You'll also find forms, instructions for applying for accommodations and other procedures in the links at the bottom of this page.
See below for a basic idea of how the process works, but please read the entire Testing Accommodation Overview for a complete explanation. The SOA offers accommodations to alleviate the impact of the candidate's ability on the testing process, as long as it doesn't alter the nature of the exam (and other stipulations). While we’re moving ever closer to an environment where embedded accommodations are standard for learners with disabilities, it takes all of our voices to work on getting us there.The Society of Actuaries (SOA) is committed to complying with the American Disabilities Act (ADA) when it comes to giving equal access to our exams and certification tests for people with documented disabilities and/or special needs. Paul from Brookline told us that using embedded word prediction made things easier for students and personnel alike. Now more states are adding additional accommodations, and Illinois has become the newest state that allows embedded word prediction for the very first time in 2022, joining Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New Mexico in streamlining writing accommodations for test-takers. Test-taking with accommodations in hand better represents how students use accommodations to access learning throughout the year (we don’t take students’ glasses away when taking a test!). With most students using one-to-one Chromebooks during assessments, many accommodations are now built-in, including text-to-speech. Your students may benefit from doing the same.Įmbedded accommodations make for a simpler test-taking experience, which also means test scores more accurately reflect student knowledge. Data gathered from the accommodations screening tool uPAR shows that 60% of students reading below grade level can comprehend at or above grade level with an accommodation. Specialized word prediction technology helps connect their thoughts to the page.įor students who rely on accommodations in their daily life, it’s super important that they also have access to the same tools on their assessment.įor students with learning disabilities that impact reading like dyslexia, text-to-speech tools like Snap&Read allow them to access curriculum content. It’s a similar situation with assistive technology: students with learning differences that interfere with writing, like dysgraphia, often use specialized word prediction tools like Co:Writer to complete assignments.ĭysgraphia impacts not only handwriting, but processes in the brain that allow people to translate their thoughts into writing. Glasses allow visually impaired learners to be able to read their reading and writing, see the board, and participate fully in class. Unfortunately, the myth that accommodations are cheating or offer unfair advantages is a persistent one.īut accommodations for students who need them are as essential to their educational experience as glasses are to a visually impaired student. Once they had finished answering a question, an administrator had to transfer the student’s answer into the test by typing it verbatim. If a student had a word prediction accommodation Brookline staff would set up two separate computers: one with the assessment itself, and another where the student could type answers to test questions into a Google Doc using their word prediction. Paul Auger, Assistive Technology Specialist at The Public Schools of Brookline in Brookline, MA recalls issues with past processes.
TESTING ACCOMMODATIONS HOW TO
And it can be tough to know exactly how to improve student accessibility during testing. These processes can be stressful for students and often add to their cognitive load as they navigate systems that are dissimilar to the day-to-day accommodations they typically use. Staff who are responsible for implementing testing accommodations must often contend with complex processes for accessing accommodations. Not least among them is managing the logistics of testing accommodations for students with disabilities. When assessment season rolls around, it brings with it many challenges.
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