Am I overreacting? College Board Accommodations

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

The medical issue is severe enough that he is not able to attend school full time. At school he also has an accommodation where tests are rescheduled if he is symptomatic. That accommodation is not available for APs.

All APs have an alternative date about two weeks later. If your child is not able to take the test on the first scheduled day, you can use the second date - if it's medical and the school agrees there is no change fee. Both of my DS's had to delay AP's - one for a concussion, one for another medical reason. It's a gamble, because there is no third date, but does give some flexibility.

[Anonymous]

OP, I have a 5 year old with accommodations. Maybe I am coming at this from an incorrect perspective because my child is so young and I won't know until he is in high school, but...where is your son in all of this? Is he a junior or senior in high school? Did he participate in attempting to get the accommodations? How does he feel about them and about not getting them? Does he agree that he needs them and cannot do withou them? This post has been all about your perspective, but what about your soon-to-be-college-bound son?

[Anonymous]

Even if he doesn't get stop clock, can he take the test in a private room? It seems the least the school could do given their errors would be to provide a separate room and a proctor just for your son.

And if he doesn't like his scores, I think there's a way he can select which scores go to which schools. Using score choice means that he doesn't have to worry about a bad score showing up to colleges. If it costs money, I would ask the school to pay for it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Even if he doesn't get stop clock, can he take the test in a private room? It seems the least the school could do given their errors would be to provide a separate room and a proctor just for your son.

And if he doesn't like his scores, I think there's a way he can select which scores go to which schools. Using score choice means that he doesn't have to worry about a bad score showing up to colleges. If it costs money, I would ask the school to pay for it.

Private room (or small group) would also requires College Board approval. The school can't provide accommodations the CB doesn't approve.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Even if he doesn't get stop clock, can he take the test in a private room? It seems the least the school could do given their errors would be to provide a separate room and a proctor just for your son.

And if he doesn't like his scores, I think there's a way he can select which scores go to which schools. Using score choice means that he doesn't have to worry about a bad score showing up to colleges. If it costs money, I would ask the school to pay for it.

Private room (or small group) would also requires College Board approval. The school can't provide accommodations the CB doesn't approve.

OP here, this is correct. He would test in the extended time room (if that's approved) with all the kids most vulnerable to distraction if has problems.

Stop clock would likely mean 1:1 testing but they didn't list it on his application separately.

He isn't distractible so he doesn't need 1:1 for that reason, it is not something he needs, but he is distracting so he gets 1:1 for that reason sometimes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, I have a 5 year old with accommodations. Maybe I am coming at this from an incorrect perspective because my child is so young and I won't know until he is in high school, but...where is your son in all of this? Is he a junior or senior in high school? Did he participate in attempting to get the accommodations? How does he feel about them and about not getting them? Does he agree that he needs them and cannot do withou them? This post has been all about your perspective, but what about your soon-to-be-college-bound son?

Come back after you've have 12 years of experience with this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, I have a 5 year old with accommodations. Maybe I am coming at this from an incorrect perspective because my child is so young and I won't know until he is in high school, but...where is your son in all of this? Is he a junior or senior in high school? Did he participate in attempting to get the accommodations? How does he feel about them and about not getting them? Does he agree that he needs them and cannot do withou them? This post has been all about your perspective, but what about your soon-to-be-college-bound son?

Come back after you've have 12 years of experience with this.

Fine, but the kid is college bound. When does he start to learn to advocate for himself?

[Anonymous]

Parents of 5 year olds should be silent (at least non-judgy) observers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Parents of 5 year olds should be silent (at least non-judgy) observers.

I asked questions that I find very relevant given that I have a young child who requires accommodations and who I hope to help grow into somebody who can stand up for himself. Instead of answering my questions, you insult me. This says a lot about you, but I really hope that you are helping your son to learn how to look after himself. My SIL sheltered the hell out of my nephew with a genetic condition and he went to college completely unprepared. Don't do the same thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Parents of 5 year olds should be silent (at least non-judgy) observers.

I asked questions that I find very relevant given that I have a young child who requires accommodations and who I hope to help grow into somebody who can stand up for himself. Instead of answering my questions, you insult me. This says a lot about you, but I really hope that you are helping your son to learn how to look after himself. My SIL sheltered the hell out of my nephew with a genetic condition and he went to college completely unprepared. Don't do the same thing.

That wasn't me,

OP

[Anonymous]

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Parents of 5 year olds should be silent (at least non-judgy) observers. [/quote]

I asked questions that I find very relevant given that I have a young child who requires accommodations and who I hope to help grow into somebody whcan stand up for himself. Instead of answering my questions, you insult me. This says a lot about you, but I really hope that you are helping your son to learn how to look after himself. My SIL sheltered the hell out of my nephew with a genetic condition and he went to college completely unprepared. Don't do the same thing.[/quote]

NP. In almost every school students with IEPs are part of the MDT meetings and discussions by high school. My son started attending and participating in 4th grade and still does). Older students have a lot of say and in a practical, real sense work out the implementation of accommodations with each different teacher starting in middle school every day.

But the College Board requires accommodation requests to come from a school official or a parent if the child is under 18 - probably because it involves providing them with medical information. The student is involved in the decision of what to ask for via the IEP. No one is gets more accommodations for the SAT, ACT or AP exams then they get in school. The challenge is convincing the College Board that those accommodations are needed for those exams as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, I have a 5 year old with accommodations. Maybe I am coming at this from an incorrect perspective because my child is so young and I won't know until he is in high school, but...where is your son in all of this? Is he a junior or senior in high school? Did he participate in attempting to get the accommodations? How does he feel about them and about not getting them? Does he agree that he needs them and cannot do withou them? This post has been all about your perspective, but what about your soon-to-be-college-bound son?

Come back after you've have 12 years of experience with this.

Fine, but the kid is college bound. When does he start to learn to advocate for himself?

NP here. You know nothing about this family's situation other than that after submitting the paperwork the school messed it up. Are you really so hands off that you are going to expect your possibly 17 year old to file an appeal by themselves, write DCUM asking for advice, and write a letter of complaint to their counselor and principal, and possibly hire a lawyer? You are making assumptions about this family because of your experience with your nephew. Did you do everything yourself when you were seventeen or did you get any help from any adult in your life?

So to answer your question, yes, you probably are coming at this from a wrong perspective.

-Another parent of a young child with accommodations

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Contrary to what someone posted above, denials for extra time are common for ADHD. Be prepared to appeal. We did - got time and a half on SAT and double time on ACT. You have to be persistent and in their face.

This. The poster upthread who said there is nothing to the process is wrong.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Contrary to what someone posted above, denials for extra time are common for ADHD. Be prepared to appeal. We did - got time and a half on SAT and double time on ACT. You have to be persistent and in their face.

This. The poster upthread who said there is nothing to the process is wrong.

No, the PP just had a different, but valid, experience. Some students are "no brainers" and get the accommodations quickly with no fuss. These are students with more severe and obvious issues and who have had accommodations for many years or their entire school history.

Students that have not had the requested accommodations in their middle school and have only received them recently or have not had recent testing do have a harder time. Recent testing is a requirement that easily avoids the second issue.

I think the timing of requesting accommodations is key too. Usually accommodations are requested for the first College Board test- PSATs- so applying freshman year would give enough time to get the accommodations straight by the time a student takes an AP class. When DC was granted accommodations from CB, it was for all CB testing- PSATs, SATS, APs, SAT Subject tests......

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Contrary to what someone posted above, denials for extra time are common for ADHD. Be prepared to appeal. We did - got time and a half on SAT and double time on ACT. You have to be persistent and in their face.

This. The poster upthread who said there is nothing to the process is wrong.

No, the PP just had a different, but valid, experience. Some students are "no brainers" and get the accommodations quickly with no fuss. These are students with more severe and obvious issues and who have had accommodations for many years or their entire school history.

Students that have not had the requested accommodations in their middle school and have only received them recently or have not had recent testing do have a harder time. Recent testing is a requirement that easily avoids the second issue.

I think the timing of requesting accommodations is key too. Usually accommodations are requested for the first College Board test- PSATs- so applying freshman year would give enough time to get the accommodations straight by the time a student takes an AP class. When DC was granted accommodations from CB, it was for all CB testing- PSATs, SATS, APs, SAT Subject tests......

OP here, this is what I am worried about. I keep hearing that you can't get accommodations if you didn't get them all the way through.

DS's condition is medical rather than developmental. He didn't have accommodations in MS or 9th because he wasn't sick yet. In 10th he was too sick to attend, so he went to school online where there are no timed tests. We finally got a confirmed diagnosis in September, so the 504 wasn't finalized until then.