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Board requests brief on testing accessibility after referral on interpreters and supports
Summary
A board referral asked administration to clarify SBAC supports for multilingual learners and students with disabilities; staff said state test specifications include glossaries, text‑to‑speech, ASL interpretation for directions and alternate assessments and offered to prepare a board note and presentation.
Board member Ian Thomas asked the Groton Board on April 20 to pursue communication with the state delegation to improve access to standardized tests, specifically interpreter and interpretive technology options for SBAC testing.
Administration responded that the state’s test specifications already list an array of accommodations: translated glossaries and embedded language supports for math and science, text‑to‑speech, ASL supports for directions, and braille or large‑print versions for students with visual impairments. Assistant Superintendent Dr. Amarie Mancini said those accommodations are implemented through the student’s IEP or multilingual learner plan and coordinated by building test coordinators. "I'd be happy to share the large specification document," she told the board, and offered to prepare a concise board note and a focused presentation showing what supports are available and how families and staff can request them.
Board members asked for a student‑facing "menu" or simplified guidance so families could easily see what supports are available; administrators agreed to prepare materials and a possible public‑facing summary for the website and parent communications. Staff also flagged an alternate assessment pathway for a small percentage of students (the state limits alternate assessments to a share of the cohort) and recommended follow‑up if the board wants advocacy on statutory exceptions or clarifications.
The administration will provide a board note summarizing current accommodations and a short presentation at a later meeting; any legislative or state‑level advocacy would be brought to the board for consideration before action.
