Student Accommodation Guide

Students’ Personal Needs Profiles (PNPs) must be set prior to administering any type of
assessment. To access a student’s PNP, click on Settings then Students from the main menu.
Locate the Student Record, click No Settings followed by Edit Settings. You can also add or
modify students’ PNP settings in bulk by downloading a PNP Settings (Abridged) extract,
updating the data, and then uploading the file under the Students tab in Educator Portal. The
following charts detail the options available for teachers to assign students in PLTW Kite
Educator Portal and how those options are viewed and used in Kite Student Portal.

Display
Student Portal Icon Description
Enhancemens Tab
Magnification is commonly used for students with low
vision and visual impairments. Selecting Magnification
Magnification (up to allows the student to magnify the test screen. Teachers
5X screen) have the option to select a specific mangification level for a
student's default. Students may use the magnification icon
to adjust their test screen at any time during the test.

This option places a transparent layer of color over the

assesssment content. It is beneficial for students with
Overlay Color visual impairments or reading/learning difficulties.
Teachers have the option to select a default color that will
activate for the student.

This option reverses the background color to black and the

Invert Color text to white. Images will display with a white background.
Teachers may select defaults for the student.

This option lets students chose from up to five text color

options to display on either a black or white background.
Contrast Color
Teachers may select defaults for the student including
specific color hex codes for background and foreground.

Custom Masking provides the ability to mask certain parts

of the test interface or question while Answer Masking
Masking provides the ability to show or hide answer options for
• Custom multiple choice questions. Both options are commonly
• Answer used by students with Attention Deficit Disorder or other
Masking learning difficulities. They can also be used to assist lower-
performing students during the assessment. Teachers may
select this option to activate by default.

PLTW Solution Center | Phone: 877.335.7589 | Email: solutioncenter@pltw.org

 Student Accommodation Guide
Audio & Environment Support Tab Description

Teachers may select to have any of the following options default automatically for the the student by
selecting "Activate by Default." The text-to-speech (TTS) player plays audio files that correspond to the
information on the screen. Information is highlighted on the screen as it is read by a snthesized voice.
Students click the green arrow to listen or the black parallel lines to pause the TTS. Students may also
skip to the beginning or end of an audio segment using the double arrows.

This option plays music or background noise while the student is

Auditory Background (headphones testing. Students with an ADHD diagnois or other diagnoses find
required) that noise helps them focus on the test. This feature is also used
for calming students who suffer from test anxiety.
Text Only reads the text aloud to the student but does not
describe the graphics.
Spoken Audio (headphones required)
• Text Only Text and Graphics reads the text and describes the graphics
• Text and Graphics aloud to the student.
• Non-Visual Non-Visual reads the text and describes the graphics aloud but
in greater detail for test takers who cannot see any of the
displayed content.
A single switch assistive technology device is used for students
with motor impairments. It is used instead of the keyboard or
mouse. Students make response selections by moving the
Single Switch scanning indicator (cursor) with the device on the desired choice.
Teachers can set the scan speed in seconds, the delay of the
intitial scan in seconds, to manually override the scan, and the
number of times the scan is repeated from 1 to 5 or infinity.

Braille and Other Supports Description

Select Braille from the Language and Braille tab if the student
Braille requires Braille materials. Information for requesting Braille
materials can be found on myPLTW.
The Other Supports tab is for offline accessibility options and does not modify the look and feel of Kite
Student Portal. It is soley for documentation purposes and does not require activation.
Two switch assitive technology is used for students with motor
impairments. It includes an interface for two switches that
Two Switch System (requires
emulate the Tab and Enter keys on the keyboard. The interface
accessories)
allows the student to tab between choices and to select a choice
when it is highlighted using the switches instead of the keyboard.
This option documents if a student requires the assistance of
Human Read Aloud another person to read the assessment text aloud during the
assessment.
This option documents if a student requires sign language
Sign Interpretation
assistance during the assessment.
Test Administrator Enters Reponses for This option is for students who need assistance entering test
Student responses from the test administrator.

PLTW Solution Center | Phone: 877.335.7589 | Email: solutioncenter@pltw.org