No, the Nextera Test Delivery System does not include spell-checking software as a student testing accommodation.
We want to make sure that our operational CBT schools understand that spell-checking software is not an available testing accommodation in the Nextera Test Delivery System.
The recent March memo from the Office of State Assessment advised the following: "Per the newly released 2018 Testing Accommodations for Students with Disabilities Guide, use of a spell-checking device/software is an allowable testing accommodation on the Grades 3–8 ELA and Mathematics Tests if specified in the student’s IEP or 504 plan."
To provide this accommodation for a student testing via CBT, the student would use a separate device/word processor with spellchecking software to type their responses on and then have a scribe, following the procedures, outlined in Appendix H of the School Administrator's Manual, enter the student’s responses into the Nextera Test Delivery System. The school would select “Use of spell-checking device/software” under the “Classroom Accommodations” tab in the Nextera administration system.
Related Article: