In some cases, the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education allows the college to waive standardized SAT/ACT scores and/or foreign language requirements for qualified students with documented learning disabilities (see BHE statement below). Students must still complete the 16 required college preparatory courses, with one exception: students with language-based disabilities may substitute two college preparatory units/electives for the foreign language requirement.
" Applicants with professionally diagnosed and documented learning disabilities
(documentation must include diagnostic test results) are exempt from taking
standardized tests for admission to any public institution of higher education in the
Commonwealth.
Foreign Language Requirement:
An applicant may substitute two college preparatory electives for the two required
foreign language courses only if the applicant has on file with the high school results of
a psycho-educational evaluation completed within the past three years that provides a
specific diagnosis of a learning disability and an inability to succeed in a foreign
language." 11/27/07
Although state law does not require students to disclose a disability, applicants who wish to receive special consideration in the admission process must submit a copy of complete diagnostic testing that provides clear evidence of a learning disability along with their admissions materials. If you are otherwise academically qualified for admission to Fitchburg State College and wish to be considered for the SAT/ACT and/or language requirement waiver, please do the following:
Mark “YES” on the Advocacy portion of the college application and
Submit appropriate documentation of a disability that affects learning (please see college guidelines, below).
Diagnostic testing and/or other disability related paperwork should be submitted with other admission credentials to the Admission Office in a sealed envelope marked “Confidential: Advocacy Documents.”
Disability materials that are received with application materials are separated from the student file (to insure student confidentiality) and forwarded to Disability Services for eligibility consideration. For additional inquiries about disability documentation and the advocacy process, please contact the Director of Disability Services at (978) 665-3427.
Please note: Consideration in the admission advocacy process is distinct from registering with the office of Disability Services for academic accommodations. Once admitted to the college, a student may elect to activate accommodations through Disability Services by registering with the office and requesting specific services in person (e.g. accommodations, assistive technologies, etc.). For more information about how to register with Disability Services for academic or environmental accommodations, please visit the department web site at http://www.fsc.edu/disability/.
All documentation will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis to determine the existence of a current disability that substantially limits one or more life activities (including learning).
Please Note: Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) are useful, but are not, in and of themselves, sufficient documentation to establish eligibility for the Advocacy Process or to establish eligibility for academic/environmental accommodations in the college setting.
General Documentation Guidelines: All Disability Types
Testing must be current (no more than 3 years old) and must provide clear and specific evidence and identification of a disability.
Documentation should address the impact of the disability on an individual’s functioning within the context of the academic and vocational environment. Comprehensive assessment should include consideration of the following (as relevant to the nature of the student’s disability): neurological functioning, cognitive and emotional functioning, and/or physical capacity. Evaluation of psychological/emotional functioning must be in accordance with DSM-IV-TR criteria.
Evaluation results and interpretation of results is required, as are specific recommendations for accommodations. Any recommendation for future accommodations on campus should be based on objective evidence of a substantial limitation to learning as supported by specific test results or clinical observations.
Documentation must be submitted by a qualified practitioner/diagnostician. Trained, certified and/or licensed physicians, psychologists, learning disabilities specialists, occupational, physical, or speech-language pathologists, and other professionals are representative of clinicians involved in the process of assessment. Diagnostic reports must include the names, titles, and professional credentials of the evaluators as well as the date(s) of testing and contact information.
A summary of relevant background information (such as educational, medical and social history) should be provided, including a description of any accommodation and/or auxiliary aid that has been used in high school or at another institution.
Additional Guidelines for Documenting
Learning, Attention and/or Communication Disorders
Testing must be comprehensive. Multiple tests are required to diagnose a learning disorder or to establish that a substantial limitation in a major life activity currently exists. Domains addressed should include aptitude (IQ and information processing) andachievement. Some examples of acceptable instruments are listed below: Aptitude (IQ and Information processing)
Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale- Third Edition (WAIS-III)
Woodcock-Johnson Psychoeducational Battery-Revised: Tests of Cognitive Ability (WJ-R)
Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale (4th Edition) (for IQ testing)
Detroit Tests of Learning Aptitude-3 (DTLA-3) (for information processing) Note: Areas of information processing assessed through additional sub-tests and rating scales may include tests of memory (short term memory, working memory, long term memory, etc., auditory and visual perception/processing, processing speed, and attention (divided, sustained, etc.)
Achievement.
Woodcock-Johnson Psychoeducational Battery-Revised: Tests of Achievement (WJ-R)
Wechsler Individual Achievement Test (WIAT)
Tests used to document eligibility must have sound methodology (i.e., be statistically reliable and valid for the age tested). In addition to actual test scores, narrative interpretation of results is required.
We recognize that the type of documentation will differ depending upon the disability, so each advocacy and accommodation request is considered on an individual basis.The director of Disability Services is available to consult with students, parents, diagnosticians, and educators regarding these guidelines and the advocacy and accommodation process at Fitchburg State College.
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