ACT Makes Testing Accommodation Access Easier for Students with Disabilities
Last week, the American College Testing organization, known for its administration of the ACT college admissions test, announced new policies surrounding testing accessibility for students with disabilities.
The new policies will assist students who receive accommodations at school under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. Upon registration for the test, these students will be automatically eligible for testing accommodations. The new policy will also allow students without an individualized education program (IEP) or a 504 plan who request accommodations to do so with less information and documentation required.
According to ACT CEO Janet Godwin, “students with disabilities already face many barriers in their lives, and we don’t want the accommodations process for taking the ACT to be one of them.” This change in policy accompanies a growing social movement opposed to colleges’ reliance on standardized test scores for admissions as well as a $16 million settlement made by ACT in a dispute over selling information about students’ disabilities.