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Guidelines for Providing State Assessments in Alternate Formats For Students with Visual Impairments

By Carol Allman, Ph.D., Florida Department of Education

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amendments of 1997 require that students with disabilities are included in state and district assessment programs or are provided an alternate assessment. For students with visual impairments who can participate in the state and district assessment program, the provision of the test in an appropriate reading medium is a critical accommodation that requires attention. States and districts that adopt or develop tests for use in determining student progress must attend to special concerns related to test formatting in braille and large print. The following guidelines are provided for use in assuring that braille and large print formats are a consideration for state and local personnel in the development or adoption of tests of student achievement.

Guidelines for Providing State Assessments in Braille Formats

State and district assessments must be provided in braille format for those students who use braille as an accommodation in classroom instruction. Persons familiar with Braille materials adapted for students with visual impairments should be involved in the test production or selection process to assure that attention is given to the guidelines presented in this paper.

The following guidelines are provided for the test publisher and other interested parties in an attempt to create uniform standards of Braille transcription of the state assessment that match Braille transcription of state adopted textbooks.

General Guidelines

The most recent codes and formats approved by the Braille Authority of North America must be used. Currently, the general authorities of braille transcription are:

• Braille Formats Principles of Print to Braille Transcription (1997). Braille Authority of North America, American Printing House for the Blind, Louisville, KY.
• Guidelines for Mathematical Diagrams (1983). Braille Authority of North America, American Printing House for the Blind, Louisville, KY.
• The Nemeth Braille Code for Mathematics and Science Notation 1972 Revision (1972). American Printing House for the Blind, Louisville, KY.
• English Braille American Edition (1994). Braille Authority of North America, American Printing House for the Blind, Louisville, KY.

Test developers and publishers must assure that contracts to provide Braille assure that mathematics braillists are certified in Nemeth Code translations for mathematics and science transcriptions and that literary braillists are certified in Literary Braille for other translations (reading, writing prompts, general literary testing). Both certifications are obtainable from the Library of Congress, Division for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Washington, D. C. 

It is recommended that test publishers maintain access to a person certified in Braille to provide expertise in test development and transcription, to proofread test materials before copying and otherwise assure that Braille materials are provided in a timely and accurate manner. An experienced braille reader should be utilized for proofreading all materials and, in particular, any tactile graphics.

Since the Braille transcription process is a very time consuming process and requires special skills to assure timely production and accuracy, test developers and publishers must plan timelines accordingly and with input from the Braille contractor.

Format of tests must follow the print format as much as possible. Any deviations from the print version of the test must be outlined in Braille Notes for the test proctor. Braille notes must include reference to print versions with associated Braille page numbers, identify passages and items by page, and provide indication of changes made to the braille version.

Braille versions of a test must include transcriber notes and special symbol notes as part of the test preliminary pages. Print copies of the transcriber notes and the special symbol notes must be included in the Braille Notes.

Packaging of each Braille test must include both print and Braille copies of the test, a print test administration manual including test directions and a print copy of the Braille Notes.

All test items must be reviewed by the Department of Education (DOE) to assure that no test item is biased or discriminatory toward persons with disabilities.

All test items must be reviewed to determine those items that should be deleted from the print version. Items should only be deleted under the following circumstances:

The test item is a field test item.

The test item cannot be Brailled without significantly changing the item and the intent of the skill assessed.

In consideration of changing any item, test developers must assure that:

Any intended advantage in the print version is not taken away in the braille transcription.

Unfair advantage is not given to the braille reader in the braille transcription.

In consideration of test formatting, test contractors and state education personnel must outline preferred strategies such as using both sides of the braille paper, placement of graphic material, preferred methods of producing graphics, binding of alternate formats, and packaging of alternate formats. It is recommended that packaging include print and alternate format versions, print test administration manuals, and any notes to the test administrator that describe changes made for the alternate format.

State Departments of Education are encouraged to consider alternate formats of any state test (large print and braille) and the processes used to provide those formats (enlarging text and transcription into braille) when selecting items for the test and when laying out the test format (using shading, using irrelevant pictures or symbols, etc.).

Guidelines for Literary Braille Formats

Literary formats transcribed into braille must follow the print version as closely as possible.

Literary formats must follow the principles outlined in Braille Formats: Principles of Print to Braille Transcription (1997).

Test items that may be deleted in braille versions (at the discretion of the Department of Education) include field test items and items determined by committee to need extensive revision for brailling where the revision would significantly alter the intent of the test item. (Example: Providing illustration descriptions that are intended as items to test inference of a picture where the description provides the correct answer).

Guidelines for Mathematics (Nemeth Code) Braille Formats

Graphics and math items must follow format guidelines of the Nemeth Code and Guidelines for Mathematical Diagrams (1983).

Graphic material should be simplified as much as possible without leaving out needed information or giving unfair advantage by alluding to the answer.

Provide Braille labeling horizontally only. No graphics should be labeled vertically.

If possible, facing pages should be used to present graphics and the accompanying test item.

All keys or legends to reading graphics should be located at the top left of the page for easy access by the Braille reader.

Guidelines for Providing State Assessments in Large Print Formats

In accordance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), 1997 Florida™s State Assessment, the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT), is provided in large print format for those students who use large print as an accommodation in classroom instruction. Persons familiar with large print materials adapted for students with visual impairments should be involved in the test production process to assure that attention is given to the guidelines presented in this paper.

The following guidelines are provided for the test publisher and other interested parties in an attempt to create readable formats in large print versions of the state assessment.

General Guidelines

Test materials that are an enlargement of the regular print version must be reviewed to assure:

that print and background contrast are sufficient for the visual reader;

that the use of shading or other visually appealing contrasts does not obscure the visual reading of the  material;

that pictures or graphs that are enlarged are visually readable; and

that pictures or graphs used in test questions requiring measurement is true to size and that a correct answer exists for the enlarged version.

It is recommended that large print versions of a test be formatted separately from the regular print version so that attention can be given to the number of items on a page and the points made above can be addressed more easily.

Decisions about the size (font) of type to be offered must be made by the state and discussed with the test contractor.

It may be appropriate in some cases to provide a regular print version of the test and large print version of the test to a student. 

For more information contact:

Carol Allman, Ph.D.
Program Director, Exceptional Student Education Programs
Bureau of Instructional Support and Community Services
Florida Dept. of Education
(850) 488-1106  (phone)
(850) 922-7088 (fax)
allmanc@mail.doe.state.fl.us  (email)

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