 ACT Streamlines Accommodations Eligibility Requirements for Students with IEPs, 504 Plans Policy Change for 2021-22 School Year Expedites Process to Save Educators, Families, Students Time
IOWA CITY, Iowa—ACT, the nonprofit developer of the ACT test, today announced plans to increase accessibility to the ACT test for students with disabilities by streamlining accommodations eligibility requirements. ACT will approve allowable accommodations already included in students’ Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) or 504 plans.
Beginning with the 2021-22 testing year, students who already receive accommodations at their school under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act will automatically be eligible to receive the allowable testing accommodations when they register for the ACT with accommodations.
The IDEA and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act contain rigorous requirements that public schools must follow in determining who is an eligible student with a disability and what accommodations eligible students need to access their education. This includes what accommodations are needed to access classroom and standardized tests, like the ACT test.
“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,” said ACT CEO Janet Godwin. “This policy change simplifies and expedites the process for requesting accommodations, so that students can focus on learning all that they can in school and showing what they know on test day.”
In conjunction with the policy change, ACT is updating its system for requesting accommodations to require less information and documentation to support requests submitted on behalf of students with a current IEP or 504 plan.
“By aligning to a standard that is already applied in schools where the majority of our students with accommodations are learning, we simplify and expedite the process for students, families, and educators,” said ACT Senior Director of Accessibility Katie Featherston.
While this change benefits the majority of students who test with accommodations, ACT will continue to offer accommodations to test-takers who do not have a current IEP or 504 plan. The organization will continue to use the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standard to determine whether there is a “physical or mental impairment that substantially limits a major life activity” and whether the requested accommodations are reasonable for the ACT test.
More information about the policy change and process for requesting accommodations, please click here. can be found here.
EDPlan Administrator Training – Training is for EDPlan Administrators and will cover the new EDPlan as well as Calendars, Reporting Periods, Adding and Removing staff, Caseloads and Impersonation rights.
Introduction to EDPlan – Training is for anyone new to EDPlan and is a pre-requisite to other trainings by EDPlan. This is also suggested for experienced EDPlan users to see and understand how to navigate the New EDPlan
IEP Process – This training is for EDPlan users responsible for creating IEP paperwork in EDPlan. This will cover organizing the student caseload, IEP at a Glance, Creating Contact Logs, Batch Printing, etc.
Eligibility Process – Training is for users responsible for Eligibility Determination. Training will cover the navigation and paperwork requirements to finalize an Eligibility Determination in EDPlan. We will complete a RED, Parent Consent, documenting assessments, completing the MEEGS and running reports to organize due dates.
504 Process – Training is for users responsible for 504 Eligibility and the 504 Student Plans. Training will cover the 504 Eligibility Process and creating a 504 Student Plan as well as running reports, batch printing, etc.
The webinar schedule and registration link are located in EdPlan on the Main page at the bottom under Documents. Click on the Help Links tab and click on EdPlan August Webinar Schedule.
Once the document is opened, you can choose which date and time works best. To register for a particular webinar, click on the Registration Link next to the one you want to attend.
Leadership Retreat
When: August 17, 2021 from 3:00PM - 4:30PM CST
Discussing topics such as organizational leadership, strategic analysis, and goal setting, this multi-session webinar series will provide special education directors and other district program staff the opportunity to seek out what it means to be a part of an organization. Questions such as “what currently is”, in an organization, and also, “what currently could/should be” for it to achieve its mission will be the center point of discussion. Participants will come away from the sessions with the knowledge and understanding to help fulfill their goal of providing quality education to all students.
For more information about the webinar series, view the flyer here. To register for the fourth session in the series on August 17, 2021, click here. The zoom link you will need for the session is here.
Any questions about the webinar can be directed to Abby Johnson.
Looking to prepare, retain, and support special educators navigating the first few years of their career? CEC’s popular JumpStart Program for New and Early-Career Special Educators is back and better than ever, with information, resources, peer support, virtual mentoring opportunities, and more from some of the most renowned subject matter experts in the field. Though designed to support new special educators in their first three years of practice, this fully online program will be highly beneficial for anyone working with students with exceptionalities and was designed to set new special educators up for success for the 2021-2022 school year. Learn more and register before the program kick-off on August 19t!
Program Dates
- Live Virtual Kickoff Session on August 19, 2021 | 5:00 – 6:00 pm ET
- Access to all on-demand workshops August 2021 – Summer 2022
- Live Virtual Wrap-Up Session in December 2021 (day & time TBD)
What does this program cost?
- CEC Member price: $150
- Non-member price: $250
- Group registration discount
- Available for groups of 10 or more
- Contact US for group rates!
Ready to register and pay online now? ⇒ Click Here!
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Trainings offered at TWO locations.
September 14, 2021 and September 16, 2021
One day special education law and advocacy program focusing on four areas:
• Special education law, rights and
responsibilities
• Tests and measurements to measure
progress and regression
• SMART IEPs
• Introduction to tools and strategies for effective advocacy
Limited Registration!
Registration Fee: $15.00 - includes 3 books, breakfast refreshments and boxed lunch!
For more information, see flyer here.
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