Nat all students with disabilities want or need extra time. It depends on how the person recalls his or her information.
Jeffery,
I buy the first half of your argument, but I'm not so sure about the second half. You are right -- NOT ALL students with disabilities want, need, or should have extended time. It is provided if, and ONLY if, there is a need for more time to assure equal access. As to providing extended time for nondisabled individuals, the faculty member has the option of doing that any time he/she chooses. It has always been that way. But the reasons why nondisabled students might legitimately request and be granted extra time have nothing to do with the legal OBLIGATION to provide it to a student with a disability who will not have equal access without it.
Dr. Jane Jarrow
James,
I agree that nondisabled students do not need extended time in the way that SOME disabled students may need it (for equal access). Just be careful not to over-generalize based on labels. Not all students with disabilities want or need extra time.
Dr. Jane Jarrow
I would definitely say that it is a case by case scenario. Even allotting extra time to all students with disabilities should be clarified. For instance, a physical disability, such as a wheelchair, does not affect the students mental nor writing ability.
I think everyone should have the ability to express the need for extra time during testing.
I have an aunt who is highly intellectual, well educated and learns quite rapidly. HOWEVER, she simply does not test well. She does not have a disability, but she knows that she does not test well (the reason I forget, whether it be nervousness or some other reason).
If the student KNOWS that there is a situation with their testing ability, I don't agree that it should be strictly limited to those with disabilities. There is never a black and white scenario, everything has multiple factors
I do not think that all students would do better if they had extened time because if they did not know the information and did not study, then they are not going to know it. Students with disabilties would do better if they had extened time and I would respond to that concern by some students are not very good test-takers, while others are very good test-takers. In additon, they are worried that they are trying to get the test done on time. Howevr, if they have more time, then they would very well on their tests depending on what the subject the tests are on. Everybody needs to have equal access for accomdation of extended test time.
Brent,
You are right. Not ALL students with disabilities need extended time -- only those students who, because of disability, need the extra time in order to have equal access. Extended time should be treated as a necessary accommodation and not as a benefit or entitlement (that is, the student is "entitled" to extra time because of a diagnosis of disability).
Dr. Jane Jarrow
I don't agree because not all students need more time. I would look at cognitive processing and response time in the sense of how responses are required. For cognitive processing, I would look at if the student needs a reader and or time to do much rereading. In repsonses I would look at how responses are required, in closed end questions or short or extended responses, and whether the test is say on the computer or on paper, and whether the student needs a writer/responder, not all students need this support which would make no sense to extend the time.
William,
The extra time is provided so that students with disabilities will have the same opportunity to respond as is provided to others. If there are time limits set for others, then students with disabilities get the additional time on top of whatever time the others get. If no one has any time limits, then there are no problems! The point is that providing extended time for students with disabilities was NEVER an unjust advantage. In fact, if the extra time were NOT provided, it would be unjust to the student with a disability.
Dr. Jane Jarrow
I thought I understood but am now perplexed. If this research is valid, then there is no harm in giving everyone extra time: doing so will allow those with certain disabilities to demonstrate their achievement without providing an unjust advantage to the others.
Daryl,
Agreed. The same treatment does not guarantee the same opportunity EITHER way (no extra time for anyone or extra time for all).
Dr. Jane Jarrow
I agree with Mr. Ewell, extra time is an easy fix unless it is a time sensitive area. Extra time for most is not going to be the deal breaker, students without a learning dissability either know the material or they dont. Extra time will not make a difference.
Butch,
That is what the laws are all about -- "each according to his/her need." It is a hard concept for some faculty to understand, as they think that equal treatment must mean "same" treatment. You seem to have the right of it.
Dr. Jane Jarrow
Student disability should be assessed on a case by case basis. Om order to have a true sense of fairness, the individual has to be treated in a manner that both assisted them to bring out their best potential while overcoming any disadvantage. This is actually true for all students, since everyone is unique.
Thanks for the clarification/expansion. It helped to focus my thoughts on the topic.
Nicholas,
Extra time for pencil-and-paper tests should be a "given" for all the reasons you suggest here. Extra time on assessment of skills is a whole different question, and must be judged very differently. For exammple, you cannot give extended time on tourniquets to an EMT, nor extended time on giving permanents to a cosmetology major (you leave that lotion on too long -- you are in big trouble! GRIN) Then, again, the reason WHY we give extended time on pencil-and-paper tests may not be an issue in practical exams (there is nothing for the LD student to read while putting on that tourniquet). Sometimes, though, extended time for practical assessments IS possible without negative impact (such as in a foods program, where taking too long for the critical steps results in a lousy product -- that can get graded accordingly -- but is otherwise not a problem). Once we get to the practical assessments, determining the appropriate possibilities for accommodation is a very individualized process.
Dr. Jane Jarrow
I agree with my colleagues that, generally speaking, extra time is not a benefit to students who have not learned the material. This would certainly be the case for students without disabilities. To me, that fact argues in favor of allowing extra time for appropriate students. If the mere additional of test-taking time (an "easy" accommodation) allows the disabled student to have an equal chance to EARN the "A," then why not? The only exception would be where there is a particular task that is being assessed, which is time-sentitive. In that case, some non-disabled students may feel that giving extra time would create a benefit. To be honest, I am not sure how I would address those objections, given that I do not have any such time-sensitive tasks at my Institution.
John,
You are right. Either one knows the information or he/she doesn't. For students without disabilities, extra time does not provide an advantage. For students WITH disabilities, not having extra time can create definite DISadvantage.
Dr. Jane Jarrow
Simply having more time would not give an advantage, as once it is time to test you have either learned the material or you have not. Also, the disability may be one that doe snot allwo for the qucik processing of material so more time owuld be needed to keep up wioth the ability of a person without said disability.
Michael,
I agree with you. Now if we can just convince the rest of the world!... GRIN
Dr. Jane Jarrow
I don't believe more time necessarily equates to a better grade. With any type of testing, being prepared beforehand and knowing the material thoroughly is likely the reason one person does better than another regardless of time. As long the material of the test does not change, this is a non-issue.
