In the interest of fairness there should a level of consideration for those that do not fall under the ADA. It is important to find a way to accomodate all students by making the time adequate for all students to complete their exams.
As a parent of a child with ADHD I can tell you that having extended time does not give the child more time to get the answer correct, but allows them to organize their thoughts and re-check their work. Lack of organization is why the extension is given, it has nothing to do with either knowing or not knowing the answer.
David,
You are right -- this system wouldn't be possible for everyone. But the fact that it IS possible for you, and you have figured out a way to provide full access for students with disabilities built in to the full access you provide to all students. Your time limit (for everyone) is "enough time". I would venture to bet that you get a much truer picture of what ALL your students know when they can focus on the content of the test, rather than the logistics.
Dr. Jane Jarrow
I realize everyone's teaching schedule is different--mine, fortunately allows me to do the following : Students have all the time they need to finish their test. When students get finished, they can take a short break and then proceed to their lab stuff (it's a 5-hour class) while I wait in the classroom until the last student has completed their test, no matter how long it may take.
Just give the next assignment ahead of the test so the students who finish faster can get on with their work and nothing is disrupted or on-hold. This works great for me, as I have seen my share of 'test anxiety' and such over the years I have been an instructor. There's never any pressure from me to finish quickly. I always tell my students that I'd rather they took the time to do things right than to hurry and turn something in just because it's taking them longer. Someone with a shorter class length may have a more difficult time with this.
Todd,
You are right... students with ADD may be hindered by too much time. That might also be true of a student who was OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder). But I think the broader question here is whether the typical -- nondisabled -- student would do better if he/she had extra time (and, thus, wouldn't it be fairer to give everyone the same time). And the answer to THAT question is "no." Evidence suggests that if the test is constructed so that the typical student can finish within a given time period, extended time won't help. If you don't know the answer, you don't know the answer. For the student with a disability, the extended time doesn't help them get the right answer, it only helps them have time to get the right answer down on paper!
Dr. Jane Jarrow
No. As stated in this learning module, some students with learning disabilities such as ADHD would possibly do worse BECAUSE of the extended time. Due to their dimensioned focus and attention when a task is taking "too" long.
John,
You have just offered the same explanation we give to others as to why providing extended time to students with disabilities does NOT provide them with an unfair advantage. If you don't know the material, all the extra time in the world isn't going to help! GRIN
Dr. Jane Jarrow
Perhaps, but in my experience, not all students would benefit from more time in test taking. I have given tests where students spend a portion of the time searching their minds for answers that they simply did not learn or commit to memory. I think the first way I would respond to that concern would be to ask the student why they thought they needed extra time to take the test.
Theresa,
I'll bet your discipline is something from the math or science field (that is, YOUR major was in one of those fields as an undergraduate, right?). Folks who come from such a background are most comfortable in dealing with right and wrong answers. There is no "gray area" in doing a math problem. But working with students with disabilities is full of "gray areas." If you can get comfortable with the idea that it is alright to work with (and around) options to standard procedures, you'll do fine -- and so will your students!
Dr. Jane Jarrow
Most of my students in math and science seem to appreciate a time frame for a test. I think it encourages them to get the thing done on time. When I have had a student with an LD, then they get extra time anyway. So far, no one has minded. It's a small school and students tend to stick together and encourage one another.
Dennis ,
Just remember that SOMEONE has control over that exam, and that if the student has a documented need for extended time for disability-related reasons, there has to be a way to make sure that it happens. You may not be the problem, but you can still be part of the solution.
Dr. Jane Jarrow
I do not generally put a time limit on my exams either. Their is an exam that I proctor and it is timed. I do not have any control over the time of the exam.
Kevin,
You are right -- you cannot change time limits on someone else's exam -- but THEY can. Under the law, they have to have some process established to allow someone with a disability to request such an accommodation. Your job would simply be to get them in touch with the right people.
Dr. Jane Jarrow
I generally do not impose a "time limit" on taking a test in my class. (The sole exception being if I was proctoring a competency exam from a credentialing organization...such as an operator's exam required by the state which had a stated time requirement allowed.)
However, were such a request for additional time made for my tests under ADA, I would grant it. In the event of the competency exam noted above, I would have to refer to the state as the test is theirs, not mine.
Angie,
How the Disability Service provider is received -- and PERCEIVED -- at the institution is often a function of how willingly the administration is to follow through on the federal mandates. Do they do so because they MUST, or do they really believe that this is appropriate? If it is the former, the disability service provider may feel very uncertain as to whether there will be adequate support from the top of the need for the accommodations being prescribed. Active faculty/staff who stick by them and say, "Of COURSE we should be doing this" can go a long way for their credibility. Hint, hint. GRIN\
Dr. Jane Jarrow
At our community college we, of course, have a Disabled Students Programs & Services department which coordinates all the accomodations. However, I often see emails from faculty members who are dubious of "allowing" these accomodations. One even wanted to know if there was a way to mark accomodations on the final grades to indicate that the student received "extras" for the grade.
As a former elementary education teacher with a lot of experience with special education students in the public schools, this attitude always irritated me, but I didn't know how to respond appropriately. This course has given me a lot of "ammunition" to use to support our students...and left me wondering why the DSPS hasn't taken a stronger stance. They always seem so grateful when I accomodate, as if I'm doing them a favor. I'm just incredulous because as far as I'm concerned, it's the law!
Thank you for the support,
Angie
Thank you!
Thomas,
That's all that is important -- that you have found a system that works for you, and for the students you teach!
Dr. Jane Jarrow
I generally do not put a time limit on tests. Because of the great disparity in educational backgrounds, the simple act of reading multiple choice questions can be a very slow process for some students, exclusive of a disability....
In a broadcast writing class, I also do not put a time limit on testing outside of needing to be done by the end of the class period (two hours)...Again, there is a wide range of abilities to deal with...some people finish in less than an hour...some run it to the full distance...
I know this is a specific example not necessarily applicable to all classes but it works for those classes I teach....
Angie,
I always like to hear that I have happy customers out there! (GRIN) You are right, of course. The very nature of the "nonvisible" disabilities seems to work against the student. They LOOK just like every other student in the class, so there is an expectation that they will PERFORM just like every other student in class, but *we* know that is not going to happen. I hope you will find a way to use the examples widely and often, so that others will learn from your insight.
Dr. Jane Jarrow
I think the example provided in the text is a wonderful one I will use with faculty: if we translate the accomdation request to a blind student NEEDING alternative reading materials, there would be no question of "fairness." It's the same with an LD/ADHD student.
I think the bottom line is that there is still too much ignorance and discrimination when it comes to these "invisible" disabilities, so instructors too often see it as "favoritism" or "unfair" when accomodations are really about leveling the playing field. Unfortunately, for someone without a processing disorder, it is almost impossible for them to understand what it is like for those with one.
Thank you for providing so much qualitiy--useable and relatable information within the text to help.
