A release from the College Board:
The College Board has overhauled its request process for testing accommodations, making it easier for eligible students to receive the support they need on College Board assessments.
Beginning January 1, 2017, the vast majority of students who are approved for and using testing accommodations at their school through a current Individualized Education Program (IEP) or 504 Plan will have those same accommodations automatically approved for taking the SAT®, PSAT™10, PSAT/NMSQT®, SAT Subject Tests™, and AP®Exams. Most private school students with a current, formal school-based plan that meets College Board criteria will also have their current accommodations automatically approved for College Board exams. This streamlined process builds on the College Board’s August 2016 expansion of testing accommodations that can be approved directly by schools without the need for additional documentation.
“Educators, students, and families have asked us to simplify our process, and we’ve listened,” said David Coleman, president and CEO of the College Board. “The school staff knows their students best, and we want to cut down on the time and paperwork needed to submit a testing accommodations request.”
Under this new policy, school testing accommodation coordinators need to answer only two questions when submitting most requests for students: “Is the requested accommodation(s) in the student’s plan?” and “Has the student used the accommodation(s) for school testing?” If the answer is yes to both questions, eligible students can be approved to receive most accommodations on College Board exams. This new process is expected to reduce the approval time for an overwhelming majority of accommodation requests.
“This is welcome news for the state of Michigan,” said Andrew J. Middlestead, director of the Office of Standards and Assessment for the Michigan Department of Education. “We've been working for years to push for better accommodations options for college entrance examinations, and this streamlined policy from the College Board is a powerful step forward in helping all students show their best work.”
These changes build on the College Board’s recent work to level the playing field for students, including offering students 43% more time per question on the SAT than on the ACT and giving all students access to free, personalized Official SAT Practice on Khan Academy® so they can feel confident and prepared on test day.
