The
College Board and Disabilities Rights Advocates Announce Agreement
to Drop ‘Flagging’ From Standardized Tests
The
College Board and Disabilities Rights Advocates (DRA) announced
recently that as of October 1, 2003 the College Board would
discontinue the practice of identifying score reports on standardized
tests taken by students who require extended test-taking time
due to documented disabilities. Such special testing accommodations
have been identified on the score report by the words “nonstandard
administration,” a practice commonly referred to as “flagging.”
The decision to discontinue flagging stems from a 1999 lawsuit
against the Educational Testing Service (ETS) that resulted
in ETS’s agreement to remove all flags from the score reports
of ETS-administered tests that are not owned by the College
Board. ETS develops the test items, and administers and scores
the SAT and several other tests owned by the College Board.
With respect to College Board tests, DRA and the College Board
had agreed to convene a Blue Ribbon Panel of jointly selected
experts to consider issues related to the flagging of score
reports. That panel recommended, by a vote of four to two, that
the College Board discontinue flagging the score reports of
tests taken with extended time.
“The
majority of the panel believed that flagging discourages students
from applying for needed accommodations and represents a barrier
to equal access to college, and we have agreed to abide by their
decision,” said College Board President Gaston Caperton. “While
agreeing that the rights of disabled persons should prevail
over other considerations, we also recognize the ongoing concerns
by guidance counselors and admission directors that the College
Board must uphold a rigorous review process to ensure that extended
test-taking time is not granted to students who do not require
this accommodation.”
To help ensure that accommodations are given only to test takers
whose disabilities require them, the College Board will continue
its process of routine documentation reviews. These reviews
ensure that the eligibility requirements are being consistently
and fairly applied to all students. Additionally, the College
Board will continue to improve its communication of expectations
to ensure equity of access for all test-takers.
Disability Rights Advocates, a non-profit law center headquartered
in Oakland, California, represented two disability organizations,
California for Disability Rights and the International Dyslexia
Association, along with an individual, Mark Breimhorst, in the
case that led to the settlement.
“The
College Board’s decision to end the practice of flagging marks
a major achievement for people with disabilities. Other testing
agencies that continue to flag should reexamine their policies
and follow the College Board’s example,” states Alison Aubrejuan,
an attorney from DRA involved in the case.
DRA’s clients were extremely pleased with the settlement. Chris
Elms, President of CDR, states, “This settlement is a victory
for all persons with disabilities seeking to attend college
or graduate school because it makes higher education much more
accessible to persons with disabilities.” President of IDA Harley
A. Tomey, III added, “While IDA wishes the agreement could have
been reached sooner and without litigation, we congratulate
ETS and the College Board for coming to the understanding that
this is the right thing to do.”#
