High School

Q & A taken from "Meet Your Special Educators" event 9/27/11

Q. How does one apply for SAT accommodations?  What is the deadline?

A. Most students apply for accommodations with the assistance of their school. Parents and guardians must complete a consent form. The school's SSD Coordinator will then be able to request accommodations online.

Parents can request accommodations without the assistance of their school, by using a Student Eligibility Form.  These can be obtained from your school, or by contacting SSD. Here is a sample Student Eligibility Form, for informational purposes only.  In some cases, additional documentation of a disability is required to be submitted for the College Board's review. See Documentation Requirements for more information. Documentation review is required in all cases where a student is applying for accommodations directly from the College Board, without the participation of their school.

Important Dates

Apply for accommodations early! Review can take approximately seven weeks from the receipt of complete documentation. See Important SSD Dates for specific deadlines.

Q. Are there specific strategies for special education students who take the SATs?  What kind of accommodations can be provided?

A. Classroom and Assignment Accommodations

You may be asked to

• • assist the student in finding effective peer note-takers from the class. Alternatively, you could provide the student with a copy of your lecture notes or outline.

  • allow the student to tape record lectures.

  • allow the student additional time to complete in-class assignments, particularly writing assignments.

  • provide feedback and assist the student in planning the workflow of assignments. This is especially important with large writing assignments. It may be helpful to break the larger assignment into smaller components with opportunities for draft feedback.

  • provide assistance with proofreading written work.

Examination Accommodations

You may be asked to allow the student with a learning disability

• • extended exam time, typically time and one half to double time.

  • to take exams in a room with reduced distractions.

  • the assistance of a reader, scribe, or word processor for exams.

  • the option of an oral exam.

  • to use spelling and grammar assistive devices for essay exams.

  • to use a calculator for exams.

  • to use scratch paper during exams.