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

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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]The college board should extend the time for EVERYONE. That will remove the processing speed gaming  and truly test the knowledge. [/quote]

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.  [/quote]

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

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. [/quote]

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?[/quote]

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. [/quote]

This is ridiculous. Stop spreading this. Many kids would benefit. [/quote]

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

Thought exercise for you then:

Your kid scores in 20th percentile for PS. 20th percentile is the trigger for accommodations.

Another kid scores 21st percentile. No accommodations.

Do you really think that other kid wouldn’t benefit from more time. I’m not saying this is exactly how it works. But there are kids who don’t get extra time because they just barely don’t score low enough. [/quote]

I posted earlier--my child qualifies for accommodations. I would support accommodations for everyone. I think there will be a modest benefit for everyone, but it won't be as extreme for students without disabilities. At some point, it comes down to comprehension and reasoning. If everyone had the same accommodations, the kid with the higher reasoning IQ in the area being tested, is going to score higher. Performance scores are important- especially in deadline driven environments where people have to make decisions very quickly. My DS (ADHD) will not be flying fighter jets or taking verbal orders from shareholders at the NY stock exchange. There are many careers for him that slower, more deliberate, and require the kind of intellect that most people don't have. When someone finds an alternative energy source or cures cancer, it may be one of these hyper focused, twice exceptional kids. [/quote]

The ACT tutor I talked to said time is the biggest problem *most* of her students have. The first thing she does is compare timed with unlimited to see if that’s a factor. And 90% it is. At least. The questions are actually really easy. You just have to be able to pace yourself. If you stop to think about a question for more than two min you are screwed. [/quote]

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