Time Crunch

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January 27, 2010 • Laura C. '10  
Filed under News

     “TIME! Put your pencils down.”

     A low-pitched groan escapes from the class as they begrudgingly pass in their tests.  You have a sickening feeling in your stomach about the test as you begin to pack up your belongings.  That’s when you notice a girl who has extended time continue to work on her test.

     Standing in the doorway, the situation just doesn’t strike you as fair.

     “If I got 30 more minutes to take a test, I’m pretty sure I would get a significantly better grade,” said an anonymous senior.

     But here’s what you may not know about learning differences, extended time, and why in fact the situation might be more fair then you imagined. 

     “The kids here with learning differences are highly intelligent; there’s simply a gap between their ability level and achievement level,” said Ms. Tanya Hamilton, head of Personal Counseling. 

     A learning disability can have an affect on the way students input, process, or express information.  According to the National Institute of Health, 15% of the U.S. population, or one in seven Americans, has some type of learning disability.

     Much in the same way that each student has a particular way of learning, be it aural, visual, or kinesthetic, those with learning disabilities simply have a particular way of processing. 

     “In order to be eligible for extended time, you must have a DSM IV diagnosis,” said Ms. Hamilton. 

     The diagnosis process involves a long series of assessments performed outside of Ursuline. 

     “I was tested for dyslexia in 4th grade, so I don’t remember the diagnostic test that well, but there were a few things that stuck out to me. There was a section where I had to choose the next picture in a sequence, and another section where the doctor read a list of numbers and I had to repeat them either backwards or in order, the list getting longer with each round,” said Tessie D. ’10.

     “I’ve given the IQ part of the test several times [at public schools], and it’s not something you can fudge,” said Ms. Hamilton. 

     For those students who can provide documentation of their learning difference, they are granted 50% more time, regardless of the subject or assessment.

     “We don’t want people to be penalized for the way their brain functions,” said Ms. Hamilton.  “Extended time should not allow them to do better, but it should level the playing field.”

     Elise T.  ’10, agrees that extended time doesn’t give her an advantage over her classmates. 

     “Proportionally, I finish my tests and quizzes with the same amount of work done on them as a regular-time student’s. Plus, extended time is NEVER a chance for me to perfect my work,” she said. 

     Elise said that she wasn’t aware of her learning difference until she came to Ursuline.

     “On my first Algebra II/Trig test, I left a little more than half the test blank before being diagnosed, and it was awful. That was the red flag for me that I should probably get checked out.”

     Ms. Hamilton said that scenarios like this have occurred in the case of several students, because they were likely very successful up until they arrived at Ursuline, where the more rigorous environment led to a diagnosis of a learning disability. 

     As a math teacher, Mr. Zamora agreed that “if there is truly a learning disability diagnosed, I think [extended time] is warranted.”

      Ms. Huffman, a personal counselor and a member of the admissions committee, noted that a learning difference does not affect someone’s chances of being admitted to Ursuline.  Applicants are not required to disclose such information, but “if they’ve had and evaluation, they generally include it,” she said.  “It helps us offer accommodations for them.”

     Extended time on standardized tests is left to the discretion of College Board and the ACT.  “I submit the paperwork for students for standardized tests, but sometimes, especially on the ACT, extended time is denied,” said Ms. Hamilton.    

     In our competitive world where one is always trying to gain an advantage or an edge, ‘fair’ tends to be a fine line.  Thus, the issue of extended time remains a sensitive topic, both to those with extended time, but especially to those without it.

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