Dealing with disability testing

Q: My son is a 10th grader and has a disability. Could you please give me some advice on how to deal with the SAT and the ACT?

A: In order to answer your question, I interviewed Krista Miller, the classroom program coordinator at Ivy West Test Prep.

Jason Katz: What type of documentation do you need to prove to a standardized testing agency (the College Board or the ACT) that you have a disability?

Krista Miller: Both the College Board and ACT require students to complete an application form. For both the SAT and ACT, students usually need to show that they have a current educational plan in place at school, often called an IEP (Individual Education Plan) or 504 plan, and are receiving the same kind of accommodation at school, which they are requesting for the SAT or ACT. However, receiving accommodations at school does not guarantee that one will be granted an accommodation on the SAT or ACT. For most kinds of disabilities, students will need to submit results from comprehensive testing that demonstrate the need for accommodations. This documentation should support the diagnosis of a disability and show how the specific accommodation requested is appropriate to alleviate the effects of the student's disability.

JK: What types of accommodations are available for students with disabilities?

KM: Extended time (up to 50 percent additional testing time) is a common accommodation. Other accommodations are available as well including a computer to type out the essay section, a large-print answer sheet or test booklet, a reader to read aloud the entire test to the student, use of a highlighter, Braille testing materials, ability to record answers in the test booklet instead of on "bubble-in" answer sheets, more frequent breaks, taking the test over multiple days or taking the test in a private room.

JK: Will the colleges that a student with disabilities applies to know that they took standardized tests with accommodations?

KM: No. In 2002, the College Board agreed to stop informing colleges of which scores were gained by students receiving accommodations, in response to a lawsuit that challenged the practice as discriminatory. Shortly after the lawsuit was settled, the ACT also agreed to stop indicating whether a score was obtained by a student with an accommodation.

JK: How do I request special accommodations on a test?

KM: Students and parents should first determine who on their school's campus serves as the coordinator of services for students with disabilities. This may be a college counselor, career center technician, learning specialist, assistant principal or other school administrator who can verify that the student has a formal educational plan in place and has been receiving accommodations in school. Information is also available on the ACT Web site at www.act.org/aap/disab/index.html and on the College Board Web site at www.collegeboard.com/ssd/student/index.html.

http://www.paloaltodailynews.com/article/2008-5-17-katz
Reprinted by permission, Palo Alto Daily News. Jason Katz ©5.17.2008 All rights reserved. This article may be printed for your personal use, but may not be reprinted in whole or in part in any publication or website without permission. www.jkatzcollegecounseling.com