Extended Time for Testing -- 504 -- Use it or lose it??
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Anonymous
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I have a 7th grader with ADHD and processing speed issues (diagnosed by psycho-educational psychologist). He has some of the typical accommodations given in his 504, including extended time for testing. He is very bright and most of his issues are around organization, distraction, and of course the slow processing.
He does not use the extended time accommodation for all subjects. He claims he always uses it in math, and sometimes in other subjects. However, in our 504 meeting, all the teachers claimed he never uses it! Administrators tried to take away the accommodation based on the teachers' reports. They also cited the fact that he is doing so well (straight As and no behavior issues) so he doesn't need the accommodations anymore. What does one do when teachers either lie or just forget that your child is using an accommodation? Who does the administrators believe in a case where there is a discrepancy in what is happening during testing?? This is the second year they tried to take away the accommodation for the same reason. I am exhausted dealing with these clowns. |
Anonymous
| If he is taking his tests u timed and getting A's it's hard to argue that the playing field is uneven and he needs extra time. In our experience in MCPS, math tests were always untimed, kids could stay or finish at lunch. If he is using time that is offered to everyone, even if the others don't take it, that's not taking an accommodation. |
Anonymous
| Is your son verbally declining extra time? Our kids declined accommodations early on and I was mad the school made it an option. I was worried the school would do just what you're describing if it continued so I told each of them they didn't have a choice. Now they're older and embrace the supports but it took a while to get here. Our son has a disability that only affects verbal and not math. He hates waiting around when he's finished with math. We asked our neuropsych about removing the accommodation for math and she said they have to provide the extended time across all subjects or not at all. So sometimes it might look like he is not using extra time but he always uses it where needed. |
Anonymous
The time is NOT offered to everyone. He sometimes stays after school or goes in at lunch to finish a test. This is not offered to all. Also, standardized tests and exams are timed. His disability is documented and processing speed off the charts slow. He is doing a great job compensating, but just because he is smart doesn't mean is less entitled to the accommodation than a kid with the same disability but perhaps less intelligent. Equalling the playing field should not be based on performance. It should be based on the disability that is documented. |
Anonymous
| My DC has extra time and only uses for math- mainly at the end of the year. He also uses it for long written tests- as they are scribed and it just takes longer with a scribe. It has never been a problem. However, if they are saying he never uses it, you and your DC need to document when he has needed it. |
Anonymous
| Agree with the PP that you need to document. Are you sure your child is not telling you what you want to hear? |
Anonymous
| If he has straight A's and is successful in school, I would let it go until there is a problem. Pick your battles. |
Anonymous
. This. Fight to keep the accommodation. Extremely intelligent kids with ADHD may be able to do just fine without the accommodations in middle school, but the shit usually hits the fan in high school as things become more complex. Do not let them take this away from your child. I have teachers argue with me that my child doesn't have adhd because he is a stellar student. He is a stellar student because of a high iq and a willingness to work twice as long as other students to get the work done due to his focus and executive function deficiencies. |
Anonymous
| If every teacher is saying he doesn't need/use it multiple years in a row, why do you jump to, "They're lying"? If it was one off, I'd get that it's up for debate, but you have a half dozen plus people telling you the same thing... |
Anonymous
The math teacher is either lying or just forgetting. I am taking the other poster's advice and we are going to document each time he uses the extra time. It is sad that we have to resort to this because it appears the school does not want to support my highly functioning son. Some teachers want to do as little as possible...and I suspect it of this particular math teacher!! She always makes DS take the extra time during lunch so that she doesn't have to stay after school. That is very telling to me. |
Anonymous
I'm on your side, OP, but that last statement makes it seem like you are looking for a fight. Teachers do NOT have to stay beyond their working hours to accommodate your child. Lunch is the time that is set aside for make up work and extra time. Kids can also do it in DEAR or sometimes in the early morning. But, after school is just not typically an option. |
Anonymous
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Make your kids use the time. They probably won't want to because it makes them 'different' than others.
But when it comes to high school and you are trying to get accommodations from the College Board for PSATs, APs, SATs -- a 504 or IEP, or even documented slow processing speed or ADHD isn't enough. They ask for evidence that the kid uses the accommodations regularly and on all sorts of tests. Not to say you can 't get it without it, but it will be easier if there is a record of DC utilizing the time accommodations and, even better, some examples of grade impact when they DON"T use it. |
Anonymous
Teachers don't have to stay after school. Ideally the extra time is done during the school day. We are encouraged by admin to find a time during the day to do it, because they don't want kids to be forced into staying after school. |
Anonymous
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Is there no chance that you DS is telling you what you want to hear? ("Oh yeah, I took my time and spent lunch in her room finishing." "Did you ask to stay after school to have more time?" "Oh no, she won't let me stay after school.")
I have had such problems with my own child...going straight to the teacher, I found out that DS was turning in tests in 30 minutes, saying he didn't need/want to use any extra time. Teacher was offering it, he was declining and feeding me stories so I didn't fuss at him. |
Anonymous
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For my child, the use of extended time depends on the format of the assessment. If there is a lot of reading and writing then he needs extended time. If the assessment is just answering multiple choice questions then extended time is usually not needed.
My child was denied any accommodations for years because he receives "passing" grades and is advanced in some subject areas. However, he was routinely running out of time on particular types of assessments with the push for 2.0 and the greater emphasis to demonstrate writing skills even in math. To document his need, we encouraged him to write on the top of the test every time he could not finish. We asked for all of his assessments that did not come home to be on hand for the 504 meeting. We brought all of his assessments that were returned to the meetings as well. With these data points, we could show the team the types of tests my child needed extended time and the ones that he does not. Without extended time on assessments with a lot of reading and writing, he could pass but not have an opportunity to fully show all that he was capable of doing. Therefore, he needs extended time to even out the playing field and for equal access to the curriculum. The principal and counselor balked but the school psychologist agreed with us based on the assessments and our documentation of his needs and that is how we got extended time. We still hear "But he doesn't use it." However, we continue to have my son write on his assessments to document his advocacy when he needs it. This has prevented his 504 from being stripped of a successful accommodation for my son. Another strategy would be to go to an IEP meeting and say the lack of advocacy skills is hindering his access to his accommodations and therefore he needs Special Education services to teach him the skills to effectively advocate. Take the 504 documentation to the IEP meeting. To get an IEP meeting - send a letter in writing to the principal. Even over the summer, the school needs to convene the IEP team in 30 days. To the PP that posted there are no timed tests in MCPS - that is BS. As children move from Elementary school to Middle School and High School, ALL tests including math assessments become timed. If a child simply doesn't finish, those answers are marked WRONG. Period. |