NSCAS NSCAS Student Accommodations 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What type of accommodation allows an eligible student to respond to NSCAS questions by speaking rather than typing?
- Text-to-speech
- Speech-to-text (Correct answer)
- Sign language interpretation
- Oral administration
Correct answer: Speech-to-text
Speech-to-text technology allows eligible students to dictate their responses verbally, which are then transcribed into the testing system.
Question 2: Which group of students may be eligible for translated or bilingual versions of NSCAS assessments?
- All students who request a translation
- English Language Learners (ELLs) designated in their Language Instruction Educational Program (Correct answer)
- Any student whose parents speak a language other than English
- Only students enrolled in bilingual education programs for more than five years
Correct answer: English Language Learners (ELLs) designated in their Language Instruction Educational Program
ELL students designated in their Language Instruction Educational Program (LIEP) may be eligible for translated test versions or linguistic accommodations.
Question 3: What is the purpose of a scribe accommodation during NSCAS testing?
- To help students choose correct answers
- To write or type student responses as dictated by the student (Correct answer)
- To translate questions into another language
- To read the student's answers back to them for review
Correct answer: To write or type student responses as dictated by the student
A scribe records the student's verbally dictated responses exactly as stated, without providing assistance with content.
Question 4: A student with ADHD may be eligible for which NSCAS accommodation to help manage attention and focus?
- Waiving the assessment entirely
- Separate testing room or preferential seating (Correct answer)
- Reduced number of test questions
- Parental presence during testing
Correct answer: Separate testing room or preferential seating
Students with ADHD may receive accommodations such as a separate testing room or preferential seating to minimize distractions if documented in their IEP or 504 Plan.
Question 5: How far in advance must schools typically order specialized NSCAS test materials such as Braille or large-print editions?
- The day before testing begins
- During the pre-identification and materials ordering window set by NDE (Correct answer)
- Only after the student's parent submits a formal complaint
- At any point during the school year without a deadline
Correct answer: During the pre-identification and materials ordering window set by NDE
Specialized materials like Braille and large-print editions must be ordered during the pre-identification window to ensure they arrive before the testing window.
Question 6: What is a 'non-embedded accommodation' in NSCAS testing?
- An accommodation built directly into the online testing platform
- An accommodation provided outside the testing system, such as a human reader or separate room (Correct answer)
- An accommodation that removes test questions deemed too difficult
- An accommodation that allows students to skip test sections
Correct answer: An accommodation provided outside the testing system, such as a human reader or separate room
Non-embedded accommodations are provided outside the online testing platform, such as using a human scribe, reader, or a separate testing environment.
NSCAS NSCAS Student Accommodations 2
What type of accommodation allows an eligible student to respond to NSCAS questions by speaking rather than typing?