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Protection of Equal Educational Opportunity
Students with disabilities may be entitled to alternative testing arrangements to provide an equal opportunity to demonstrate their mastery of course material. Valid measurement of learning is an essential component of the educational process. The impact of some disabilities can affect the accuracy of classroom evaluation measures and, consequently, some students cannot be fairly evaluated without appropriate accommodations. These modifications should not change the examination content through which the attainment of course objectives is measured, but may alter non-related procedures through which a student demonstrates his or her mastery of the objectives.
Protection of Academic Standards
Modifications to procedures must not reduce academic standards, nor may they compromise fairness by giving any student a competitive edge. Rather, they should serve to eliminate a competitive disadvantage caused by incompatibility between a testing method or environment and an individual’s specific disability.
Types of Exam Modifications
- Testing in a distraction-reduced environment
- Extended testing time of 1 ½ times, in most cases (certain disabilities may require additional testing time)
- Provision of readers, scribes, or sign language interpreters
- Provision of assistive technologies, such as computers, calculators, or a CCTV
- Provision of alternative formats, such as large print or Braille
- Other reasonable accommodations
Security of Examination Materials and Administration
The security of exam materials used in proctoring tests is of critical importance to DRC staff. Instructors whose exams will be administered at the DRC are responsible for selecting the procedures through which exam materials are delivered to and returned from the DRC. Upon receipt of exam materials, the DRC assumes responsibility for maintaining them in a secure manner prior to and during test administration. DRC test administration procedures are intended to discourage and detect academic misconduct. Prior to entering a testing room, students must leave all belongings (backpacks, books, etc.) with DRC staff, and students are periodically monitored to prevent academic dishonesty. In the event that more than one student must take an exam in the same room, a member of the DRC staff will proctor for the entirety of the exam.
Responsibilities of Students and Faculty Using DRC for Testing Arrangements
Students and faculty using the DRC for the delivery of exam accommodations are responsible for following designated procedures. Students are responsible for arranging test accommodations. The process begins with a meeting with DRC staff to determine appropriate accommodations. The assigned DRC counselor will provide the student with an Accommodation Request Form, which validates the need for specific accommodations. The student must present this form to instructors and request accommodations in a timely manner. After a request for accommodation is made, instructors and students should fully discuss and agree upon which test accommodations are needed. Instructors may provide the requested accommodations independently or, if unable to do so, may use the DRC for the provision of testing accommodations. If the DRC administers the test, students and instructors must submit an Alternative Exam Request via AIM at least three working days before the test.
Alternative Exam Request
Disability Resource Center will provide alternative exam arrangements for students whose disabilities necessitate this accommodation, and whose professors are unable to accommodate them due to restrictions of time and space. It is the student’s responsibility to get this form filled out and returned to our office at least three days before the date of the exam.
Instructors are responsible for secure and timely submission of exam materials via the method of their choice; however, campus mail is not recommended. Faculty who decide to send tests with the student who will be taking them are strongly encouraged to seal materials in an envelope and sign and indicate the date and time the test is being released. Note also that the Disability Resource Center will not pick up exams.