Smarter Balanced Designated Supports
Designated Support | Description | Recommendations for Use |
Color Contrast | Enable students to adjust screen background or font color based on student needs or preferences. This may include reversing the colors for the entire interface or choosing the color of font and background. | Students with attention difficulties may need this support for viewing test content. It also may be needed by some students with visual impairments or other print disabilities (including learning disabilities). Choice of colors:
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Masking | Masking involves blocking off content that is not of immediate need or that may be distracting to the student. Students are able to focus their attention on a specific part of a test item by masking. | Students with attention difficulties may need to mask content not of immediate need or that may be distracting during the assessment. This support also may be needed by students with print disabilities (including learning disabilities) or visual impairments. Masking allows students to hide and reveal individual answer options, as well as all navigational buttons and menus. |
Text-to-speech (for math stimuli items and ELA items, not for reading passages. See Embedded Accommodations for ELA passages) | Text is read aloud to the student via embedded text-to-speech technology. The student is able to control the speed as well as raise or lower the volume of the voice via a volume control. | Students who are struggling readers may need assistance accessing the assessment by having all or portions of the assessment read aloud. This support also may be needed by students with reading-related disabilities. This support may be confusing and may impede the performance of students who do not regularly have the support during instruction. |
Translated test directions (for math items) | Translation of test directions is a language support available prior to beginning the actual test items. Students can see test directions in another language.
| Students who have limited English language skills can use the translated directions support. This support should only be used for students who are proficient readers in the other language and not proficient in English. |
Designated Support | Description | Recommendations for Use |
Translation Glossary (for math items) | Translated glossaries are a language support. The translated glossaries are provided for selected construct-irrelevant terms for math. Translations for these terms appear on the computer screen when students click on them. Students can also select the audio icon next to the glossary term and listen to the audio recording of the glossary. | Students who have limited English language skills (whether or not designated as ELLs or ELLs with disabilities) can use the translation glossary for specific items. The use of this support may result in the student needing additional overall time to complete the assessment. |
Print Size | Changes the default print size for a student (default font size for all tests is 14 pt). note: All students can zoom in and out using Universal tools.
| May be needed by some students with visual impairments or other print disabilities (including learning disabilities).
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Translations (stacked) | Stacked translations are a language support. Stacked translations are available for some students; stacked translations provide the full translation of each test item above the original item in English. | For students whose primary language is not English and who use dual language supports in the classroom, use of the stacked (dual language) translation may be appropriate. Students participate in the assessment regardless of the language. This support will increase reading load and cognitive load. The use of this support may result in the student needing additional overall time to complete the assessment. |
Turn off any Universal Tools | Disable any universal tools that might be distracting or that students do not need to use, or are unable to use. | Students who are easily distracted (whether or not designated as having attention difficulties or disabilities) may be overwhelmed by some of the universal tools. Knowing which specific tools may be distracting is important for determining which tools to turn off. |
Information gathered from Smarter Balanced Usability, Accessibility, and Accommodations Guidelines