Extra Time on Tests
There are a number of physical and cognitive difficulties that can
prevent a student from satisfactorily displaying their knowledge of
course material within a limited time period. These include, but are
not limited to the following:
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Sight and mobility impairments
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Visual processing speed
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Information retrieval speed
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Reading decoding, comprehension, and speed
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Attention and focus
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Organization skills
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Sequencing skills
The
Specialist determines how much extra time is necessary in order to
remove the barriers imposed by time limits. To do this, we must take
several factors into consideration, including the following:
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The specific functional limitations of the student
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The severity of these limitations
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The format of the test or exam
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The length of the test or exam
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The course subject
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The necessary accommodations
Here’s
an example: Sally Student has difficulty with verbal comprehension;
i.e. she does not correctly interpret printed material when she
reads it, but she does understand it when the material is read aloud
to her. An appropriate accommodation for this student may be to
record the test being read aloud. Sally is going to take more time
to complete the test than a student who can read the test himself.
Additionally, a multiple choice test, with extensive answer choices,
is going to take the student longer to listen to than, say, an essay
test with brief writing prompts.
A 1992
study by the College Board revealed that the largest number of
test-takers with learning disabilities required more than time and
one-half, but less than double time to reach the same rate of
completion as non-LD test-takers on the SATs. A 1994 study completed
by Arline Halper, Ed.D. at UCLA showed that the greater the length
of the exam, the less extra time was needed. Therefore, the standard
at UCLA is to provide 75% to 100% more time to complete time-limited
midterm exams, while students taking three-hour final exams will
generally receive 50% more time.
Glendale
College follows these general guidelines established by UCLA. Most
often, double time is given.
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