Navigating College Board 504 Accommodations: A Comprehensive Guide

For parents of high school students with IEPs or 504 plans, the college application process can be daunting. Standardized tests like the SAT, PSAT, and AP exams are crucial components of college admissions, but what happens if your child requires testing accommodations? This article explores how to navigate College Board accommodations to ensure your child has the support they need and their scores are accurately reported to colleges.

Understanding College Board Accommodations

The College Board, responsible for administering the SAT, PSAT, and AP exams, has its own set of rules and procedures for approving testing accommodations. These accommodations aim to provide equal opportunities for students with documented disabilities to showcase their knowledge and skills. It is important to understand that having accommodations in an IEP or 504 plan doesn’t automatically translate to approved College Board accommodations.

A1: College Board accommodations are specific supports provided to students with documented disabilities to ensure they have an equal opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge on standardized tests like the SAT, PSAT, and AP exams.

If your child utilizes testing accommodations beyond those specifically approved by the College Board, their scores may only be used for internal school assessments and will not be reported to colleges or scholarship agencies. A10: Scores will only be reported to colleges or scholarship agencies if your child uses accommodations specifically approved by the College Board. This is because colleges need to be able to compare students’ scores against their peer set, and having accommodations can alter what colleges are seeking to measure on such an exam. In essence, it’s as if the student never took the test. The College Board grants accommodations to students with documented disabilities that affect their ability to take standardized tests under standard conditions.

A3: Disabilities eligible for College Board accommodations include learning disabilities (e.g., dyslexia, dysgraphia), ADHD, autism, physical disabilities, psychological disorders, and visual or hearing impairments.

Types of Accommodations Offered

The College Board offers a range of accommodations to meet the diverse needs of students with disabilities taking the SAT, PSAT, or AP exams.

Reading and Seeing

To help students with a capacity to read and see.

Recording Responses

If your disability impacts your ability to record your responses for College Board tests, there are several accommodations available.

Use of a Four-Function Calculator

Four-function calculators are basic calculators with functions limited to addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, square roots, and percentages.

Other Accommodations

The College Board reviews all reasonable requests for accommodations from students with documented disabilities.

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Current SAT accommodations include:

Extended time
Extra and extended breaks
Reading accommodations (like a reader or pre-recorded audio)
Use of a four-function calculator for math sections
Multiple-day testing
Small group setting

ACT accommodations include:

Taking the test within the standard allotted time, but with additional breaks
Alternate testing formats (like pre-recorded audio or screen reader software)
Using a computer for the essay
Time-and-a-half extended time
Reading accommodations (such as assistive technology and readers)

If your child has an IEP or a 504 plan, review it to see what accommodations your child has for tests. Think about whether your child will need additional ones on the SAT or ACT. Keep in mind that neither the SAT nor the ACT offers modifications, like fewer or easier test questions.

A12: If your child requires assistive technology, include this in the accommodations request and provide detailed documentation explaining the need.

The Application Process: A Step-by-Step Guide

Applying for College Board accommodations can be a complex and time-consuming process. As soon as a student knows that they will need accommodations for a College Board exam, they should contact the school’s SSD coordinator.

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➊ Contact Your School’s SSD Coordinator: The SSD (Services for Students with Disabilities) coordinator at your child’s school is your primary point of contact. A7: Your child’s school typically handles the application process through their SSD (Services for Students with Disabilities) coordinator.

➋ Gather Documentation: The College Board requires comprehensive documentation to support your request. Check that the school has documentation of your child’s learning and thinking differences on file. Provide the school with anything you believe is missing. Make sure the documentation explains how your child’s differences affect test-taking. This person will submit your child’s disability documentation along with the application.

Before the rest of the application can be processed, the student’s parent or guardian must sign the Parent Consent Form. Sign the Parent Consent Form and give it to the staff member you’re working with.

The SSD coordinator enters contact information, requested accommodations, information about the student’s disability, and information about the student's accommodation plan. The SSD coordinator can read the decision in SSD Online. If accommodations are approved, the decision letter also has an eligibility letter with test-by-test details. No. The SSD Online system is only available to SSD coordinators who have registered with College Board.

That depends on whether the request is being submitted through the school and whether the student has already been approved for the same accommodation for school and state tests. Once all documentation is received, a new request may take up to seven weeks.

A5: You should apply for accommodations as early as possible-preferably several months before the test date. ➍ Submit the Application: The deadline to submit an application is typically several months before the test date.

If you want to submit a request on your own, without the school, you must print and fill out the Student Eligibility Form from the College Board. You’ll still have to gather documentation and fill out the application.

When you get the approval letter, look for something called an SSD number. Use this number when applying online to take the SAT. This will ensure that your child gets the approved accommodations. (Some testing sites may have a limited number of seats available to kids with accommodations on any given day. The earlier you sign up, the better the chances of getting the desired time and location.)

Appealing a Denial

Denial of Accommodations: If your request for accommodations is denied, you have the right to appeal the decision. A8: If your request is denied, you have the right to appeal the decision. The appeals process involves submitting additional documentation or clarifying the initial request. A9: Yes, you can appeal a denial by providing additional evidence or documentation to support your request.

Avoiding Common Pitfalls

Applying for College Board accommodations can be a complex and time-consuming process. A15: Common mistakes include missing deadlines, providing incomplete documentation, and assuming that IEP/504 accommodations automatically apply.

Lack of Documentation: Ensure you have all the necessary documentation before submitting your application.
Tight Deadlines: Start the application process early to avoid missing deadlines.
Assuming Automatic Approval: A2: No, having an IEP or 504 plan does not automatically qualify your child for College Board accommodations. The College Board has its own process and criteria for approving accommodations.

ACT Accommodations

The nonprofit organization ACT administers the ACT test. On the online form, you can indicate a request for accommodations. ACT will review the request and then will notify your school. You should hear back from the school within two weeks. All requests should be submitted by the school’s Test Accommodations Coordinator (TAC) through ACT’s Test Accessibility and Accommodations System (TAA) by the request deadline listed on the Schedule of Events for your testing program. Determine if the accommodation and/or supports for each student requires authorization from ACT.

Note: Do not submit requests for any Designated Supports and/or Universal Supports that are indicated as such in the Accessibility Supports Guide (ASG) found on the State or District ACT-hosted webpage. Before submitting requests, ensure the student does not already have a record in the TAA system by doing a search. If the student already has authorized accommodations/EL supports in TAA, and wants to use those same accommodations/supports, associate your State or District test date with the student’s TAA record. Submit the request formally through TAA. If any student does not currently exist in TAA, you would need to submit a new request. ACT will review the request. You may submit a reconsideration if the published deadline on your Schedule of Events has not passed. ACT will treat all information you provide to support your request as confidential and will use it solely to determine your eligibility for accessibility supports. Details about these supports will be shared only with the testing staff and will not be released to anyone else, including your chosen score report recipients. The only exceptions are for those instances in which an examinee’s related documents and information are the subject of a subpoena or other court order, or an enforceable request from a government entity.

Guidelines and a detailed list of approved word-to word dictionaries for use by examinees approved for English learner supports.ACT Training Information Graphic-English Learner (EL) Supports (PDF)Guide on types of EL supports ACT offers and what documentation is required to request for ACT-authorized supports. Exceptions Statement Form and Checklist (PDF)Examinees who do not currently have an official accommodations plan, EL support plan, IEP, or 504 plan can submit the Exceptions Statement Form to support their request.Order Form for Alternate Format Practice Tests (PDF)Is used to place an order for free alternate formats of the ACT practice test. These materials may be checked out by students or used to simulate a practice session in school. Teacher Survey Form (PDF)A teacher at the examinee’s school may complete this form as supporting documentation to be uploaded in TAA.

Key Strategies for Success

Navigating the College Board Accommodations process requires proactive planning, thorough documentation, and effective communication with your child’s school and healthcare providers.

Start Early: Begin the accommodation request process as early as possible, ideally in the spring of your child’s junior year.
Advocate for Your Child: Don’t be afraid to advocate for your child’s needs.
Prepare for the Test: Even with accommodations, it’s essential for your child to prepare for the test. Taking college entrance tests is a key step in the process of applying to college. And like everything else in the process, it can be stressful for you and your child. Try these last-minute strategies to help your child prep for the test.

tags: #college #board #504 #accommodations #eligibility