Testing Accommodations: Leveling the Playing Field

Unsigned Editorial

For those students unable to complete school-administered or standardized tests in the typical time allotted, testing accommodations are necessary. However, some students ineligible for testing accommodations regard them as an unfair advantage for those to whom they are granted.

Far from creating inequity among students, testing accommodations level the playing field for those students who, because of a demonstrated disability or other special need, otherwise would be at a distinct disadvantage when judged next to their peers. The purpose of the accommodations is to allow these students to demonstrate their abilities on a par with others.

Testing accommodations are provided to those students who, due to disabilities or other special needs such as dyslexia or ADHD, are unable to complete the necessary work on assessments in the amount of time that is traditionally given. Testing accommodations can take many forms, but the most well known is “extra time.” Students with extra time are given an extended period to complete their work. The amount of time provided is typically time and a half, meaning that the student gets about 50% more test-taking time than a student without this aid.

Browning provides extra time for those students who have received an official clinical diagnosis from a licensed psychologist or psychiatrist who asserts that an accommodation is necessary. This diagnosis is the result of a detailed evaluation through which the clinician collects and analyzes a variety of data about the student and his test taking abilities. Browning carefully scrutinizes evaluations before granting any accommodations.

With this information in mind, it is evident that testing accommodations are not intended to be an unfair advantage which benefits one group of students to the detriment of others. Instead, accommodations fulfill an essential need for certain students, because without them, they would be unable to perform to their highest potential. Rather than giving students a leg up, accommodations help them to be assessed fairly and accurately when compared with their peers.

The Grytte editorial board suggests that students who feel they might need testing accommodations consult with Learning Specialist Kristen Sheppard to help them determine the necessary course of action.