NCEO has made updates to the Accommodations Toolkit. The toolkit provides easy-to-use summaries of the academic research literature on specific accommodations for students with disabilities as well as companion accessibility policy analyses. The Accommodations Toolkit is organized by accommodation and currently includes research summaries for 29 accommodations. The toolkit also includes policy analyses that summarize how each accommodation was included in states’ accessibility policies. The resources in the toolkit are designed to support the work of state education agencies, but may also be helpful to technical assistance providers, researchers, and others.

Recent updates have been made to the research summaries for braille and extended time. The summary of findings on extended time as an assessment accommodation includes seven new research articles. Overall, twenty-six studies addressing extended time were reviewed. The results of the studies varied, with some having positive effects, others mixed effects, and still others no effect on students’ assessment performance. There was only one new study on braille as an assessment accommodation. There is a need for additional research on braille, particularly research on refreshable braille. Much of the research on braille was conducted more than a decade ago. 

The Accommodations Toolkit provides fast access to both research findings and policies for the most used assessment accommodations.  State education agency staff can use the Toolkit to ensure state policies and guidance represent the most recent research. The Toolkit is also a quick way to compare accessibility and accommodations policies across states.