How to make school to provide 504 accommodations

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What would happen if the test was pulled at time? Would she fail the test? If so- she needs extra time. But if she just wants a few extra minutes to add supporting details that will help her get an “A” on the test- this is not a need for extended time. Maybe first try working with a therapist or coach who will help her work in a timely manner. This will be far more beneficial for her in the long run (completing reports, spreadsheets, etc. expeditiously is a terrific job skill).

Schools need to be careful regarding the extended time accommodation due to the tremendous advantage it provides on the SAT. You would be surprised how many families cheat by paying thousands of dollars for a fake dx just to get extra time on the SAT. It is very easy to meet dx criteria for anxiety or adhd, so families think that dx = guarantees accommodations, which it doesn’t.

Best of luck to your daughter - she sounds like a very conscientious learner which will certainly benefit her in the big picture.

Please don’t listen to this poster, who clearly does not understand how ADHD impacts students and what the actual purpose of a 504 is.

+1 I think all kids should have the time they need to finish assessments.

[Anonymous]

Was the testing done when she was on medication or off of it? If she is now on medication, then her abilities and medication are not the same as what was tested as the condition is being treated.

A psychiatrist generally knows little about specific areas of academic impact. And some will recommend accommodations that are contraindicated. For example research has shown that more time is not a good accommodation for kids with ADHD. yet it is a generic accommodation that gets recommended anyways. A break would be appropriate or a quiet space without distractions etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Was the testing done when she was on medication or off of it? If she is now on medication, then her abilities and medication are not the same as what was tested as the condition is being treated.

A psychiatrist generally knows little about specific areas of academic impact. And some will recommend accommodations that are contraindicated. For example research has shown that more time is not a good accommodation for kids with ADHD. yet it is a generic accommodation that gets recommended anyways. A break would be appropriate or a quiet space without distractions etc.

Extra time is provided to accommodate for the break you are referring to.

[Anonymous]

Teachers are not giving accommodations anymore. That would mean doing something different for certain students than the whole class. In this era of high stakes for teachers they are doing “accommodations” for the entire class. Reading directions aloud. Extended time because due dates and deadlines. 50% instead of 0’s, unlimited retakes for all…

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Teachers are not giving accommodations anymore. That would mean doing something different for certain students than the whole class. In this era of high stakes for teachers they are doing “accommodations” for the entire class. Reading directions aloud. Extended time because due dates and deadlines. 50% instead of 0’s, unlimited retakes for all…

You're trolling. It is no picnic for the secondary students who need extra time. It is a constant reminder and negotiation with overworked teachers, who rightfully want to get tests finished and graded.

[Anonymous]

OP if it’s any consolation, my 10th ADHD grader has had a 504 since first grade and none of his HS teachers actually follow anything listed. Every time this comes up he is blamed for not asking for his accommodations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP if it’s any consolation, my 10th ADHD grader has had a 504 since first grade and none of his HS teachers actually follow anything listed. Every time this comes up he is blamed for not asking for his accommodations.

This is not legal. You and your son asked for 504 accommodations at the 504 table. He does not also have to ask for them in front of his classmates in the classroom each time he wants to use them.

Most students need help from parents to learn how to politely remind teachers about their accommodations. There is a power dynamic in the classroom that makes it difficult and scary to do this, but 504 plans are a legal obligation the school must meet. The teacher must comply with the plan.

Please support your DC by helping him draft an email to his teacher stating that he wants to regularly receive his accommodation. For example, if he has testing accommodations, he should email that he has a 504 plan with extra time (plus whatever other accoms - small group, use of computer or calculator, test on paper, etc.) and offer a time when he can finish the extra time on the test - at lunch, after school, before school, during the next class or another class, etc.

Your DC should CC you on the email.

If the teacher declines to provide the accommodation, you can help by forwarding the refusal to comply with the 504 plan to the principal, ccing the teacher and your DC, and writing short, polite note informing him/her that the school is "out of compliance" with the 504 and asking that the principal provide the teacher with the necessary professional support to "bring the school back into compliance so that I do not have to resort to due process options."

Section 504, together with IDEA and the ADA protect kid's civil right to access and benefit from an important public good - free public education. Students are our nation's most important human capital investment - an investment made in order to create people who can make their greatest and best contribution to our future society. We all loose out when that doesn't happen. Please help your child see that he is worth demanding his civil rights so that he can develop his future. Helping him learn to self-advocate in this way is important for college and the workplace, where he will also have rights to class & campus accommodation and will develop those with the college disability office.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What would happen if the test was pulled at time? Would she fail the test? If so- she needs extra time. But if she just wants a few extra minutes to add supporting details that will help her get an “A” on the test- this is not a need for extended time. Maybe first try working with a therapist or coach who will help her work in a timely manner. This will be far more beneficial for her in the long run (completing reports, spreadsheets, etc. expeditiously is a terrific job skill).

Schools need to be careful regarding the extended time accommodation due to the tremendous advantage it provides on the SAT. You would be surprised how many families cheat by paying thousands of dollars for a fake dx just to get extra time on the SAT. It is very easy to meet dx criteria for anxiety or adhd, so families think that dx = guarantees accommodations, which it doesn’t.

Best of luck to your daughter - she sounds like a very conscientious learner which will certainly benefit her in the big picture.

Getting a 504 or even an IEP with extended time does not guarantee extended time for SAT, AP, IB, etc.

That is true, but once the 504 or IEP is in place, the parent/student then requests the school to make an accommodation request to SAT, ACT, IB, etc. on the student's behalf. The process requires the school to share the 504/IEP plan. I have never seen SAT, ACT or IB decline to provide extra-time accommodations which are already on a plan. (Mostly because your school's team, who knows the child better than SAT, ACT or IB, has already met and made an individualized legal determination that the student is an eligible disabled student who needs a testing accommodation, so it creates legal liability for the testing company, who does not know your child, to second guess that judgment.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP if it’s any consolation, my 10th ADHD grader has had a 504 since first grade and none of his HS teachers actually follow anything listed. Every time this comes up he is blamed for not asking for his accommodations.

This is not legal. You and your son asked for 504 accommodations at the 504 table. He does not also have to ask for them in front of his classmates in the classroom each time he wants to use them.

Most students need help from parents to learn how to politely remind teachers about their accommodations. There is a power dynamic in the classroom that makes it difficult and scary to do this, but 504 plans are a legal obligation the school must meet. The teacher must comply with the plan.

Please support your DC by helping him draft an email to his teacher stating that he wants to regularly receive his accommodation. For example, if he has testing accommodations, he should email that he has a 504 plan with extra time (plus whatever other accoms - small group, use of computer or calculator, test on paper, etc.) and offer a time when he can finish the extra time on the test - at lunch, after school, before school, during the next class or another class, etc.

Your DC should CC you on the email.

If the teacher declines to provide the accommodation, you can help by forwarding the refusal to comply with the 504 plan to the principal, ccing the teacher and your DC, and writing short, polite note informing him/her that the school is "out of compliance" with the 504 and asking that the principal provide the teacher with the necessary professional support to "bring the school back into compliance so that I do not have to resort to due process options."

Section 504, together with IDEA and the ADA protect kid's civil right to access and benefit from an important public good - free public education. Students are our nation's most important human capital investment - an investment made in order to create people who can make their greatest and best contribution to our future society. We all loose out when that doesn't happen. Please help your child see that he is worth demanding his civil rights so that he can develop his future. Helping him learn to self-advocate in this way is important for college and the workplace, where he will also have rights to class & campus accommodation and will develop those with the college disability office.

PP here. Thanks for this. We are working on many of these things. I know teachers are overworked and wonder how many kids have plans at his school.

The 50% rule was hiding some of my child’s issues unfortunately. Getting a zero now for an assignment a teacher won’t let him turn in late (even though in the plan) completely tanks his grade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP if it’s any consolation, my 10th ADHD grader has had a 504 since first grade and none of his HS teachers actually follow anything listed. Every time this comes up he is blamed for not asking for his accommodations.

This is not legal. You and your son asked for 504 accommodations at the 504 table. He does not also have to ask for them in front of his classmates in the classroom each time he wants to use them.

Most students need help from parents to learn how to politely remind teachers about their accommodations. There is a power dynamic in the classroom that makes it difficult and scary to do this, but 504 plans are a legal obligation the school must meet. The teacher must comply with the plan.

Please support your DC by helping him draft an email to his teacher stating that he wants to regularly receive his accommodation. For example, if he has testing accommodations, he should email that he has a 504 plan with extra time (plus whatever other accoms - small group, use of computer or calculator, test on paper, etc.) and offer a time when he can finish the extra time on the test - at lunch, after school, before school, during the next class or another class, etc.

Your DC should CC you on the email.

If the teacher declines to provide the accommodation, you can help by forwarding the refusal to comply with the 504 plan to the principal, ccing the teacher and your DC, and writing short, polite note informing him/her that the school is "out of compliance" with the 504 and asking that the principal provide the teacher with the necessary professional support to "bring the school back into compliance so that I do not have to resort to due process options."

Section 504, together with IDEA and the ADA protect kid's civil right to access and benefit from an important public good - free public education. Students are our nation's most important human capital investment - an investment made in order to create people who can make their greatest and best contribution to our future society. We all loose out when that doesn't happen. Please help your child see that he is worth demanding his civil rights so that he can develop his future. Helping him learn to self-advocate in this way is important for college and the workplace, where he will also have rights to class & campus accommodation and will develop those with the college disability office.

PP here. Thanks for this. We are working on many of these things. I know teachers are overworked and wonder how many kids have plans at his school.

The 50% rule was hiding some of my child’s issues unfortunately. Getting a zero now for an assignment a teacher won’t let him turn in late (even though in the plan) completely tanks his grade.

As another 504 parent, I sigh in recognition of the issues with real life administration of 504 plans! So much is teacher dependent, and so much requires a parent to pop in on email, and copy counselors and admin, to ensure compliance.

While many teachers and whole departments in MCPS are good, even establishing automatic extended assignment due dates when the assignment is given, we have faced a few recurring problems: World Language Departments!!! One must request accommodation over and over (because they fear a student will fall behind, but still, let the student manage their life); they are disorganized and give short notice for tests and for specific content covered by tests. Math/Science: Better with announcing tests in advance and what they content is, but they emphasize test security over student accommodation and as a result arbitrarily determine which section of tests they hand out for class time vs extended time, thereby denying the disabled student the opportunity to review all questions and allocate time as a non-disabled student would. One thing that never fails to irk me is that for every test, the extended time student is required to approach the teacher and work out a plan to get their extended time. I wish the teachers would plan it and consult with the student about whether the plan works. The self-advocacy required to actually get accommodations is a total emotional and cognitive overload for students with disabilities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP. Thanks all. Yes, I am sure it was full neuropsyc in 4th grade. We paid about $5k. It was not really intuitive to repeat the test to support the request for 504. The fact that she is on medication managed by a licensed psychiatrist demonstrates that she has ADHD.

You all convinced me that she needs to be tested again. We will do that, but testing is expensive!

You shouldn’t need to repeat the test - as my child’s doctor has said - ADHD isn’t a thing that goes away so a test from earlier should still stand. I would recommend hiring an education consultant to help you advocate.

While it doesn’t go away, between ES and HS many students will learn enough strategies that they need fewer supports. It would be inappropriate to write a 504 plan based on testing from five years ago. They are rewritten each year because kids’ needs evolve that quickly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What would happen if the test was pulled at time? Would she fail the test? If so- she needs extra time. But if she just wants a few extra minutes to add supporting details that will help her get an “A” on the test- this is not a need for extended time. Maybe first try working with a therapist or coach who will help her work in a timely manner. This will be far more beneficial for her in the long run (completing reports, spreadsheets, etc. expeditiously is a terrific job skill).

Schools need to be careful regarding the extended time accommodation due to the tremendous advantage it provides on the SAT. You would be surprised how many families cheat by paying thousands of dollars for a fake dx just to get extra time on the SAT. It is very easy to meet dx criteria for anxiety or adhd, so families think that dx = guarantees accommodations, which it doesn’t.

Best of luck to your daughter - she sounds like a very conscientious learner which will certainly benefit her in the big picture.

Getting a 504 or even an IEP with extended time does not guarantee extended time for SAT, AP, IB, etc.

That is true, but once the 504 or IEP is in place, the parent/student then requests the school to make an accommodation request to SAT, ACT, IB, etc. on the student's behalf. The process requires the school to share the 504/IEP plan. I have never seen SAT, ACT or IB decline to provide extra-time accommodations which are already on a plan. (Mostly because your school's team, who knows the child better than SAT, ACT or IB, has already met and made an individualized legal determination that the student is an eligible disabled student who needs a testing accommodation, so it creates legal liability for the testing company, who does not know your child, to second guess that judgment.)

I saw it three times as an AP teacher in MCPS. Once I agreed with their determination. The other two times, I was surprised.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What would happen if the test was pulled at time? Would she fail the test? If so- she needs extra time. But if she just wants a few extra minutes to add supporting details that will help her get an “A” on the test- this is not a need for extended time. Maybe first try working with a therapist or coach who will help her work in a timely manner. This will be far more beneficial for her in the long run (completing reports, spreadsheets, etc. expeditiously is a terrific job skill).

Schools need to be careful regarding the extended time accommodation due to the tremendous advantage it provides on the SAT. You would be surprised how many families cheat by paying thousands of dollars for a fake dx just to get extra time on the SAT. It is very easy to meet dx criteria for anxiety or adhd, so families think that dx = guarantees accommodations, which it doesn’t.

Best of luck to your daughter - she sounds like a very conscientious learner which will certainly benefit her in the big picture.

Getting a 504 or even an IEP with extended time does not guarantee extended time for SAT, AP, IB, etc.

That is true, but once the 504 or IEP is in place, the parent/student then requests the school to make an accommodation request to SAT, ACT, IB, etc. on the student's behalf. The process requires the school to share the 504/IEP plan. I have never seen SAT, ACT or IB decline to provide extra-time accommodations which are already on a plan. (Mostly because your school's team, who knows the child better than SAT, ACT or IB, has already met and made an individualized legal determination that the student is an eligible disabled student who needs a testing accommodation, so it creates legal liability for the testing company, who does not know your child, to second guess that judgment.)

I saw it three times as an AP teacher in MCPS. Once I agreed with their determination. The other two times, I was surprised.

When was this - in the last 5 years?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP. Thanks all. Yes, I am sure it was full neuropsyc in 4th grade. We paid about $5k. It was not really intuitive to repeat the test to support the request for 504. The fact that she is on medication managed by a licensed psychiatrist demonstrates that she has ADHD.

You all convinced me that she needs to be tested again. We will do that, but testing is expensive!

You shouldn’t need to repeat the test - as my child’s doctor has said - ADHD isn’t a thing that goes away so a test from earlier should still stand. I would recommend hiring an education consultant to help you advocate.

While it doesn’t go away, between ES and HS many students will learn enough strategies that they need fewer supports. It would be inappropriate to write a 504 plan based on testing from five years ago. They are rewritten each year because kids’ needs evolve that quickly.

The school must gather data from many sources other than psychoed testing to determine accommodations.

Psychoed testing does not need to be done for a 504 plan, and if the school believes it does then it has a legal obligation to provide it free of charge.

[Anonymous]

OP here. I was traveling last week and hence, the delayed response. Thank you all for very useful comments. I reached to school requesting a 504. They responded that we should provide additional data. If no, additional data they warned that the outcome may be the same. I responded that I would like school to share with me notes from their investigation last year. I remember that they mentioned that they spoke with teachers. Those notes have never been shared with us. We are planning to share the neurophyc report from 5th grade, DD’s prior accommodations at her private school (she moved to MCPS at 7th grade. But because of the pandemic, she did not need a 504 in 7-8th grade) and her texts to me asking for help when she studied really hard but was not able to finish half of the tests on time in numerous instances. I also told DD that if school wants to speak with her, she should decline politely and request that she can talk when one of her parents is present. Last year, the counselor spoke with her, and partly based on that conversation, they decided she was not eligible for a 504 plan.

What else can I do until I gather the data? Thank you