This article aims to explain how Special accommodations work, which is a crucial system designed to improve the test-taking experience for candidates with disabilities. Understanding this process is essential for creating a testing environment that is fair and open to everyone.
Adding Special Accommodations by the Test Administrator
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While the test organizer can add accommodations to a user, the proctor must approve or reject it. To add special accommodation, a test organizer should:
- Navigate to Tests page and select the Manage tests.
- Click on the desired test name.
When you enter the test:
- Navigate to the Monitoring tab and click three dots for the desired candidate.
- Select the Add special accommodation option.
A New special accommodation pop-up window will appear where you can specify the accommodation:
- Other accommodations – This category includes a range of additional accommodations, such as allowing food and drink during the test. These accommodations are determined on a case-by-case basis, depending on the individual needs of the student.
- Required to have 1-1 session with a proctor – This type of accommodation can be used in a situation where a proctor’s extra assistance is needed, such as reading questions, etc.
Until the proctor takes action on the request, the student’s accommodation status remains Pending, awaiting a resolution. This process ensures that every student receives fair and equal access to the testing experience, with accommodations tailored to their individual needs.
Enabling Student-Initiated Special Accommodation Requests #
If you want students to be able to submit special accommodation requests themselves and have them approved by the proctor, you need to enable the module as follows:
- Click on the System page, select Settings and customization.
- Go to the System preferences tab.
- Click on Additional modules setup.
- Scroll down to Enable request special accommodation.
And ensure that you have enabled the permission for requesting special accommodations in the student’s role as follows:
- Navigate to the Users page.
- Select Roles and permissions and locate the desired role. Scroll down to enable the Request special accommodation permission.
After booking the test, students have the option to request special accommodations.
Approving/Rejecting Special Accommodation #
The proctor receives a notification via email and app, informing them of the new request. When the proctor clicks on the Preview special accommodation button, a pop-up dialog appears, giving them the opportunity to either approve or reject the accommodation.
When a proctor is presented with a special accommodation request, they can take action by selecting the Respond button. This will bring up a pop-up dialog where the proctor can review the details of the accommodation and either approve or decline the request. Additionally, the proctor can add a comment to provide additional context and information about their decision. Once the proctor has made their decision, they can set the status of the accommodation request to reflect their decision.
Additionally, the added accommodation can be previewed or deleted.
Conclusion #
The Special Accommodations Process is a crucial tool that provides the necessary support for students with disabilities during test-taking. By offering a range of accommodations tailored to individual needs, students are given a fair and equal opportunity to showcase their knowledge and abilities. This system ensures that no student is disadvantaged due to their disability and allows them to reach their full potential. Furthermore, the process ensures that accommodations are granted only to those who need them, based on legitimate requests with supporting documentation. Overall, the Special Accommodations Process is a beneficial system that helps create a more inclusive and equitable testing environment for all students.
