Extra Time or Unused Time? What Data from a College Testing Center Tells Us About 50% Extra Time as an Accommodation for Students with Learning Disabilities

Abstract

Recent directives from legislative bodies in the USA and Canada assert that self-report and previous experience should constitute the basis from which accommodations are determined for students with disabilities (SWDs). Extended time for tests is a highly requested accommodation; postsecondary institutions have focused on 50% additional time as a universal starting point. However, the limited research on the issue of extended time has mostly drawn inferences to real-life test situations from studies employing simulated testing situations and participants with self-reported disability status. Archival data from 825 tests/exams held at one college during the 2012 and 2013 school years were analyzed to determine whether, and to what degree students with learning disabilities (SLDs) used the 50% extra time accorded them and what factors influenced the use of extra time. The majority of SLDs did not use extended time, and those who accessed it rarely used more than 25%. Findings have significant implications with respect to the procedures currently in use for the assignment of extra time to SLDs.