Accommodations and Test Accessibility

The easyCBM® assessments were designed using Universal Design for Assessment (UDA) principles. According to Rose (2006)2 , three guiding principles of UDL allow different ways for students to succeed that provide multiple means of representation, expression, and engagement. Their purpose is to ensure fairness, accessibility, and validity for all students, including those with disabilities and English Language Learners (ELLs).

The following test changes in easyCBM® testing can be used without reference to IEP teams but should be considered with due attention to state testing programs, which may or may not allow these practices. They are considered as extensions of UDA and have been curated from National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO) with further changes presented in tables from the Smarter Balanced State Consortium and National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), both digital and paper pencil administration. The comprehensive list is referenced in the technical report by Tindal (2025).

Test Changes as Adaptations or Extensions of UDA in Setting [S], Administration [A], or Response [R].

Test Changes Noted in the IEP as Allowed or Required in Setting [S], Administration [A], or Response [R].

Some test changes are neither adaptations (universally designed adjustments) nor accommodations but are modifications: They invalidate the score and any decisions that can be made from the student's performance. The reason for this invalidation is that the construct being measured is changed, along with the change in setting (S), administration (A), or response (R)

Test Changes Not Allowed in Setting [S], Administration, or Response [R].

Students may present a number of medical and physical conditions that are not a formal disability, such as stuttering, traumatic brain injury, seizure disorders, Tourette's syndrome, and many others. Teachers are still faced with addressing their unique needs with responsive educational programs, although these students have no Individual Educational Programs (IEPs) for protection of their legal rights to succeed in school, though they may receive the benefits of 504 Plans. The net effect of such conditions may make administration of easyCBM® measures difficult and result in compromised student responses. In such circumstances, teachers should consider using easyCBM® only from a clinical perspective to learn more about how to interact with the student and consider their performance on the measures as not comparable to others due to a change in the construct.