ACCOMMODATIONSwoodward.eduWHAT IS AN ACCOMMODATION?An accommodation facilitates access to the curriculum for individuals with disabilities by providing necessary adjustments. These adjustments aim to support and eliminate barriers without altering the essential nature of the content or tasks, enabling equal participation.
ACCOMMODATIONSREQUESTING ACCOMMODATIONSTo request accommodations, submit a comprehensive psychoeducational evaluation to your school coun-selor. Initial plans require tests conducted within the last three years, with reassessments every three to five years (with the exception of mental health and ADHD evaluations). Parents will be included in the discussion if the Learning Support team recommends re-evaluating before the five-year mark. Please note that external standardized testing bodies may have their own requirements; for example, the ACT mandates evalua-tions that are no older than three years.The Learning Support team considers professional recommendations, academic records, and teacher feedback when developing accommodation plans. Recommendations that fall outside of the formal accommodations listed below may be included in the accommodation plan as strategies to be considered at the discretion of individual teachers.Comprehensive Psychoeducational Evaluation A comprehensive psychoed-ucational evaluation includes a full cognitive battery and a full achievement battery with additional follow-up testing in deficit areas, cognitive process-ing, executive functioning, and social-emotional functioning. It also includes school and teach-er input. Consent to discuss findings with the evaluating psychologist may be request-ed. Mental Health and ADHD DiagnosesFor students with a mental health or ADHD diagnosis (without an accompanying learning disability), a compre-hensive psychoeducational evaluation is required for initial accommodation consideration. Following the initial evaluation, annual updates are required for continued accommodation support. The annual update form can be requested from your school counselor. A com-prehensive psychoeducational re-evaluation may be required in cases where the team be-lieves additional information is needed.
ACCOMMODATIONS FOR STANDARDIZED TESTSSchool-based tests, including school-administered standard-ized tests for which we determine appropriate accommodations, fol-low the current accommodation plan, while College Board and ACT exams require accommo-dations to be determined by the respective organizations, with the school assisting in the application process. The College Board and ACT have specific testing validity requirements. Please refer to the College Board and ACT websites for more information.EARLY GRADE CONSIDERATIONSIn the early grades, tests are usu-ally not timed, but students with extra time on standardized tests will still receive this accommoda-tion as needed. However, not all accommodations are suitable for younger students. For instance, using a calculator is not recom-mended while students are still mastering basic math skills. Like-wise, relying on a computer for all writing tasks might not be bene-ficial at this stage of learning.SHORT-TERM ACCOMMODATIONSShort-term accommodations for temporary medical conditions are available through consultation with your school counselor.ACCOMMODATIONS FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS (UPPER SCHOOL):Allowing the use of an electronic dictionary/translator• Students with this accommo-dation may use an electronic translator as assistive technology in classes where English/gram-mar is not the lesson’s focus.• Preferential seating• The dictionary/translator must be a word-to-word or word-to-phrase English/native language dictionary that does not contain definitions.• The dictionary may not contain diagrams, written notes, formu-las, etc.• The dictionary must be ap-proved by designated school personnel. • The student may only use the device with direct permission from the teacher.ACCOMMODATIONSACADEMY-WIDEACCOMMODATIONS
ASSISTANCE WITH NOTE-TAKING:This accommodation is intended to provide information that the student would have gotten on their own were it not for their disability.• Teacher provides slides, notes, outlines, or other presentation material to the student. • The teacher coordinates a student note-taker to provide notes to the teacher, who can, in turn, provide them to the student with the accommodation.• Note: This accommodation should not require the student to return to class at a later time to clarify notes.PREFERENTIAL CLASSROOM SEATING:This accommodation is intended to ensure that a student’s seat is placed in a location that is most benefi-cial for their learning in the classroom.• The teacher will allow students to move to a different area of the class when possible. • This accommodation does not allow students to leave the presence of a teacher for testing.USE OF A DEVICE FOR WRITING ASSIGNMENTS AND IN-CLASS WRITING:This accommodation allows students to use a laptop or tablet for classroom notes, assignments, and as-sessments both in school and at home.• Some testing formats, such as spelling tests, fill-in-the-blank, and short answers, may require students to hand-write their responses.PERMISSION TO WRITE ON THE TEST BOOKLET RATHER THAN SCANTRON:Students with this accommodation can circle answers directly on the exam sheet or write the answer choice on the test.• Teachers should communicate to students where and how to write answers.USE OF A 4-FUNCTION CALCULATOR FOR MATH AND MATH-RELATED ASSIGNMENTS, QUIZZES, AND TESTS:This accommodation allows students to use a calculator on all graded math assignments and assessments and in science classes with a math component.• Only a basic function calculator or function-adapted calculator may be used in some situations. • Students are expected to provide their own calculators.GUIDE TO ACADEMIC ACCOMMODATIONS AT WOODWARD ACADEMYEXTENDED TIME ON TESTS/QUIZZES:Students with this accommodation may have 50% more time than is typically allowed on assessments.• Students with this accommodation are eligible for 50% more time on all in-class work, quizzes, and tests, including semester exams and standardized tests for which we determine appropriate accommodations.• Extended time does not apply to homework or other assignment deadlines. • Students are expected to coordinate the details of this accommodation with their teacher before the test.• Tests and quizzes are to be completed on the same day that the assessment begins (i.e., test completion does not carry over to the next day). • Teachers may also choose to disallow students from cor-recting answers when students leave and come back to finish a test with extended time.All accommodations are subject to appropriate use and may be altered or revoked if misused or abused. The descriptions above provide examples of accommoda-tion implementation. They are not intended to be all-encompassing or limiting. Other methods for imple-menting the accommodations may be utilized as long as they fulfill the purpose of the accommodation. woodward.edu