<p>Hi, I was hoping that students and parents who applied to the ETS for PSAT accomodation this year would let us know whether the accomodations were granted and how the PSAT went. I'm also going to ask on the Parents board, and hopefully we'll get a number of responses and more insight into how the system is working. Thanks.</p>
<p>i have a iep im adhd and a total sped..imma mut when it comes to my disorders i have multiple of them but all minor i act/look like a normal kid and i go to sped school w/ every kid in my grade but me a boy...luck-y me! I will get accomidations and my school gives the test 3 days pre test taking...and its specialized and its actually going to be fun put w/ all the kids in my grade that dont take tests out of classroom(a lot of the 11 other kids) come to the vincent smith school if u want ur kid more accomadations</p>
<p>My son has major physical disabilities, needs scribe for testing etc, and we received all the accommodations our school applied for. That was very reassuring, and we were happy that the testing service helps make it possible for kids with major challenges to show how smart they are! He can barely move, has use of only one hand but is an honor student. Hope all of you who had accommodation needs rec'd them as well.</p>
<p>My S & my D each applied for & were granted accommodations by educational testing service because they have a physical condition which causes them to have severely fluctuating stamina. They sought & were granted extra/frequent breaks, extended breaks, ability to consume snacks & beverages while testing. These accommodations worked well for S when he was a junior & senior in HS & we are hopeful they will be helpful for D as well.</p>
<p>I would like to suggest that, when our kids have already taken the tests with their accommodations, that we could post again and comment what the experience was like for them, did these things help, were any kids fatigued, could they finish the tests etc. BTW, congrats to students and parents for dealing with significant challenges- you are all winners!</p>
<p>My DD was turned down for her accommodations because we didn't have any testing that proved her disability affects her learning. </p>
<p>BTW, the DS of a friend has vision problems and was granted an accommodation of a special large-print version of the test booklet (and maybe the scantron sheet, not sure). When the test day came, the large-print booklet was not there. It had never reached the school. </p>
<p>The boy was already a senior and had to take the test that day for his applications, so he used a regular-print book and did the best he could. He did all right but, his mother felt, not as well as he could have with his accommodation. I don't know what the solution would have been--is there a way to call ahead and make sure special materials have arrived?</p>
<p>My son is physically disabled (Quadriplegic).. he gets double time and a scribe) Once he is approved there is no longer any more request needed. Just applying for the test.</p>
<p>there is a number you can call.. It is on the approval page sent in the mail. and in the booklet. to verify accomodations, you just give the student number and they can tell you on the phone.. if not satisfied... speak to a supervisor/ or better have the person at your school who is in charge of college board accomodations call while in the room with you. that's what I did, when I tried to get voice recognition software approved(it was denied , but my stiil recieved 2 5's in AP bio and AP world history)
Joe</p>
<p>My S was approved for accommodations of frequent & extended breaks. He took the test in a smaller room with a few other kids who were also given accommodations. As it turned out, the thing that helped him most with the accommodations is that the test started at the time the kids were told (about 7:45) while in the other other rooms, they had to wait until the official start time of about 8:30 or so to wait for all stragglers to arrive. What really helped my S was that since the test began so promptly, it ended promptly too & he was able to go home & rest (exhausted). He was less exhausted than the time he took it without accomodations & was forced to wait with all the other students for all the stragglers to arrive & it ended at least 1-2 hours later than when he took the test with accommodations.
My D has received the same accommodations & I hope it will also minimize her fatigue, since when it gets bad enough it can cause prolonged school absences.</p>
<p>I have a psat and i have the opposite of all of ur problems..its quite funny imma student and i will be getting every accomidation physically possible for a add/ld student and I DONT NEED THEM! i just found out today...
and the PSAT is on wednesday(we have a special testing day):
READER: HMM i can read myself i aint blind..jkjk i used to have trouble proscessing readings and readers used to help...but i havent used it(they never gave me one and my grades r whole ton better w/o one) since i started sped school on long island...
Seperate testing: HMM seriously im not taking it in a classroom w/ 100s of kids its only going to b 14(and my classes r 11 so during test days its not bad) I NEVER EVER USE THIS Both reading and seperate testing r not used...ever....its on my iep...
double time..: THE ONly thing i will use...and only for the essay i will get my math and my cr section done in a flash(w/ time spared..) but WRITING IS ANOTHER QUESTION!</p>
<p>oh and ps im a june-e-oar and i left public school aka hell in da end of fresh-y-man yr...i havent used ne of these accomidations at all last yr and the last few weeks except they gave me the seperate testing room once but it was by accident i got outta it the next day...and that was a couple of weeks ago my grades now w/o all of those crappy acc. ALL As and one b(just gotta midterm report</p>
<p>We appled for double time, answering in the test booklet, using a computer. they denied all of that at the last minute and offered us being tested in a smaller group as the only accomodation. The letter explaining looked computer generated. It's rationale as best I could interpret was: "Your child scores on tests higher than her than her aptitude, therefore accomodations are denied." This in spite of consultant's findings that she needed extra time and had learning disabilities. With this result, we decided not to take the PSAT. We are continuing to work with outside consultants to see what is possible. My child's school has been particulalry unhelpful, basically putting it all on us and an outside paid consultant that we use.</p>
<p>By definition, I cna't understand how anyone COULD score higher than their apptitude--amazing!
Good luck in your appeal & getting your child what s/he needs/deserves!</p>
<p>
[quote]
By definition, I cna't understand how anyone COULD score higher than their apptitude--amazing!
[/quote]
Here's how -- the aptitude test wasn't chosen properly. Sometimes the aptitude test is testing the disability and not the ability. That's why there are different kinds of intelligence testing. Unfortunately, school psychs often use the same ones over and over.</p>
<p>Eli -- How frustrating!!! Has your child been receiving the same accomodations on tests at school that you requested from the ETS? Also, Anona has a very good point re aptitude testing. If your kid can stand even more testing, perhaps your consultant can come up with a different test that might have a different outcome and that you could submit with an appeal.</p>
<ol>
<li> She has had full accomodations (the same ones the PSAT declined) since entry to high school, and her teachers have been pretty much unanimous that they were needed. With these accomodations, she has been getting about a B to B- average in a hard private school and working much harder than 90% of the other kids - musually up until 11 or 12 doing homework. she does it with good grace as she loves her school and her friends there.</li>
<li> We are checking with a second consultant to see if we can figure out the denial we received - someone who seems to specialize in problem denials/difficult cases.
We are keeping our fingers crossed.
The good news is that my daughter does not seem to have been troubled about these difficulties/denial/our dropping out of taking the PSAT.
Thanks for your supportive messages.</li>
</ol>
<h2>OkwJoe, reading about your son that is a quadriplegic is very inspiring for those of us that have kids with serious disabilities. I need to ask, is this the same son that posted under your screen name yesterday:</h2>
<p>Yesterday, 05:04 PM #11
okwjoe
New Member</p>
<p>Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: New York
Posts: 27</p>
<p>I took two SatIIs this past June. and took two APs exams too. . Taking my first ACT in december taking first SAT I in april.. Taking 5 AP's this year.. Chem, Spanish, US history, Psych, English Lit. and pre- caculus honors .. very vry busy. plus I am in the marching band, key club, and Boy scouts trying to get my Eagle badge.</p>
<hr>
<p>So I just recieved today the ACCEPTANCE of accomodations for my daughter for all college board tests!
What a surprise after reading some of these posts!
I don't know what we did differently</p>
<p>We had a full educational evaluation a few years ago where the psych was very clear what she needed.
I submitted that, along with a statement that she was receiving extra time and breaks from teachers at school.</p>
<p>Ironically- all that the school has written into her 504 is that she can have extended time- even though some of her teachers do let her have breaks on tests ( take part of it during class period and then rest after school)
I have been trying to get the 504 team to add it into her plan, so that I don't have to go through this every year- perhaps now that the College Board has done it, they will!</p>
<p>oh she already has taken the PSAT- without accomodations- but she can use them for all subsequent testing
They also were fairly fast I think I only mailed it in a couple weeks ago.</p>
<p>TAKE FOR GRANTED,
yes that is my son.. he posted using my profile..I finally convinced him to try this site. he says I am "doing too much for him and to chill out out at bit" He may post here under his own profile.. well it is a start. ...lol</p>
<p>emeraldkity- great news for your daughter. Did she get double time or 1.5 times.
There really doesn't seem to be much rhyme or reason to who is granted accommodations versus who it not.
I wonder if it helps to come from a school where not many students request extra time. I know that our high school of about 2000 students has few students who test with accommodations.
I would be interested if any of your counselors advised you to apply or if it only came at the parents initative? I know in our case the school had very little experience in proctoring the exams for double time.
We are happy to be done with standardized testing till the spring and AP testing.</p>