School Testing Accommodations: What do you ask for?

[bisous]

State testing is coming up for us. It will take about an hour to nearly 2 hours per day for about two weeks. Besides testing prior to taking the exams, do you have any special accommodations for your D kids?

I'm thinking I'd like to make sure that if he needs to test he isn't penalized by losing time. He's just started testing himself (can you believe it after all that, lol). But if he were high, he'd need an adult's help to administer insulin. If he were to be low, he'd need time to get his glucose in range.

His 504 has a provision that he must be in range during standardized testing but I haven't worked out with the school how specifically to make that happen.

I'm looking forward to hearing from you guys as the school we're working with are not well versed in the rights and procedures for kids with Type 1.

Thank you!

[Mom264]

I pmd you my chart with info in it. Adjust whatever you like from that.

One of the changes we have made since dd has been on a CGM is to move her beloved breakfast cereal to an after school slot. (Cereal really spikes her bg first thing in the morning, which seems to be when all these state tests are). She still gets her cereal, but later in the day.


On exam days she eats a non-spikey breakfast that comes in at 50 carbs. for instance:
8 oz milk
1 slice whole wheat toast,
12 carbs of Nutella
8 carbs of banana (I weigh the last two items for accuracy).

BG doesn't spike with this type of meal. I think this concept would work with any meal a child likes, that doesn't spike his/her BG.

[bisous]

Thank you! Got your pm. That is great idea! I'm going to chat with the nurse/principal/teacher and see if we can get this all set up for testing.

[Connor's Mom]

We ask for stop test accommodations with out penalty for any BG testing, treating, restroom, water needs that interrupt the test. I also asked that if he is out of range that he be in range for at least 2 hours since the school had him take the tests the minute his bG was back in range.

[McKenna'smom]

DD's 504 states that if testing time is missed because of testing or needing to use the bathroom that the time must be allowed to be made up. However, our state testing does not have a time requirement, so that point was moot. However, the school proposed that DD be allowed to test in a smaller classroom with fewer students so that if she had to test or have a snack, she would not disturb the other students. It actually worked out well as it was also less distracting for my DD. She sailed through her testing week with no issues at all.

[selketine]

Technically you cannot have accommodations for state testing or standardized testing that are not also given in the classroom for regular exams. Make sure your 504 covers all testing or they could say that if the child doesn't need it on a regular basis for exams then they don't need it for standardized/state testing.

The school doesn't know what it is doing if they are allowing kids accommodations for state testing that differ from their daily accommodations.

Our school system has a separate sheet of paper with check boxes for accommodations for testing - but for ALL testing. There is space there to write in unique accommodations such as in range blood sugar.

There are schools that try to drive up their test scores by giving some kids special treatment just for state testing that they wouldn't normally get - which really is cheating the kid if they need something for an accommodation then they need it all the time.

[swimmom]

You have to be careful specifying range though. They usually start testing first thing in the morning. My daughter is often a little high at 8:30 from breakfast, but feels fine and can ace a test. If she is truly high (site issue or something), it can take hours for her to come back into range. I just would caution against restrictive language ("must test BG and if over 200 can't take standardized test"). Our 504 says something about her ability to test BG if she deems it necessary and take action as necessary.