Claiming a disability on the SAT/ACT - have people been gaming the system?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The college board should extend the time for EVERYONE. That will remove the processing speed gaming and truly test the knowledge.

except ... the WHOLE POINT IS TESTING PROCESSING SPEED. save your arguments for the colleges -- let them figure out admissions standards that go beyond processing speed. and stop denying that processing speed is not one important component of ability for some kinds of achievement.

And how could they test processing speed w accommodations of extra time and even usage of calculators and the abuse of the system?

First, both the SAT and ACT allow every student to use calculators.

These admissions tests now mostly cover knowledge from high school (why are now being used for statewide assessments in non-PARCC or Smarter Blanced States).

Processing speed is not discernible on these exams. And, as has been stated before, unless low processing speed is combined with something -- and has an impact academically -- you will not get accommodations.

My kid is in the 4th percentile for processing speed and gets straight As in his high school classes. He also is in the 99th percentile for reading and has a GAI of 130. He has some brain damage from birth. But despite his low processing speed he does not need extra time on the SAT or ACT, and if we asked he would certainly be turned down. Kids with neurological disorders are complex and don't all present the same way. And some of them figure out strategies over many years to overcome their challenges.

Calculators usage - not allowed on all portions unless one has accommodations. What I find curious is the resistance from parents who have accommodations for their kids to support extended time for everyone- if it is truly testing for knowledge, why not?

I have never met a parent with accommodation that does not think everybody should have the accommodations.

It's like giving glasses to somebody with 20/20 vision... it won't help. Nobody cares. We only care when a child with a disability is denied an accommodation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The college board should extend the time for EVERYONE. That will remove the processing speed gaming and truly test the knowledge.

except ... the WHOLE POINT IS TESTING PROCESSING SPEED. save your arguments for the colleges -- let them figure out admissions standards that go beyond processing speed. and stop denying that processing speed is not one important component of ability for some kinds of achievement.

No. The test is not to test speed. The point is to see if somebody has learned enough in 17 years to attend a college.

The point is to see who’s smarter.

correct, and processing speed is one component of cognitive ability.

I fully agree that it's not the ONLY component. but it's one.

I’d say it’s a fairly important component in most jobs.

People who speed through work are not an advantage. A study showed that slower workers are actually better at seeing the big picture and while it may take them longer their work product is better.

This is in relation to scientist and engineers.

Dyslexic learners are also slow but better at many things.

It would be very detrimental to a work place to not know that.

You’re right.

Slow and wrong is bad

Slow and right is better

Fast and wrong is bad

Fast and right is best

Fast and right is not always better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It sounds to me as though a poster or two may not believe in the science behind the neuro-psychological testing recommended by board-certified doctors.

This compounds the problem of determining who is deserving of the accommodations and who does not.

My DC was encouraged to drop an AP course in a room full of administrators while looking at a form filled out by the teacher claiming DC didn't need or use any accommodations approved by the same school. The withdrawl of a yearlong course in the middle of April is on DC's transcrip. Teacher refused to provide ANY accommodationst. (Gritting my teeth).

Because there is abuse of the system, why not give extended time to everyone? We want to test for knowledge so let every kid get extended time and a calculator for all portions of an exam

Extended time isn't the only accommodation provided. You have your believes and as a parent who has worked with a private SLP for many, many years to help my DC successfully overcome a myriad of challenges, we are going to have to agree to disagree on a one size fits all solution to educating the future generations of our country.

[Anonymous]

If it makes anyone feel better, as a young millennial for who graduated college a few years ago when this started being a thing, most people who had accomendations aren’t succeeding very much professionally. As someone who graduated with a 3.1, I’m doing much better post-grad then those accomendations who earned a 3.7+.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The problem here are that the stakes are too damn high. Getting into an elite college does give you a much bigger leg up in life so parents rationally try to do whatever they can to increase the odds their kid will get in.

Some of us are doing what we do just to get our kids to and through college, its not just about elite schools.

Well that's the same thing. The difference in earning power between a kid who goes to college and one who doesn't is tremendous. If it was possible to make a living wage without a college degree, there would be a lot less pressure for all this maneuvering.

All the electricians and plumbers I know make more than $100k/year. One plumber I know drives a Porsche.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The problem here are that the stakes are too damn high. Getting into an elite college does give you a much bigger leg up in life so parents rationally try to do whatever they can to increase the odds their kid will get in.

Some of us are doing what we do just to get our kids to and through college, its not just about elite schools.

Well that's the same thing. The difference in earning power between a kid who goes to college and one who doesn't is tremendous. If it was possible to make a living wage without a college degree, there would be a lot less pressure for all this maneuvering.

All the electricians and plumbers I know make more than $100k/year. One plumber I know drives a Porsche.

LOL, $100K will probably be my kid's starting salary when he graduates. And my husband makes $750K and we drive 7 year old Hondas.

[Anonymous]

15:54 here *beliefs

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The college board should extend the time for EVERYONE. That will remove the processing speed gaming and truly test the knowledge.

except ... the WHOLE POINT IS TESTING PROCESSING SPEED. save your arguments for the colleges -- let them figure out admissions standards that go beyond processing speed. and stop denying that processing speed is not one important component of ability for some kinds of achievement.

And how could they test processing speed w accommodations of extra time and even usage of calculators and the abuse of the system?

First, both the SAT and ACT allow every student to use calculators.

These admissions tests now mostly cover knowledge from high school (why are now being used for statewide assessments in non-PARCC or Smarter Blanced States).

Processing speed is not discernible on these exams. And, as has been stated before, unless low processing speed is combined with something -- and has an impact academically -- you will not get accommodations.

My kid is in the 4th percentile for processing speed and gets straight As in his high school classes. He also is in the 99th percentile for reading and has a GAI of 130. He has some brain damage from birth. But despite his low processing speed he does not need extra time on the SAT or ACT, and if we asked he would certainly be turned down. Kids with neurological disorders are complex and don't all present the same way. And some of them figure out strategies over many years to overcome their challenges.

Calculators usage - not allowed on all portions unless one has accommodations. What I find curious is the resistance from parents who have accommodations for their kids to support extended time for everyone- if it is truly testing for knowledge, why not?

I have never met a parent with accommodation that does not think everybody should have the accommodations.

It's like giving glasses to somebody with 20/20 vision... it won't help. Nobody cares. We only care when a child with a disability is denied an accommodation.

This is ridiculous. Stop spreading this. Many kids would benefit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If it makes anyone feel better, as a young millennial for who graduated college a few years ago when this started being a thing, most people who had accomendations aren’t succeeding very much professionally. As someone who graduated with a 3.1, I’m doing much better post-grad then those accomendations who earned a 3.7+.

I'm sure the people in your circle are representative of all people with disabilities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If it makes anyone feel better, as a young millennial for who graduated college a few years ago when this started being a thing, most people who had accomendations aren’t succeeding very much professionally. As someone who graduated with a 3.1, I’m doing much better post-grad then those accomendations who earned a 3.7+.

Well based on your spelling skills, I would say that 3.1 is well deserved. I hope you don't do any writing in your profession.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If it makes anyone feel better, as a young millennial for who graduated college a few years ago when this started being a thing, most people who had accomendations aren’t succeeding very much professionally. As someone who graduated with a 3.1, I’m doing much better post-grad then those accomendations who earned a 3.7+.

I'm much older and there were no accommodations for us, so 2 of my brothers never went to college. They both own companies that make more than those of us with advanced degrees.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The problem here are that the stakes are too damn high. Getting into an elite college does give you a much bigger leg up in life so parents rationally try to do whatever they can to increase the odds their kid will get in.

Some of us are doing what we do just to get our kids to and through college, its not just about elite schools.

Well that's the same thing. The difference in earning power between a kid who goes to college and one who doesn't is tremendous. If it was possible to make a living wage without a college degree, there would be a lot less pressure for all this maneuvering.

All the electricians and plumbers I know make more than $100k/year. One plumber I know drives a Porsche.

LOL, $100K will probably be my kid's starting salary when he graduates. And my husband makes $750K and we drive 7 year old Hondas.

Welcome to DC. You are average and bragging about it. Welcome to societal justice's equalizer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The college board should extend the time for EVERYONE. That will remove the processing speed gaming and truly test the knowledge.

except ... the WHOLE POINT IS TESTING PROCESSING SPEED. save your arguments for the colleges -- let them figure out admissions standards that go beyond processing speed. and stop denying that processing speed is not one important component of ability for some kinds of achievement.

And how could they test processing speed w accommodations of extra time and even usage of calculators and the abuse of the system?

First, both the SAT and ACT allow every student to use calculators.

These admissions tests now mostly cover knowledge from high school (why are now being used for statewide assessments in non-PARCC or Smarter Blanced States).

Processing speed is not discernible on these exams. And, as has been stated before, unless low processing speed is combined with something -- and has an impact academically -- you will not get accommodations.

My kid is in the 4th percentile for processing speed and gets straight As in his high school classes. He also is in the 99th percentile for reading and has a GAI of 130. He has some brain damage from birth. But despite his low processing speed he does not need extra time on the SAT or ACT, and if we asked he would certainly be turned down. Kids with neurological disorders are complex and don't all present the same way. And some of them figure out strategies over many years to overcome their challenges.

Calculators usage - not allowed on all portions unless one has accommodations. What I find curious is the resistance from parents who have accommodations for their kids to support extended time for everyone- if it is truly testing for knowledge, why not?

I have never met a parent with accommodation that does not think everybody should have the accommodations.

It's like giving glasses to somebody with 20/20 vision... it won't help. Nobody cares. We only care when a child with a disability is denied an accommodation.

This is ridiculous. Stop spreading this. Many kids would benefit.

No they won't. Give you kids the tests with accommodations then without and see for yourself.

[Anonymous]

If you claim a processing speed disability does State Dept or CIA give additional time for their testsing (FSOT or brainbench)?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If it makes anyone feel better, as a young millennial for who graduated college a few years ago when this started being a thing, most people who had accomendations aren’t succeeding very much professionally. As someone who graduated with a 3.1, I’m doing much better post-grad then those accomendations who earned a 3.7+.

I'm sure the people in your circle are representative of all people with disabilities.

I admit they are not, and I should have worded it as such. Mostly UMC/wealthy people who have borderline disabilities (went to one of LACs in the WSJ article).