TESTING PROCEDURES FOR ACCOMMODATED EXAMS

A student’s testing accommodations will be indicated on his/her Classroom Accommodation Request Forms (CARF’s) issued by the Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD).  SSD recommends that students schedule private consultations with their instructors at the start of the semester to present their CARF’s and discuss the arrangements for accommodated exams, as well as any other accommodations indicated on the forms.  In general, making the necessary arrangements for testing accommodations is a responsibility shared by the student, the instructor, and SSD (see the topics listed below for additional information).  Questions or concerns regarding testing accommodations should be addressed to the SSD staff at the Counseling Center (Lee Drain North Annex, telephone 936-294-3512).   

Topics Addressed on this Page:
Extended Time for Exams
Testing Site with Limited Distractions
Adaptive Technology for Test-taking Purposes
Counseling Center Testing Procedures
LSC-University Center Testing Arrangements
Blackboard and other On-line Exams
Correspondence Course Exams

Extended Time for Exams
The amount of time allotted to students approved for this accommodation is typically either time and a half (1.5x) or double time (2x), as indicated on the Classroom Accommodation Request Form.  The extended time factor is applied to the base time allotted by the instructor for the classroom (or on-line) exam (e.g., time and a half for a 60-minute exam would be 90 minutes).  A student approved only for extended time (not a testing site with limited distractions) may take classroom exams in the classroom setting, provided that arrangements can be made for the extended time.  In the event that class scheduling conflicts preclude the allotment of extended time in the classroom setting, SSD requests that the instructor locate an alternative testing venue for the accommodated student in the academic building or department in which the class is held.  The Counseling Center (Lee Drain North Annex, telephone 936-294-3512) may also be used as the alternative testing venue in such an instance, provided that the academic department is unable to accommodate the extended time format due to scheduling conflicts (see Counseling Center Testing Procedures below). 

Testing Site with Limited Distractions
A testing site with limited distractions is a private room or office (separate from the classroom) that is relatively free of ambient noise and social interaction and furnished with adequate lighting and desk space.  SSD will approve this accommodation for students whose disabilities render them especially vulnerable to distractions in a testing situation.  With regard to the identification of a  limited-distractions test site, SSD requests that the instructor first attempt to locate an appropriate venue for the accommodated student in the academic building or department in which the class is held and to make the necessary proctoring arrangements (e.g., with a departmental teaching assistant or support staff).  In the event that an appropriate venue is not available and/or proctoring arrangements cannot be made in the academic department, the Counseling Center (Lee Drain North Annex, telephone 936-294-3512) may serve as the alternative testing venue with advance notification on the part of the student and instructor (see Counseling Center Testing Procedures below).
Note:  A hallway or corridor in an academic building is not considered to be an appropriate venue for the purposes of limited-distractions testing. 

Adaptive Technology for Test-taking Purposes
Depending on the nature of the student’s disability, SSD may approve the use of adaptive technology for test-taking purposes.  Among the technologies available at the Adaptive Technology Lab in the Counseling Center (Lee Drain North Annex) are CCTV video magnifiers and various software programs, such as screen magnifier/reader and scan-read, text-to-speech software.  Students approved by SSD for the use of such technologies on exams should, in most instances, make the necessary scheduling arrangements to take their exams at the Counseling Center’s Adaptive Technology Lab (see Counseling Center Testing Procedures below).  It should also be noted, however, that the ADA workstations in the Computer Labs and the Newton-Gresham Library are equipped with screen magnifier/reader software and other adaptive technologies (see Adaptive Technology Available on the SSD home page).  Similar technologies are available in the Computer Lab and Library on the third floor of the LSC-University Center, as per the Lone Star College District (see University Center Testing Arrangements below). 

Counseling Center Testing Procedures
The Counseling Center (Lee Drain North Annex, telephone 936-294-3512) has testing rooms/cubicles and an Adaptive Technology Lab designated for accommodated exams.  Advance notification on the part of the student and instructor is required for the use of the Counseling Center’s testing facilities.  The responsibilities of the student, the instructor, and SSD with regard to testing arrangements at the Counseling Center are detailed below.
Note:  Students approved by SSD for testing accommodations are not required to take their exams at the Counseling Center, provided that the instructor is able to make the necessary arrangements in the academic department.  Due to the heavy demand on the Counseling Center’s testing rooms, SSD requests that instructors first attempt to determine whether or not a student approved only for extended test time and/or a testing site with limited-distractions can be accommodated in the academic department (see Extended Time for Exams and Testing Site with Limited Distractions above).  If the academic department is unable to provide the approved testing accommodations, the Counseling Center is available as the alternative testing venue on the main campus (as per the procedures detailed below).  
 
Student’s Responsibilities

1. The student is responsible for discussing the testing arrangements with the instructor prior to each scheduled exam.
2. The student is responsible for scheduling a test appointment with the Counseling Center staff at least three (3) working days prior to the date of the classroom exam.  The student is expected to schedule his/her test appointment to coincide with the date and time of the classroom exam, unless a conflict with his/her course schedule or the Counseling Center’s testing schedule precludes such an arrangement.  In the latter event, SSD recommends that the student schedule the test appointment at a time approximate to that of the classroom exam and that he/she apprise the instructor of the appointment time.  It should be noted that the Counseling Center’s testing rooms are available during business hours only, i.e., Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.   Due to the aforementioned scheduling constraints, SSD is unable to guarantee that a test appointment will be available to coincide exactly with the time of the classroom exam.  Test appointments at the Counseling Center are scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis.  SSD recommends that students provide as much advance notice as possible for the scheduling of mid-terms and final exams, given the demands on the Counseling Center’s testing rooms during these peak periods. 
3. The student is responsible for arriving at the Counseling Center on time for his/her test appointment.  If the student is more than fifteen (15) minutes late for the appointment or if he/she has failed to schedule an appointment in the first place, he/she will be referred back to the instructor to coordinate arrangements for rescheduling the exam.  A student arriving for a test appointment at the Counseling Center up to fifteen (15) minutes late will be docked accordingly on his/her test time. 
4. The student is responsible for notifying the Counseling Center as soon as possible in the event that he/she is unable to attend a test appointment due to an illness or emergency.  In such an instance, the student is expected to consult with the instructor before rescheduling the test appointment.
5. The student is responsible for observing the institutional standards regarding academic honesty and integrity while testing at the Counseling Center.  In the event that a student is suspected of cheating, SSD will confiscate any materials in question and notify the instructor of the suspected offense.  SSD will also forward a report on the matter and any confiscated materials to the instructor.
6. The student is responsible for adhering to the rules of classroom conduct while testing at the Counseling Center.  The student will not be allowed to have food or drink available or to take restroom breaks during the testing session unless such accommodations have been approved by SSD for medical reasons.
7. The student is responsible for providing routine testing tools and materials (e.g., writing instrument, Scantron form, etc.) and being familiar with the operation of any adaptive technology approved by SSD as a testing accommodation.          

Instructor’s Responsibilities

1. The instructor is responsible for completing the SSD Testing Form, available from the Counseling Center or the SSD home page.
2. The instructor is responsible for forwarding the SSD Testing Form and the exam to the Counseling Center at least three (3) working days prior to the exam date.  Exams may be hand delivered by the instructor or a teaching assistant, faxed to 936-294-3794, or e-mailed to Ms. Shannon Lockhart-Johnston, ADA Staff Associate, at sxl014@shsu.edu.    
3. The instructor is also responsible for making the necessary arrangements to collect the exam from the Counseling Center once SSD has notified him/her of its completion.  The instructor may indicate on the SSD Testing Form whether he/she or a teaching assistant will collect the exam in person or whether the exam is to be returned by SSD via fax or campus mail.    

SSD’s Responsibilities

1. The SSD staff is responsible for proctoring the exam so as to maintain the integrity of the testing process. 
2. SSD is responsible for facilitating the approved testing accommodations, such as the provision of a reader or scribe or access to adaptive technologies.
3. SSD is responsible for notifying the instructor in the event that a student is suspected of cheating on an exam (see Student’s Responsibilities above). 
4. SSD is responsible for notifying the instructor once the student has completed the exam.  If the instructor has indicated on the SSD Testing Form that he/she wishes for the completed exam to be returned by fax or campus mail, SSD will make the arrangements to fax or mail the exam. 

LSC-University Center Testing Arrangements
Dr. Dina Flores-Mejorado, Director of Academic Student Services, and Terry Nixon, Academic Advising Specialist, are the SHSU liaisons at the LSC-University Center in The Woodlands.  Dr. Flores-Mejorado and Ms. Nixon are available to coordinate SSD-approved testing accommodations, such as a testing room with limited distractions, a reader or proctor for the exam, and adaptive technology for test-taking purposes, with advance notification on the part of the instructor.  At the LSC-University Center, the instructor is responsible for notifying one of the aforementioned staff members of the needed arrangements at least seven (7) working days prior to the exam date.  Exams may be hand delivered, faxed, or e-mailed to Dr. Flores-Mejorado or Ms. Nixon (see contact information below).  The instructor is also responsible for collecting the exam from staff once it has been completed or requesting the return of same via campus mail.  In the event that a reader or proctor is required, a $25 fee will be assessed to the instructor’s academic department.  Dr. Flores-Mejorado may b reached at 936-273-7518 or dinafm@shsu.edu.  Ms. Nixon’s direct line is 936-273-7520.  Their fax number is 936-273-7530.
SHSU students requesting accommodations for courses at the LSC-University Center must first register with SSD and submit documentation of a mental or physical impairment that substantially limits academic functioning.  Students are advised to contact the SHSU Counseling Center at 936-294-3512 (TDD 936-294-3786) to schedule a disability intake appointment (or telephone interview in the case of distance learners).  Documentation may be submitted by fax (936-294-3794) or mail (Services for Students with Disabilities, Box 2059 SHSU, Huntsville, Texas 77341-2059).  If the student is approved for accommodations, SSD will provide him/her with Classroom Accommodation Request Forms.  The student is responsible for submitting these forms to his/her instructors at the LSC-University Center.    
Adaptive technologies, such as video magnifiers, screen magnifier/reader software, and scan-read software, are available for use on the part of students with disabilities in the Computer Lab and Library on the third floor of the LSC-University Center (as per the Lone Star College District).          

Blackboard and other On-line Exams
Students approved by SSD for extended time on exams are entitled to receive this accommodation for on-line exams, including exams administered on Blackboard.  For information on how to create an extended time format for an exam on Blackboard, faculty members are referred to the protocol listed below, “Creating Extended-Time Assessments for Blackboard 8.”
It should be noted that SHSU students requesting accommodations for on-line courses must first register with SSD and submit documentation of a mental or physical impairment that substantially limits academic functioning.  Students are advised to contact the SHSU Counseling Center at 936-294-3512 (TDD 936-294-3786) to schedule a disability intake appointment (or telephone interview in the case of distance learners).  Documentation may be submitted by fax (936-294-3794) or mail (Services for Students with Disabilities, Box 2059 SHSU, Huntsville, Texas 77341-2059).  If the student is approved for accommodations, SSD will forward an accommodation memo to the instructor of the on-line course.

Creating Extended-Time Assessments for Blackboard 8

Note:  For additional assistance with the creation of extended-time assessments on Blackboard, faculty members are advised to contact Jacob Spradlin (936-294-3929 or ucs_jws@shsu.edu)
or Ricki Lee Hodges (936-294-1851 or rickilee@shsu.edu) with the SHSU Computer Services Department.    

I.  In order to create an extended-time assessment on Blackboard 8 that is to be administered concurrently with the standard exam:

1. Go to the Test Manager in the Control Panel and click on “Add Test.”
2. Give the extended-time assessment a different name from the standard exam.  It is recommended to use the same name as the standard assessment, with the addition of the accommodated student’s initials or another discreet tag.  Example:  Biology Mid-term KO (student’s initials) or Biology Mid-term SWD (which stands for “student with a disability”). 
3. The Test Canvas opens. In the “Add” area for adding questions, choose “From a Question Pool or Assessment” from the drop-down list and click “Go.”
4. Choose the existing (i.e., standard) assessment from under the “-Tests-” list, and select the “All” checkbox under “Question Types” to use all of the questions from the existing assessment.
5.  On the next screen, select the checkbox beside each question you would like to use in the extended-time assessment, or just choose the “Select All” button to select them all. Click “Submit” when you have chosen questions.
6. This will bring you to the Test Canvas. From here you can either close the Test, or add more questions using the “Add Question Here” links.
7. When you deploy the extended-time assessment you have just created to a Content Area, set the time limit to extended time, i.e., the amount of time indicated by the student’s accommodation form, generally either time and a half (1.5x) or double time (2x).  EXAMPLE:  If the standard assessment is timed to 1 hour, the accommodated student would receive 1 hour, 30 minutes on the extended-time format if he/she has been approved for 1.5 extended time.  The maximum time that can be set for a test on Blackboard is 4 hours, 55 minutes.  In the event that additional time is required by the student’s accommodation, you may divide the test into two parts and administer each as a separate exam on Blackboard in accordance with the aforementioned procedures.
8. To release the extended-time assessment to the accommodated student (so that his/her classmates do not see two tests): once the assessment has been deployed to a Content Area, click the “Manage” button beside it to create an Adaptive Release rule.
1. Click the first link in the list, “Adaptive Release.”
2. Under 2. Membership, enter the accommodated student’s username in the “Username” area to add him/her to the Membership Criteria.
3. Click “Submit” at the bottom. Now, only the student whose username you have specified will be able to view the extended-time assessment.  Note:  Multiple test-takers with disabilities may be accommodated by means of one, extended-time assessment, provided that their usernames are entered in the “Username” area and each of them has been approved for the same time extension (e.g., 1.5x).   
    ALSO—you can prevent the test score from being released so that the accommodated student does not see two grades from two different columns.  In the Grade Center, click on the double-arrows at the column heading of the extended-time assessment. Choose the “Modify Column” option from the pop-up menu. Under 3. Options, choose “No” for “Include this column in Grade Center Calculations” AND “Show this column in My Grades.” This will prevent the other students from seeing the grade column, and from it being used in the calculations of the Grade Center.
9. You will need to manually enter the accommodated student’s score into the ORIGINAL test column so that he/she can access the grade  through the My Grades option if the other students are using this feature, and so that his/her score will be calculated with the rest of the grades.

II. In order to create an extended-time assessment on Blackboard with a different start date and/or time as that of the standard assessment:

1. Use the Adaptive Release rule to add all students EXCEPT the student needing extended time.
2. After your original test is closed, using Adaptive Release rule as described above, select ONLY the accommodated student.
3. Under the “Modify” button beside the test in the Content Area, change the date and/or time(s) that the test will be available and the amount of time allowed for the test. 

Correspondence Course Exams
SHSU students requesting accommodations for correspondence course exams must first register with SSD and submit documentation of a mental or physical impairment that substantially limits academic functioning.  Students are advised to contact the SHSU Counseling Center at 936-294-3512 (TDD 936-294-3786) to schedule a disability intake appointment (or telephone interview in the case of distance learners).  Documentation may be submitted by fax (936-294-3794) or mail (Services for Students with Disabilities, Box 2059 SHSU, Huntsville, Texas 77341-2059).  If the student is approved for accommodations, SSD will either:  (a) provide him/her with an accommodation form to present to the Correspondence Office; or (b) forward an accommodation letter to said office in the case of a distance learner.  The Correspondence Office will provide the testing accommodations for exams administered on site or will forward directions regarding the accommodations to the designated testing site.  For more information on the designated testing sites for correspondence courses, students are advised to contact Gail Wright, Correspondence Office Coordinator, at 936-294-1003 or cor_gmw@shsu.edu.