TEA defines accommodations as changes to materials or procedures that enable students to participate meaningfully in learning and testing. Because TELPAS Alternate is an assessment based on a year of quality English instruction, the student performance described in the Observable Behaviors occurs while students have access to the instructional accommodations indicated in their IEP. A teacher’s determination of the English proficiency of a student with significant cognitive disabilities using TELPAS Alternate should reflect the student’s performance in English using the same accommodations used in daily instruction.
For purposes of TELPAS Alternate, “English” is not limited to the typical spoken or written English of other state assessments. It is important to recognize that some EB students use sign language, braille, or another method of communication as a substitute for traditional English in one or more domains. Teachers evaluating how well their students participate in classroom activities in English should consider whether an alternate response mode is an appropriate way for a student to demonstrate proficiency in a specific language domain. For the list of allowable response modes for each domain, refer to the TELPAS Alternate Educator Guide on the TELPAS Alternate Resources webpage.