ADVICE and VENTING - SCHOOL F'ed up PSATs accommodations

[specialedmomsf]

I just spoke with the CollegeBoard beacuse we have not seen a decision letter come in the mail for my DD'a application for accommodations for the PSAT. It was never received. The application was needed to be submitted online or sent by mail (It’s a scan tron form) – a fax was sent per the SP. Ed teacher which is not acceptable unless you’re sending supporting documents. The preferred method is to use the accommodations management system which the school has had access to this system per the CollegeBoard; they’re not sure why the system was not used.

Accommodation requests last day was August 27th which guarantees review. There is a chance for review but highly unlikely. I am at a loss. I was so happy when DD came to us and said she wanted to take the PSATs. She has just this year shown interest in school and higher education. Talking about college etc.. The PSats without accommodations are going to freaking be horrible for her. What do I do??? I can't believe I put my trust in the school to do this, the freaking messed up. Shame on me I should have done the damn thing myself.

What would you do?

[bros]

File the request yourself ASAP - send them medical documentation + a copy of the IEP via first class mail, or ask if you can fax it to them.

[lorij]

The PSATs really don't count for anything other than practice, and the National Merit program, for which you need roughly a top 1% score. It's more important to get the accommodations for the regular SAT.

[bros]

Sept 24, 2014 19:27:31 GMT -5 lorij said:

The PSATs really don't count for anything other than practice, and the National Merit program, for which you need roughly a top 1% score. It's more important to get the accommodations for the regular SAT.

Pretty much.

My district messed up applying for PSAT accommodations for me.

Mostly because they only submitted my IEP.

They hadn't evaluated me in 10 years and didn't want to admit to anyone that they hadn't or admit to my parents that they were supposed to.

[healthy11]

I concur with the comments that both lorij and bros have made. I'm forgetting which state you live in, but I'd also encourage you/your daughter to consider taking the ACT, not just the SAT because many students find the ACT to have more "straightforward" questions. You would have to apply for ACT accommodations separately, as it's not administered by the same College Board. (Note, the ACT and SAT can both be taken multiple times if a student wants to pay the fees and try and improve their scores... those tests are not just offered once a year.)

[specialedmomsf]

Thanks for all the responses. I know they don't count, I also know I can apply myself. My issue/vent is just damn it they did it again. Why do I know MORE about this crap then them?

I am worried my daughter will get frustrated with the test with no accommodations and not want to take a test like this again.

To add insult to injury - zero replies to my email today from the school. They email me back within minutes when it has to do with my DD doing something wrong. UGH

[bros]

She doesn't have to take the test at all. If it would be that stressful to her, just eat the cost of the test.

[michellea]

I concur with the group - the PSAT does not count (except for merit scholars), so I would down play this as much as possible. You want your daughter to remain interested in college and put the PSAT in perspective. My daughter took the PSAT without accommodations and then received the accommodations for the SAT. She was thrilled with the increase in scores, and it was a boost to her confidence. Maybe you could frame your daughter's situation as it will only get better - next time you'll have more time AND you will have an additional year of math and english behind you.

I do think it is worthwhile to take anyway - it is practice, and the truth is that practice makes the SAT a bit easier.

I am sorry that your school let her down - very disappointing.

[jisp]

If your daughter is interested in college but you are fearful that the PSAT or some other standardized test will discourage her or make her feel inadequate then I would think twice before having her take the test. And that also applies to the SAT and ACT. There are plenty of excellent schools that are SAT optional. Getting accommodations can be tricky. The accommodation most kids get is extended time and more frequent breaks, but keep in mind that the test is already quite long and there are many kids who benefit from extended time but also just get mentally exhausted the longer the test is dragged out. So it is tricky business.

One reason guidance counselors encourage students to take the PSAT is it can help with college selection. The problem is that atypical learners and students do not always show their potential or even their areas of weakness by taking a standardized test. And some late bloomers are just in a different place come PSAT time than they will be when they are taking the SAT junior or senior year. When my son was at the age that his peers were taking the PSAT he was struggling too much to even consider taking it. I am glad he skipped it.** In my opinion your time is better spent focusing on what really interests your daughter and what gets her excited and what she is thinking about learning and studying as she moves forward with her education. I would definitely take her to visit a range of schools including a handful that are SAT optional and schools geared toward more atypical learners.

**Standardized testing is a big pet peeve of his. They are nightmares for him given how his brain works. He simply can not excel at them. But at the same time he has excelled academically in college and is now in a competitive graduate program in a challenging field. So just remember the SAT and other standardized tests are just one type of assessment of a student's ability.

Remember the goal is not for your daughter to get into the most competitive college or the college that has the highest ranking. The goal is to find a school that is a good match for your daughter. You want to have a place where she can grow and excel and figure out who she is and that will allow her to pursue her interests and help launch her into a career.

[healthy11]

Here's a link to a list of universities that don't require SAT/ACT testing: www.fairtest.org/university/optional

Another alternative I would suggest is that your daughter consider starting at a community college, where SAT/ACT testing is also not required (although they may require an alternative test like the COMPASS exam, for placement purposes.) She can transfer to a 4-year school from there, if and when she feels ready. Perhaps an Associate's Degree will be enough. I've heard too many stories of students, especially those with learning issues who don't already have a clear career goal that requires a 4-year degree, being overwhelmed when they start out at large universities, and then dropping out. It's too much all at once for some kids. (Handling the responsibilities of time management and organization, both when it comes to academics and in terms of personal life away from home the first time, etc.)

[kewpie]

> I would suggest is that your daughter consider starting at a community college<
I so agree. The hardest part of college for our kids is STAYING IN, not getting in. The bachelors degree does not tell anyone where you spent your first years of college, not does it give your SAT or PSAT scores.

[empeg1]

My now college senior did not take the PSAT. She was already stressed with exams in her classes and I saw no point in having take the PSAT and then obsess about poor scores on the above. When it was time to take a college entrance exam, my daughter took the ACT, much more straight forward language on the ACT than the SAT. She received accommodations on the ACT, based on her 504. my daughter enrolled in a ACT prep class. When it was time to take the ACT, she got time and a half. When the test was over, I stressed that there was a range of colleges out there and one that would fit her. She did well enough on the ACT to apply to colleges that fit her. We also looked at colleges that do not required college entrance exams. Really, the essay she wrote for the applications ended up being the most important for acceptances. She wrote about her adoption and quest throughout her childhood to figure out who she was. The essay was heartfelt and beautifully written. Several admissions officers commented on that essay when she was admitted to schools. My daughter went to a university, not the UC or State U system here in California. It is not top tier but a good school and, more important, a GREAT school for my daughter. She has blossomed in the last 3 years into a remarkable young adult. My advice, don't have your daughter take the PSAT at all. It is just more stress.

[wordnerdjenn]

I've just discovered this forum and I hope you won't mind me jumping in! I'm a tutor who works with LD/ADHD students, mostly on SAT and ACT prep. Out of necessity, I've become somewhat of an "expert" on accommodations, and your experience is much more common than it should be. The College Board (SAT) places much more of the onus on schools to get the application right than the ACT. The online application system does appear to be much preferable and more streamlined, but if you are dealing with a school/SSD coordinator who is new to this or doesn't deal with accommodations frequently, there's bound to be trouble! College Board asks the school to compile all of the necessary documentation, and recently has pretty much allowed schools to determine whether the documentation meets the College Board guidelines (hence CB itself it doing much less of the gatekeeping). That means SSD's who are on top of things can really help students...but those that aren't, can do a real disservice. You can read more about the guidelines here:

www.collegeboard.org/students-with-disabilities/documentation-guidelines/disability-documentation

Overall, accommodations are much easier to get with the College Board than with the ACT, though the vast majority of my students prefer the ACT for a lot of the reasons already mentioned. I always recommend that my students apply for accommodations with both, because it's not unusual for a kid to get accommodations with the SAT, but not on the ACT.

For your specific situation, everyone's advice to just have her skip the PSAT is correct, especially if she is a sophomore. It means nothing unless she's in that top 1% of scorers (and even then National Merit doesn't mean much in the way of money, but that's a topic for another day!) I don't want to entirely discourage you from completing the application again yourself because it sounds like you'd do a great job of connecting the dots, but it will be processed more quickly, receive more weight and probably less scrutiny if it comes from the school. Self-submitted applications are fully reviewed by the CB, so that automatically makes the whole process tougher. It's too late for the PSAT anyway, and there's plenty of time for any SAT or AP exams she may have coming up in the spring. It's also worth your while not to completely burn bridges with the school if she plans to take the ACT, because the ACT requires all applications to come from the school with no exceptions (even homeschoolers are required to have their home school complete the application).

But, I would write the CB for a paper application anyway, whether you plan to use it or not. It's very helpful to be able to see it and see what questions are asked so you can guide the school to do it right next time! You can email the CB at [e-mail] to request a paper copy be mailed to you.

Hope all that helps. I hate it when kids get lost in the shuffle. Good luck!

[healthy11]

Wordnerdjenn, welcome to Millermom's forum, and thank you for sharing your insights. We hope you'll stick around!

FWIW, I also thought I'd let you know that Millermom's isn't just for moms - we have members who are dads, as well as young adults with LDs/ADHD, other tutors, teachers, and school psychologists, etc. Besides the U.S., we have posters from the U.K., Canada, Australia, and occasional visitors from elsewhere. Basically anyone who has an interest in helping kids with learning issues be more successful in life is welcome!

[wordnerdjenn]

Thanks so much for the encouragement! I will definitely stick around. I think it's important for me to be helpful when I can since I have information to share! I also might want to pick everyone's brains at some point regarding some projects I have going. Have a great day!