Reply to Wall Street Journal on rampant growth in percentage of college students with “disabilities”

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Truly - what is the harm of accommodations?    What is one single example of an accommodated kid gaining an unfair advantage?  I am asking this and my kids are accommodation free.   These kids may not fit into the box they are dealt with but this has nothing to do with intellect, ideas or ability to innovate.  Sure - perhaps there are some careers where they may not be properly suited but that’s between them and their employer. [/quote]

Obviously, with more time they could out-perform their peers who have to stick to the time limit. [/quote]

Agree SATs and ACTs are as much a test of getting through all the questions within the time limits as a test of skills/ability. If one kid has say 45 seconds to work out a math problem, it is harder to get it right than if they have 90-120 seconds per question. When there's a strict time limit, many kids don't have the luxury of double checking answers. I think a lot of test prep is to teach kids how to zero in on the right answer, dismissing clearly wrong answers, as quickly as possible. It must also be more comfortable writing the SAT essay when you've got double the time to think and plan. [/quote]

[b]You don't get it. It takes the ADHD/ADD/anxiety/EF disabled student longer to do the same work, [/b]so 45 seconds for a non-disabled student = 90-120 seconds for a disabled student. There is no advantage, only a levelled playing field. There is no extra double-checking of answers. It takes the disabled student the entire period to simply get through the test! There is no extra time to plan an essay response. It takes that long just to decide what to write and write it! Some of you need to study up on this type of disability rather than impulsively responding. -Mom of ADD DD who barely squeaked by HS -- even with so-called  "extras." [/quote]

I think YOU don't get it.  Standardized tests are build to test processing speed and working memory, in part.  They're not designed to test content knowledge and creativity.  It would be laughably backwards to argue that a kid should get longer on tests because he is "disabled" due to his reduced executive functioning ability.

Now, a much better argument is that schools and colleges should design evaluations and courses that give more kinds of options to different kinds of learners.  That, I agree with.  But standardized tests measure processing speed, period.  [/quote]

You are ignorant person. Psychological tests measure processing speed, not ACT or SAT.
My child has slow processing speed and low working memory. But my child with support is finishing MS magnet and will go to HS magnet next year.
Should my child not go to college? There is no way  my child will take SAT or ACT without extended time... No way of any college, even CC without accommodations.
However, you have to know what kind of solutions and approaches child uses when solving some problems. I periodically literally open my mouth. I can't do it that way even with several advanced degrees and no LD. He just thinks differently. 
No any single person who works with my child ever question that he belong where he is . [/quote]

No, the SAT and ACT literally measure processing speed and working memory, in part.  That is why they are *timed.* Your child may have many strengths, but processing speed is not one of them.  It would be much better that he focuses on a college and major that does not prioritize processing speed metrics, than that he circumvent timed tests.  That would be a better fit for him.  [/quote]

If someone doesn't have a disability that requires extra time and they know the material, they have no problem finishing in under time.  If someone knows the material but has a disability that makes it take longer to perform the mechanics of the test, limiting time does affect their ability to finish the test.  This is why scores [b]don't[/b] change very much when people without disabilities are given extra time but scores [b]do [/b]change a lot when people with disabilities are given extra time.  I don't know why you're stuck on processing speed being a key indicator on whether someone should go to college.  There are many, many professions requiring advanced degrees where processing speed is completely irrelevant.  Of course SAT scores are also largely irrelevant too.  So maybe that is your point?

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But the "mechanics of the test" are the whole point.  Standardized tests measure your ability to take standardized tests, which includes how well you cope with the "mechanics" of the test.  And if the outcomes are the same, lets let everyone have extra time.  I know you don't want to hear this, but processing speed, working memory, and executive function ARE key components of intelligence, as generally understood.  Your child may well have other kinds of intelligence and personal qualities that are important, perhaps even more important.  But standardized tests have a purpose, and I'd rather see us just get rid of them than make them nonsensical.    [/quote]

You seriously think there is value in judging someone's ability to complete college by how well they're able to fill in the correct bubble in a bubble chart?

I'm not debating that processing speed and working memory are part of intelligence, but so are things like fluid reasoning.  If a child has 130 in fluid reasoning and 100 in processing speed, they should not have their fluid reasoning abilities disregarded.  If a child has a perfectly fine IQ across all subtests but has dysgraphia, they shouldn't be penalized because it takes them twice as long to complete hand written work legibly.  Same thing for a dyslexic student trying to fill in the correct bubbles for the answers they've already completed.

Test material is composed so that someone who knows it can complete it in the allotted time.  It isn't composed so that someone can spend significant time doing other things besides actually taking the test and still complete it.  If you lengthen the time for everyone, then you also lengthen the material, and then you have the same issue.  Someone requires 20% more time to use text magnification or 20% longer in order to write legibly, so they really only get 80% of the time everyone else gets to actually take the test.

[/quote]

The test is designed how it's designed -- what you're arguing for is that all college admissions should be based on whatever $5k neuropsych exam your kid got from Mindwell.  I think longer testing times are OK for someone who legitmately has to use an assistive device or has fine motor issues.  But just to make up for the fact that their processing speed is relatively slower?  No way. The POINT of the test is in part to measure processing speed.

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