has been provided regarding when to use the embedded text-to-speech or non-embedded read-aloud Accommodation. 􀁸 Clarification of Braille Accommodation 􀁸 These guidelines are to be used for the California Alternate Assessments (CAA) . Students taking CAA and needing Designated Supports and/or Accommodations must have the Designated Support(s) and/or Accommodation(s) marked in the Test Operations Management System (TOMS) . 􀁸 Individualized Education Program (IEP) or Section 504 Plan indicators must beset in the California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System (CALPADS) to access Accommodations test setting in TOMS. Students with IEPs must also have a Primary Disability code set in CALPADS. 􀁸 The California Department of Education (CDE) has added Unlisted Resources to facilitate student needs that are not addressed with these guidelines. INSTRUCTIONS: I. BACKGROUND Assembly Bill 484 (AB 484) was signed into law on October 2, 2013. The provisions of the new law, which took effect on January 1, 2014, established the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) . The CAASPP system replaces the Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) Program. Some pencil-and-paper assessments previously used in the STAR program will continue being used under the new CAASPP system. II. PURPOSE OF GUIDELINES The LAUSD Accessibility and Accommodations Guidelines for Assessment of Common Core State Standards are designed for use by school-level personnel and decision-making teams: 􀁸 Individualized Education Program (IEP) teams 􀁸 Section 504 Plan teams 􀁸 Language Appraisal Teams (LAT), and 􀁸 Student Success Teams (SST) 􀁸 Coordination of Services Team (COST) The guidelines outlined below provide information for classroom teachers, special education teachers, school nurses, administrators, and related services personnel to use in selecting and administering accessibility tools and accommodations for those students who need them. There are three different levels of support available on Common Core-aligned state and district tests and assessments. These different levels are outlined in Sections IV, V and VI of this reference guide. III. DESIGNATED SUPPORTS AND ACCOMMODATIONS IN TOMS The Test Operations Management System (TOMS) is the overall registration system used by the Smarter Balanced assessments system. TOMS is the system through which users interact with and inform the test delivery system. In California, TOMS receives student demographic and program participation data from the California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System (CALPADS) and is also used by District Test Coordinators (DCs) and School Test Coordinators (SCs) to assign Designated Supports and Accommodations. All embedded and non-embedded Designated Supports and Accommodations must be assigned in TOMS except for the Designated Supports noted on page 8. SCs identified in the Principal’s Portal as the CAASPP Coordinator will be assigned a school TOMS account when the requisite security docum

FAQs

What is the purpose of the LAUSD Accessibility And Accommodations reference guide?

It provides guidance for schools on Universal Accessibility Tools, Designated Supports, and Accommodations for Smarter Balanced and California Alternate Assessment tests, updated for the 2015-16 testing windows.

How are designated supports and accommodations assigned in TOMS?

Specific supports and accommodations must be enabled in TOMS prior to testing by the SC or DC (or other assigned district staff), and settings must be indicated at least four days before the student’s scheduled session.

What systems are used to ensure students can access accommodations in TOMS?

IEP or Section 504 Plan indicators must be set in CALPADS to access accommodations test settings in TOMS, and students with IEPs must also have a Primary Disability code set in CALPADS.

Oct 3, 2026

Uploaded by Bintang