Reasonable Accommodations/Academic Adjustments Defined

Testing Accommodations/Adjustments

Extended time: A student with a disability may need to have extended time for testing. Double time is the recommended standard. For example, if the class is provided two hours to complete an exam, the student with a disability would be allowed four hours to complete the exam. However, some students require triple time or un-timed tests. The instructor and student will determine a mutually agreeable time and place for the examination, which allows for this accommodation. The faculty member’s office, classroom, assessment center, or the Office of Services for Students with Disability (OSSD) may be used for the extended time environment. It is expected that the student would begin the examination at the specified time. Students who are late to the examination will lose that portion of the examination period. The student with a disability should be given the same format for the examination.

Note: Some certification examinations have their own time guidelines. Extended time or other changes with regard to these certification examinations may require approval from a governing board outside of FCCJ.

Examination in sections: Some students may not be able to test for an extended block of time and complete the examination based on their inability to sustain attention, or their lack of physical ability or stamina. The student may need to take a break, have a snack, or take the test over a two-day period. In these cases, faculty can work closely with the assessment center to ensure that the student is only given the test in specified portions.

Individual or oral testing: This alternative form of testing may work best for both the student and faculty member. Individual or oral tests eliminate outside intervention and allow faculty members to discern students’ understanding of the course material. This type of testing should be completed in an office or other quiet environment at a mutually agreeable time. If the faculty member does not have an office, there are private rooms available in the Learning Center and in some assessment and certification centers.

Independent testing: Students with visual impairments may be able to test independently using adaptive software in the assessment and certification center if the instructor provides the test to the center in a Word document. The student must be familiar with screen reader or magnifier/reader software for this option to be used.

Note: Screen reader software is not compatible with mathematics and does not work with charts, graphs, illustrations or pictures.

Readers and scribes: The reader or scribe may be used during the testing process. The reader must be advised to read the test verbatim and not to interpret the examination for the student. The scribe must be advised to record the student’s responses verbatim and not edit, correct grammar, correct spelling of course-specific terminology, or change conceptual misapprehensions dictated by the student.

Calculators: Calculators are recommended for students with learning disabilities in mathematics that affect calculation. The calculator must be approved by the instructor, as certain calculator functions may be testable material. These students are allowed to use the calculators for all in-class assignments and tests, and state exit exams.

Formula cards: Formula cards are recommended for students with disabilities that affect memory. Formula cards to be used in the assessment center for testing must be approved and initialed by the instructor. These students are allowed to use the formula cards for all in-class assignments and tests, and state exit exams.

Spelling Accommodations: Students who have learning disabilities that affect their ability to spell are eligible for one of several accommodations in testing or in-class assignment situations. Faculty or students receiving this spelling accommodation may choose to offer the student one or more of the following options:

1. The use of a dictionary
2. The use of an electronic dictionary/spellchecker
3. Reduced penalty for spelling errors (Example: If two points are deducted for each misspelled word, the student with a disability would have a one-point deduction for each misspelled word.)

Faculty may choose to break test or assignments into sections for these students. Those sections in which spelling is part of the test or assignment would be eligible for one of the accommodations listed, but not for the other parts of the test or assignment where spelling is not part of the grading structure.

Note: If spelling is a fundamental element used in grading, the OSSD office should be contacted to discuss possible alternatives.

Alternatives for documenting test answers: Students who have visual impairments or difficulty with tracking may be allowed to write answers directly on tests, or have a scribe assist in documenting their answers on test answer sheets, such as the Scantron/NCS sheets for multiple choice fill-in-the-bubble scoring sheets.