The DIAMOND project has released another report about educators’ perspectives on classroom implementation of accessibility features and accommodations, Additional Educators’ Perspectives on Classroom Implementation of Accessibility Features and Accommodations. The report describes a second cohort of educators who participated in phone interviews in three of DIAMOND’s nine project states (Alabama, Connecticut, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and the U.S. Virgin Islands). The interview data again highlighted educators’ understanding and implementation of accessibility features and accommodations on state assessments and in instruction. In addition to providing detailed information on the responses of the 34 educators, the report provides summaries of the perspectives of all 74 educators’ in the two cohorts.

Educators in the second cohort reported that, in class and on assessments, they most often offered students read aloud, extra time, frequent breaks, and scratch paper. Across the two cohorts, the most frequently mentioned supports were text to speech/read aloud/human reader, extra time, calculator, and highlighter. The educators in the second cohort identified the need for training as the top challenge, followed by access, time, and the number of students needing supports.

Across the two cohorts, the results again confirmed the need for training and professional development on accessibility features and accommodations. These should focus on the distinctions among universal and designated accessibility features and accommodations, how they apply to the classroom setting as well as the state assessment, and ways to address the challenges that educators identify.