General Entrance testing with accommodations guidelines 

Examinee must request accommodations in advance of the test, (usually 4-8 weeks) allowing time to make arrangements and schedule appropriate testing dates for necessary accommodations. Contact Michelle Lewis, Testing Coordinator (785-228-6356).  Documentation from an appropriate professional MUST be on file with the Testing Coordinator prior to consideration of requested accommodations. Provide documentation on official stationery. 

Disability Documentation -- ACT Guidelines for Testing Accommodations

What Diagnostic Information Will I Need?  Students requesting accommodations or services because of a physical, learning or psychiatric disability  are required to submit documentation to determine eligibility in accordance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).  A diagnosis of a disorder/condition/syndrome in and of itself does not automatically qualify an individual for accommodations under the law.  To establish that a student is covered under these laws, the documentation must indicate that the disability substantially limits some major life activity, including learning. 

 Accommodations on the Entrance Testing:  Examinees with physical, learning or psychological disabilities who cannot complete the  ACT WorkKeys assessments in the standard time limits, using standard materials, and under standard conditions, may, at the discretion of the test coordinator, following review of disability documentation, be tested under special conditions and/or using special testing materials available from ACT.  Written documentation of evaluation and diagnosis of disability must be on file with Special Support Services Coordinator to receive testing accommodations.  Contact Washburn Tech Special Support Services to register and request further information about documentation.  All documentation is kept confidential.

Documentation must include: 

• Clearly stated diagnosis of the disability by a qualified diagnostician. Professional whose credentials are appropriate to the disability. (name, title, degree, license or certification and area of specialization must be clearly stated in the documentation.) Documentation should clearly identify the disability for which the accommodation is to be given, i.e. the basis of the claim.
• Describe functional limitations - There should be a clear statement of the functional limitations emanating from that disability which are known to impact the person's ability to perform tasks in the assessment. A statement such as "Examinee has ADHD and therefore requires additional time" is not adequate. The statement identifies the diagnosis but fails to indicate any limitation. A limitation for this individual might be that memory skills are weak and examinee needs to reread questions in order to understand the meaning implied.
• Link between disability, the limitation and the tasks required for this particular testing situation. A learning disability in math does not imply difficulty with reading or written expression. Individual with reading difficulties often have difficulty with written expression, but not always, and many individuals who have difficulty with written expression have no trouble with reading (either decoding or reading comprehension).
• Currency of Documentation -- The disability must have been diagnosed or reconfirmed by a qualified professional, usually within 3-5 years prior to the date of the request. Although accommodations provided in secondary school does not necessarily imply the same accommodations are available for standardized testing at postsecondary level, a current Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) prepared by appropriate psychological staff for a student will be considered in evaluating the justification for accommodation; further documentation may be needed. (NOTE: a. within the last 6 months for psychiatric disabilities. b. three year requirement does not apply to physical or sensory disabilities of a permanent or unchanging nature).
• Complete educational, developmental, and medical history relevant to the disability for which testing accommodations are being requested
• All test instruments used for the evaluation report, include relevant subtest scores used to document the stated disability are helpful in determining the relevancy of the accommodation(s). These requirements do not apply to physical or sensory disabilities of a permanent or unchanging nature)
• Description of the specific accommodation (s) being requested. Documentation must sufficiently support each of the requested accommodation (s). Accommodations must be directly related to the disability that is documented.

List of possible accommodations: 

• Large-print Assessment Materials ---ACT offers large-print WorkKeys assessment booklets and answer documents -- arrangements for materials need to be made in time to obtain materials
• Braille Assessment Materials --- Braille assessment booklets are available for both the Reading for Information and the Applied Mathematics assessments -- arrangements for materials need to be made in time to obtain materials
• Reader/Signer --- arrangements need to be made in time to obtain materials...If an examinee is assisted by a reader, assessments must be administered in a separate room to avoid disturbing other examinees. It is important that readers read the assessment exactly as printed, with no interpretation. Likewise, no additional information may be supplied by the sign language interpreter. Please note that the Applied Mathematics assessment contains large numbers of graphics that are difficult for someone else to describe. ACT cautions that using a reader or signer to assist visually impaired examinees with the Reading for Information assessment substantially changes the skill being measured.
• Assistance in Recording Responses --- When an examinee is unable to mark responses on the regular WorkKeys answer document the examinee must schedule in advance of test date.
• English as a Second Language --- Examinees for whom English is a second language may use a WORD-TO-WORD foreign language dictionary. The examinee must supply their own foreign language dictionary and the test administrator must check the dictionary before and after testing. ESL, in and of itself, does not warrant extra time.