This web page has been created to provide school districts with information on supporting students with meaningful participation in the state assessments. The purpose of accessibility is to eliminate the effects of student barriers that prevent them from demonstrating what they know and can do.  All students can work toward grade-level academic content standards via differentiation and appropriately selected supports and/or accommodations. Online test delivery systems on an annual basis must be properly configured to reflect students’ test settings needs for tools, supports, and/or accommodations as required in the educational plan before administering state assessments. There are three types of student test settings and these need to be turned on locally at the district-level in order for a student to have access to them during testing.

  • Universal Tools are available to all students who can benefit from such.
  • Designated Supports can be turned on as determined by the student’s educational team and do not require an IEP or 504.
  • Accommodations can only be turned on if a student has an IEP/504. For more information on accessibility and student needs, read the Montana’s Three Tiers of Accessibility Manual.

The policies and procedures specific to each testing program for accessibility and accommodations are referenced below and can be accessed by the document links.

  1. Smarter Balanced is the general math and reading/language arts assessment for academic achievement reporting in Grades 3–8.
  2. ACT with Writing (ACT) is the general math, reading/language arts, and science assessment for academic achievement reporting in Grade 11.
  3. Multi-State Alternate Assessment (MSAA) is the alternate math and reading/language arts assessment for academic achievement reporting in Grades 3–8 and 11 for students with significant cognitive disabilities.
  4. Montana Science Assessment (MSA) is the general science assessment for academic achievement reporting in Grades 5 and 8. 
  5. Alternate Montana Science Assessment (AMSA) is the alternate science assessment for academic achievement reporting in Grades 5, 8, and 11 for students with significant cognitive disabilities.
  6. ACCESS for ELLs and Alt ACCESS is the English Language Proficiency assessment for academic achievement reporting for English Learners (EL) in Grades K–12.

Smarter Balanced Accessibility Features

ACT with Writing Accessibility Features

ACT Accessibility Supports Guide

ACT Quick Start Guide for Requesting Accommodations and/or EL Supports (Note: For state assessments, refer to the right column of the guide "Resources for State and District Testing")

New! ACT Policy for Requesting Accommodations for the ACT Test  ACT's updated policy effective for Spring 2022 ACT with Writing administration.

ACT Test Accessibility and Accommodations System (TAA) User Guide

Additional ACT State and District Testing Accommodations and English Learner Supports Resources 

ACT Accommodations & English Learner Supports

What you Need to Know about EL Supports for the ACT Test (English)

What you Need to Know about EL Supports for the ACT Test (Spanish)

Montana ACT Page  See Section 3 for accommodations resources and documents.

OPI ACT Page  General information about the ACT, this site also has an accessibility and accommodations page with the most pertinent accessibility resources, documents, and links.

High-Incidence Accommodations, Local Arrangements, and Accessibility Supports on the ACT® Test for State Testing and District Testing 

ACT Test Administration Manual This manual has sections with information about accommodation administration procedures.

EL Supports Guide Detailed information on the supports that are allowable for the ACT for English Learners

English Learner Supports Infographic This is a visual overview of EL supports for ACT.

Quick Start Guide to Requesting Accommodations and Supports Information about how to request accommodations for use on the ACT with Writing.

Late Consideration Request Form

Confidentiality and Student Privacy Information: The Technical Assistance on Student Privacy for State and Local Education Agencies When Administering College Admissions Examinations document covers information that will help Local Education Agencies (LEAs) meet obligations under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), the Individuals  with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), and the Protection for Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA) in relation to the administration of college entrance examinations like the ACT.

Multi-State Alternate Assessment Accessibility Features

MSAA Alternate Website  This is the website where all MSAA testing activities are completed including launching and administering tests.  

Test Administration Resources

MSAA Test Administration Manual (includes accommodations information)

MSAA Sample Items  Sample items can be accessed and used throughout the year to help prepare your students for the MSAA test.  The sample items also provide an opportunity for educators to become familiar with the test format and items.  Sample items can be shared with parents to help in building understanding of what statewide assessment looks like for their child. 

Participation Criteria Resources

Alternate Assessment Participation Criteria Worksheet for IEP Teams

Alternate Assessment Eligibility Guidelines These policies were published in 2021-2022 school year to support school districts with the training and technical assistance needs prior to implementation on August 1, 2022. The new eligibility guidelines explain the OPI’s policies and procedures for assessing students with significant cognitive disabilities (SwSCDs) using Montana's Alternate Assessments and are designed to assist IEP Teams in decision-making around participation needs for the alternate summative state assessments.

Appendix A - Participation Form. The four questions are the same in the AIM Statewide IEP Editor. The requirement for these data is to have school districts is to electronically complete these steps in AIM/Infinite Campus. The new PDF form is used by the IEP team to document the conversations, evidence, and decisions when determining whether a student should participate in Alternate and can assist conversations locally but is not required to submit to the OPI.

Appendix B - Decision Flowchart. The Decision Flowchart is designed to guide the sequence of decisions to be made by IEP teams when determining whether a student should participate in Montana’s Alternate Assessments.

Learner Characteristic Inventory (LCI) for Alternate Assessments - survey questions collected in the MSAA Assessment. The survey provides the OPI and school districts with a general picture of the characteristics for most student with significant cognitive disabilities (SwSCDs) in the state of Montana.

 

Assessing Writing

Writing Prompt Best Practice Videos: These videos provide an opportunity for educators to view how writing items are administered on the MSAA test. 

Writing Rubrics: These are examples of writing rubrics that might be used in instruction

Montana Science Assessment Accessibility Features

The Montana Science Assessment (MSA) Usability, Accessibility, and Accommodations Guidelines (UAAG) is published on the Testing Portal.

Alternate Montana Science Assessment Accessibility Features

The Alternate Montana Science Assessment (AMSA) Usability, Accessibility, and Accommodations Guidelines (UAAG) is published on the Testing Portal.

Alternate Assessment Eligibility Guidelines These policies were published in 2021-2022 school year to support school districts with the training and technical assistance needs prior to implementation on August 1, 2022. The new eligibility guidelines explain the OPI’s policies and procedures for assessing students with significant cognitive disabilities (SwSCDs) using Montana's Alternate Assessments and are designed to assist IEP Teams in decision-making around participation needs for the alternate summative state assessments.

Appendix A - Participation Form. The four questions are the same in the AIM Statewide IEP Editor. The requirement for these data is to have school districts is to electronically complete these steps in AIM/Infinite Campus. The new PDF form is used by the IEP team to document the conversations, evidence, and decisions when determining whether a student should participate in Alternate and can assist conversations locally but is not required to submit to the OPI.

Appendix B - Decision Flowchart. The Decision Flowchart is designed to guide the sequence of decisions to be made by IEP teams when determining whether a student should participate in Montana’s Alternate Assessments.

Learner Characteristic Inventory (LCI) for Alternate Assessments - survey questions collected in the MSAA Assessment. The survey provides the OPI and school districts with a general picture of the characteristics for most student with significant cognitive disabilities (SwSCDs) in the state of Montana.

 

ACCESS for ELLs Accessibility Features

English Learner Guidance for School Districts - This document assists STCs with understanding the decision-making process and MontCAS criteria used to inform EL Specialists in the criteria for being considered an EL.

Accessibility and Accommodations (WIDA)

General Information

WIDA Accessibility and Accommodations Information Page

Accessibility and Accommodations Supplement

Sample Items

Online ACCESS for ELLs Sample Items

Alternate ACCESS for ELLs Sample Items

Alternate ACCESS for ELLs Accessibility Features

Alternate Eligibility Criteria - This document assists STCs and educators in making decisions about student participation in the alternate ACCESS for ELLs assessment. 

 

MontCAS Policies and Procedures for Participation in State Assessments - This guide explains the participation policies and procedures to register and include students in each of the state assessments. 

MontCAS Test Security Manual - Describes the standardized test administration and test security procedures to be used by each accredited school.

Parent/Guardian Resources - Resources for parents and guardians.