<p>If a student scores in the 95th%, but didn’t finish the test due to an LD, then more time would help that student. If the test is supposed to accurately reflect the student’s abilities, and those are impaired by an LD, then accommodations are appropriate.</p>
<p>There’s such a thing as Dual Exceptionalities–being both gifted and learning disabled. Such students frequently languish, because the two can appear to cancel each other out.</p>
<p>Erin’s Dad–I was thinking/talking about the SAT’s. Not only don’t they superscore the PSAT’s, they’re not offered on a schedule that would merit multiple tests.</p>
<p>With all this talk about how the G/T are suffering because they have to be in the same classroom as “regular” (often defined by CC as “mediocre”) students, the ones who are truly suffering are those who are “twice gifted”. These are students who are very very bright, often gifted-level, but also have learning disabilities. </p>
<p>Often they or their parents are told/asked “How can she be disabled? Look at her grades! She’s on grade-level. You should be satisfied she is on grade-level.” I know because I just quoted the assistant principal at D’s elementary school during a meeting where they decided she did not need testing. That was also the day I pulled her out of public school but I knew D wasn’t going to get any support at all in that environment.</p>
<p>Look, it’s not hard to figure this out. If you talk to a child and she is able to answer your questions verbally and in great detail but when presented with a bunch of ovals, just cannot either line up the ovals or fill them in properly. They can also have slow processing so yes, they read slowly. They are fluent readers; they just aren’t quick readers.</p>
<p>Please tell me how you intend to determine the reason for not finishing the test?</p>
<p>And come on with this. The effect of an LD is that they read slow (dyslexia specifically). Should everyone who reads slow be allowed more time?</p>
<p>These aren’t even binary conditions. LDs (assuming such a thing is even legitimate - which I will entertain for the purposes of this discussion) don’t purport to be a “you have it or you don’t” type of deal. It’s a continuum. Same with ADHD and such.</p>
<p>^^^. Actually, those other slow readers should probably be formally evaluated for processing issues (think dyslexia “lite”) to determine the cause of the slow reading.</p>
<p>Simply stated, the added time renders the test trivial. The degree in which the score will jump up depends on the diagnosed disability. </p>
<p>For many the added time is more than fair; for some … a bit of manipulation was necessary. However, the issue of the non-flagging of the test remains a sore subject, as it created an explosion in the number of added-time tests, as well a cottage industry in easy diagnostics. </p>
<p>In addition, the College Board has displayed the same careless attitude it has shown in its international tests. It has not been unusual for a test offered on a Saturday to be repeated in its entirety the following Wednesday. A few years ago, a CC member could not believe his own eyes when he was given the same test that had been debated ad nauseam on College Confidential. And he did … very well.</p>
<p>Yes, it’s a double whammy. And that is often how they are diagnosed before all the individual tests - high IQ with very low test scores on a standardized test. For my son, he scored in the 11th percentile on his first grade CAT Test but 99th percentile on the math. We were able to get him close to 50th percentile nationally on reading by middle school but never higher…his ACT/SAT scores going into college even with extra time were predictive even before he put pencil to Scantron. I chose not to get into these p*ssing matches because unless you are someone like my son you have no idea what it all means. He’s going into engineering but he’ll still have to spend hours and hours and hours more than other kids on any ‘required’ class that has heavy duty reading. Once he gets through the reading his comprehension and retention is very good, but he’ll never read ‘fast.’</p>
<p>I have never been a proctor for the SAT. BUT I WAS a proctor for students who took our state mastery test with extended time. My observation over several years was that these students didn’t actually USE the extra time. They finished quickly and were done in the same allotted time as the other students taking these tests.</p>
<p>Agreed with poster above…barely cracking 200 on the PSAT isn’t slacking in any way shape or form. Why would you think this is a less than stellar score?</p>
<p>Wow. So there’s a whole new distinction? I didn’t realize there were so many different flavors and shades of “learning disability.” How rich is the guy who invented this one?</p>
<p>I have mixed feelings on this. A student who reads more slowly on SATs is going read more slowly on college materials too. In competitive colleges with reading-intense majors, that is a big deal.</p>
<p>Vladenschlutte, it is my understanding that ADHD is not considered a learning disability. It is considered “other health impaired” as opposed to “specific learning disabilities” and the diagnosis can qualify kids for Individuals with Disabilities Act. </p>
<p>A learning disability in the purest sense is a neurological disorder that affects one or more of the processes involved in understanding or in using spoken or written language like listening, thinking, speaking, writing, math.</p>
<p>In public schools they are all mixed together and generally handled with an IEP since they all fall under the Individuals with Disabilities Act. Other disabilities that would fall is this category and require accomodations but not called a learning disability might be bipolar, Tourettes, etc.</p>
<p>The College Board certainly put one through the paces, which is a good thing. BTW home testing does appear to meet any of the testing criteria. See below</p>
<p>^^Most of those tests are administered about every three years to kids with learning disabilities. The testing generally occurred for our son over 3 days. Our high school forwarded the last testing (which occurred junior year fall) to my son’s college disability department. Many kids that have a straightforward learning disability don’t have a problem getting the accommodations they need and if diagnosed early have years of documentation. </p>
<p>My son’s guidance office handled it with ACT and SAT and simply notified my son what days he would be pulled from class to take the tests. We received a copy of the school letter stating between what dates he had to take them. I didn’t really have to do anything…but like I said earlier, the extra time really didn’t make all that much difference…it didn’t suddenly zoom him into an 80% nationally reader, it didn’t even zoom him to a 60th% reader nationally, YMMV. His highest math happened to be a test he took without extra time as “practice” on a normal Saturday.</p>
<p>Ok… I feel like I can add something here. I am a high school senior this coming year. I took the plan test and I got a 17. The problem is I have cerebral palsy which causes me to be sort of slow and uncoordinated. I finally got my IEP updated and I had extra time. With that extra time I was able to achieve a much higher score. I knew I was capable of doing that but the time was an issue because my fine motor skills sort of suck and I write slower than the avg. person. I would say if they feel like they need it they should get it because life with a disability is harder than most people will ever realize. Furthermore I don’t think taking extra time on my ACT will hinder my future employment. I am a smart diligent worker.</p>
<p>To Sosomenza - We were asked to investigate the situation by the high school advisor who was shocked by the potential shown in his entrance exam (96% percentile at an extremely competitive school) and performance in the classroom freshman year( way below average.) He had been flagged by educators as extremely bright but unable to function physically since pre-school. It’s called “twice exceptional” - disabled and gifted. If you’d watched him suffer every day you might consider that we were not “gaming the system” but doing what we were advised, as well as everything we could, to help our child achieve all that is possible…starting with education. Why is okay for a person of average intelligence and a disability to get help but not okay for an intelligent person with a disability?</p>
<p>Thanks all for the great advice and help, especially Colorado Mom. Tried to answer your PM but it linked me into your messages?? Very weird. Anyway thanks again!
You have been a great help. Mullins</p>
<p>My son has T1 diabetes, a vision disability (his eyes don’t converge and reading is painful and slow), and a previous math disability. He got time and a half for all sections of the SAT; as well, he was able to take breaks as needed to check blood sugars and manage his diabetes.</p>
<p>That was his first time testing so I have nothing to compare it to. On the upside, I think the extra time did allow him to finish sections he might not have finished. On the downside, the test lasted a grueling 6 1/2 hours. He was very wiped out by the end. He will retake it.</p>
<p>No, it’s not fun to have accommodations just to have extra time. I am sure he would love to not have to deal with his disabilities each day; as a matter of fact, he’s having corrective eye surgery in December (very brave of him since he is scared he’ll go blind) in an attempt to improve his ability to read without pain and without getting super tired.</p>
<p>Yes, my son is what they called “twice exceptional” as well. He scored a 2090 as a sophomore, and without the essay, a 2180 (W was a 76). For never having taken a timed test before, we were very happy with his first attempt. It is hard having disabilities but I love reading about kids who learn to work with what they’ve got.</p>