The Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) is committed to ensuring that statewide assessments are accessible to the widest possible number of students, including but not limited to students with disabilities (SWDs), English learners (ELs), and ELs with disabilities.
Students who take statewide assessments may use a wide array of universal tools, which are supports that increase access to test content and are available for use by all students. Examples include: highlight tool, eliminate answer choices, and notepad.
Designated supports are features available for use by any student who may need them, at the discretion of school leaders. Determinations regarding their use should be based on an individual’s student learning profile and unique needs. Designated supports need to be selected in advance in a student’s assessment registration profile for planning purposes. Examples of designated supports include: individual or small group testing, blank scratch paper, and text-to-speech for mathematics and science.
In addition to universal tools and designated supports for all students, OSSE supports the use of appropriate testing accommodations for all District of Columbia’s students with disabilities. OSSE has developed guidance to ensure that:
- Participation in assessments for SWDs is consistent in all District of Columbia districts, schools and programs;
- Appropriate accommodations are provided to eligible qualified students; and
- Accommodations used in assessment are also used in daily instruction.
Testing Accommodations Resources
OSSE Testing Accommodations Guide
- 2026-27 OSSE Testing Accommodations Guide - coming soon
Request Forms for 2026-27 Assessment Administration
- Statewide Assessments Emergency Accommodation Request Form
- Statewide Assessments Unique Accommodation Request Form
- Statewide Assessments Medical Exemption Form
WIDA ACCESS Accommodations
- WIDA ACCESS Checklists for Test Coordinators & Test Administrators
- WIDA Accessibility and Accommodations Manual
District of Columbia Comprehensive Assessments of Progress in Education (DC CAPE) Next Accommodations
The DC CAPE Next Accessibility Manual and the Accessibility Decision-Making Guide are documents that provide guidance to districts and decision-making teams to ensure that the DC CAPE Next summative assessments provide valid results for all participating students. These documents are available on the Pearson Support Portal.
Dynamic Learning Maps (DLM) Accommodations
Multi-State Alternate Assessment (MSAA) Accommodations
- MSAA Test Administrator Manual – coming soon
NAEP Accommodations
Archive Accommodations Studies
OSSE is committed to ongoing evaluation of accommodations available to students with disabilities and Limited English Proficient (LEP) students. As a part of this effort, OSSE commissioned a study in 2009 on the use of accommodations by students with disabilities on the annual statewide assessment. The detailed report is available upon request. However, a summary of findings from the report is available.