Implementation Considerations
The Forward is administered in English language arts and mathematics in grades 3 through 8, in science in grades 4 and 8, and in social studies in grades 4, 8, and 10. High school students in grades 9 through 11 will continue to take the ACT suite of exams.
Accommodations and supports are practices and procedures that provide equitable access to grade-level content. They are intended to reduce or eliminate the effects of a student’s disability or level of language acquisition; they do not reduce learning expectations. The accommodations or supports provided to a student must be consistent for classroom instruction, classroom assessments, and district and state assessments. It is important to note that while some accommodations or supports may be appropriate for instructional use, they may not be appropriate for use on a standardized assessment. 34 CFR § 300.320(a)(6)(i); Wis. Stat. § 115.787(2)(e).
The Forward Exam contains a number of universal tools available to all students which cannot be turned off in the student profile (eDIRECT). It is important that all students, including students with disabilities are familiar and comfortable with the universal tools. For more information on the universal tools available on the Forward Exam, refer to the Department's Wisconsin Forward Exam Accommodations and Supports webpage.
Universal tools, designated supports, and accommodations on the Forward may be either embedded (built into the Forward Exam) or non-embedded.
Form Content and Explanations
Content: Section A: Designated Supports. Explanation: Designated supports are for students who regularly use a similar support as part of regular classroom instruction. 34 CFR § 300.320; Wis. Stat. § 115.787. List any supports that will be activated for the student in advance of the assessment. Refer to the Department's Wisconsin Forward Exam Accommodations and Supports webpage for more information on Forward designated supports.
Content: Section B: Accommodations. Explanation: Accommodations are for students who regularly use a similar support as part of regular classroom instruction. 34 CFR § 300.320(a)(6)(i); Wis. Stat. § 115.787(2)(e). The IEP team must consider each of the Forward content areas to determine which apply to the student for the grade tested. As applicable, the IEP team must determine whether the student will take the content area assessment without or with accommodations. Refer to the Department's Wisconsin Forward Exam Accommodations and Supports webpage for more information on accommodations. The IEP team must check without accommodations or with accommodations for each of the four subtests.