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For a student who meets the eligibility criteria, this designated support may be used on:

• STAAR, including STAAR Spanish

• TELPAS

This designated support allows a test administrator to physically manipulate test materials, online tools, and equipment for a student who is unable to do so independently.

A student may use this designated support if the student routinely and effectively uses it during classroom instruction and classroom testing.

• The STAAR Non-Embedded Supports or TELPAS Non-Embedded Supports field must be updated in the Non-Embedded Supports panel in the Test Information Distribution Engine (TIDE) before the end of the specific testing window to indicate that this support was made available to the student.

• For a student not receiving special education or Section 504 services, the decision is made by the appropriate campus-level team (e.g., Response to Intervention [RtI] team, student assistance team) and documented according to district policies. The decision should be based on the eligibility criteria and aimed at addressing a student’s consistent academic struggle in a specific area even after intensive instruction and remediation.

• For a student receiving Section 504 services, the decision is made by the Section 504 committee based on the eligibility criteria and is documented in the student’s individual accommodation plan (IAP).

• For a student receiving special education services, the decision is made by the admission, review, and dismissal (ARD) committee based on the eligibility criteria and is documented in the student’s individualized education program (IEP).

• In the case of an emergent bilingual (EB) student with a disability, the decision is made by the applicable group in conjunction with the student’s language proficiency assessment committee (LPAC) and documented in the student’s permanent record file and IAP or IEP.

This designated support includes but is not limited to:

• operating technology per student directions, such as using the mouse to navigate the pages and operate the tools in an online test;

• turning test booklet pages per student directions;

• positioning the ruler per student directions;

• highlighting per student directions; and

• positioning mathematics manipulatives or supplemental aids per student directions.

• A student who uses this designated support may need to complete the test in a separate setting to eliminate distractions to other students and to ensure test confidentiality.

• The student must give specific directions about how the test administrator should manipulate online tools, test materials, and equipment. The test administrator may NOT provide feedback regarding the correctness of the student’s directions.

• Manipulating test materials must be performed by a trained test administrator who has signed an Oath of Test Security and Confidentiality.

• If students testing online or on paper need assistance indicating their responses to test questions or making notes, refer to the Basic Transcribing policy.

• If students need their constructed responses transcribed, refer to the Basic Transcribing or Complex Transcribing policies.

• For TELPAS grades 2–12 assessments, this support applies only to the paper reading test, the online reading and writing test, and the online listening and speaking test. This designated support does not apply to any holistically rated domain, since those are assessed during authentic classroom activities and the same accommodations routinely used during classroom instruction are acceptable.

• For situations when a student experiences an unexpected or emergency situation (e.g., broken arm, broken glasses) immediately before an assessment, refer to the Accommodations in Unexpected or Emergency Situations policy. 

District testing personnel should contact the Student Assessment Help Desk with any questions.