Do “Universal Accommodations” level the playing field for dyslexic students?

[Anonymous]

In my experience, there are teachers who use universal accommodations to try to bypass IEP and 504 accommodations. My DD had a teacher who did this. The majority of the class needed the full time. The teacher simply did not want to split the test to enable extra time. This teacher actually got in a lot of trouble. The 504 and IEP kids had no chance to complete.

There are some teachers who do it right. They split the test into pieces. Students who need extra time are given the option to wait to take the second part after school or during a free period.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If the purpose of the test is to assess mastery of the subject, then giving all kids the amount of time it takes for your kid to complete is a good thing. It levels the playing field for everyone who has a disability, diagnosed or not,’and everyone who is otherwise slower than others.

I was always the student that could accurately complete all tests in less than 25% of the allotted time getting maximal points. You wouldn’t want the time limit to be that of the fastest kid because you want all students to be able to demonstrate mastery of the subject not accuracy of speed test taking. But for some reason OP thinks that only her kid whose disability has been diagnosed should get extra time and that doesn’t level the playing field.

No, in that case every student would have unlimited time.

If the test is designed for 50 minutes, every student without an accommodation would finish in 50 minutes, even in an 80 min session. If those students are taking longer than 50 min, then the test was poorly designed for that time (or there are undiagnosed students who need an accommodation). Universal accommodations are not accommodations at all, and I hate that teachers now have a fancy name for denying accommodations.

Universal design is the term and it isn't a fancy name for denying accommodations.

But giving extra time for all is NOT universal design. Making an untimed test would be universal design. If the test is not timed, then no student need extended time on the test, so that accommodation doesn't need to be used.