if her writing speed is still within the average range, wouldn't extra time give her an unfair advantage?
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From: Discussion list for disabled students and their support staff. on behalf of Simon Jarvis
Sent: Fri 06/02/2009 13:07
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Request for additional time in exams
Hello everyone,
A nice Friday conundrum for you all here.
We've received a request for additional time in exams from a student on the grounds that their handwriting is illegible if they write at their usual speed.
NB: this student does not have a diagnosis of dyslexia, dyspraxia or any other SpLD.
The 'diagnostic' evidence provided is taken from a DAST one minute writing test and a writing speed assessment. The student's writing speed is described as "above average" (78th-100th percentile) with her legibility 'average', i.e. between the 23rd and 77th percentiles.
The author of the report, a Head of Learning Support at the student's Sixth Form College, writes that when asked to write for 'legibility and not speed' her writing was more readable but slower. In the free writing test that the student faced her speed was assessed as 23.2 words per minute - average for the student's age. She was told to write as if she were not in an exam in this assessment.
The crux of it is: "Given that xxx's educational achievements place her in the above average range [the student has a good set of A level results], writing legibly places her at a disadvantage because it reduces her speed to below what would be expected for a student of her age and ability". We have no WAIS / WRIT scores with which to measure her underlying ability.
My instinct is to refuse the request, as I think it would place her at an unfair advantage over other students; essentially, if she needs to slow down to make writing legible, than this is what she should do. Her writing speed is still within the average range.
Am I being mean and curmudgeonly, or does this seem like a reasonable request?
I suppose I could refer the student for an EP assessment, but this seems like a waste of time and money.
Simon
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Simon Jarvis
Head of Disability and Dyslexia Service
Queen Mary University of London
Tel: 020 7882 2765
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