Administration Considerations for the Early Mathematics Assessment System (EMAS)
The VKRP Fall Assessment Term is open and your schedule is set. Most students will complete the EMAS under standard administration conditions. However, as you plan for the VKRP window, you know you have students with specific needs that may require that the EMAS be administered differently. There are allowable accommodations for students that can be made to the EMAS administration. The focus of this blog is to provide you with information about different administration conditions for the EMAS so you can plan accordingly and consult with your school or division/program teams.
The Early Mathematics Assessment System (EMAS) focuses on key foundational mathematics skills that set students on a successful early mathematics trajectory. The EMAS is administered in a one-to-one setting using a flipbook and specific manipulatives.
What are the administration options for EMAS?
There are two options for the administration of the EMAS:
- Standard administration – the assessment is given in a way that doesn’t deviate from standard testing. There are allowable practices and accommodations for students that can be made to the assessment administration that still fall under the standard administration category because they do not change the construct being measured. In most cases, students will be assessed using standard administration conditions.
- Non-standard administration – modifications are made to the assessment administration that may be necessary for a particular child but could change the construct being measured. In rare cases, a student may need to be assessed using non-standard administration.
Please refer to the Administration Conditions Table in the VKRP Fall Program Manual for a list of allowable practices, accommodations, and modifications along with required documentation.
What are allowable practices, accommodations, and modifications with the VKRP assessments?
Teachers are familiar with the allowable practices for all students. These include scheduling considerations such as the time of day – morning or afternoon; breaking the EMAS into shorter testing sessions; or arranging for a quieter location.
Some students require testing accommodations, as documented in their IEP. Accommodations are designed to provide a way for students with documented disabilities to access the assessment. An accommodation alters how the assessment is given but allows teachers to interpret the screening information in the same way they would for other students. If there are additional modifications that are written into students IEPs around assessment administration that you don’t see listed in the table above, please contact the VKRP team (vkrp@virginia.edu) to determine whether you should give the EMAS under standard or non-standard administration conditions.
A fewer number of students will require modifications to participate in the EMAS. Modifications are significant changes, for example, simplifying directions to an extent that changes the intention of the item. It is important to remember that modifications may alter the skill being measured; therefore, they must be documented. Assessment accommodations should be aligned with documented instructional accommodations that students receive for all assessments.
We hope this information about standard and non-standard administration of the EMAS will help you when making decisions about how best to support your students. As always, the VKRP Support Team is here to assist you if you have any questions!
More Questions for the VKRP Team? VKRP provides support via the online chat feature when you are in the system, via email vkrp@virginia.edu, and via toll free 866-301-8278
