High-Stakes Test Accommodations

Abstract

Given the latest reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and evolving views on the identification of cognitive disabilities in special education, many high school graduates with learning disabilities and/or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder will have a Summary of Performance (SOP) in lieu of a recent psychoeducational evaluation as their primary documentation of disability from high school. This article discusses potential challenges faced by high school students in establishing eligibility for high-stakes test accommodations for college. There is skepticism regarding the SOP document in terms of satisfying established disability documentation requirements and documentation review criteria of testing agencies that administer college admission exams such as the SAT and the Graduate Record Examination. Recommendations for documentation of disability by high school personnel, as well as disability documentation review policies for high-stakes testing agencies, are proposed.