For students to qualify for classroom and testing accommodations at Awty, they must meet the following requirements: 

• Have a diagnosis that necessitates testing accommodations; and

• Have current documentation on file with the Awty Learning Support Coordinator, obtained from a qualified specialist, that indicates relevant functional limitations that impact student’s ability to test and perform classroom activities**

*Medical/psychiatric evaluations should be completed at least every 12 months; psycho-educational/psychological/neurological evaluations at least every 3 years.

**A diagnosis alone does not indicate the need for accommodations.  A student has a functional limitation when the student does not have the ability to independently complete routine academic functions (reading, writing, calculating, listening, etc.).

Awty International School follows the guidelines established by the College Board and ACT for what an evaluation should include.  A psycho-educational/psychological/neurological evaluation should include the following components:

• A diagnosis using current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (e.g. DSM-V) codes

• The evaluator’s credentials

• The student’s educational, developmental, and medical history

• Comprehensive testing that includes standard scores and subtest scores

• A complete measure of aptitude (e.g., the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children), achievement (e.g., The Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Achievement), and behavior/adaptive functioning (e.g., Behavior Assessment System for Children)

• An assessment of information processing

• Any recommendations for specific accommodations must include a rationale and a description of functional limitations

• Documentation of any prior accommodations

• Clear evidence of clinically significant impairment across multiple settings, including the academic setting

• An analysis of information from report cards, teacher comments, and standardized testing scores

• Feedback from at least TWO classroom teachers

• An assessment of vision, hearing and sleep patterns

A medical evaluation should include the following components:

• Specific diagnosis and age/date of onset

• Current and/or prior course of medical treatment, including the impact of medical treatment specific to the examinee

• Current and/or prior therapy outcomes (e.g. physical, occupational and/or speech therapy, mental health counseling/ psychiatric treatment)

• Current impact on examinee’s education (e.g. school absence, hospital and/or homebound status, reduced school schedule)

• Current impact on academic functioning (e.g. psychoeducational or neuropsychological evaluations, grade reports, transcripts, and/or other standardized testing)

To be considered “current,” a psycho-educational/psychological/neurological evaluation should be no more than three years old and a medical/psychiatric evaluation should be no more than 12 months old.

A doctor's note is not a substitute for a complete evaluation.

Note to parents: 

The Learning Support Coordinator for your child's division can provide you with contact information for practitioners who have provided high-quality evaluations for other students at Awty.  It can take several months to schedule and complete an evaluation. The evaluator, as a component of the evaluation, will ask you to have teachers complete questionnaires; please forward any such forms to the Learning Support Coordinator for your child’s division. The Learning Support Coordinator will distribute the forms to the grade-level team members and return them directly to the evaluator. In the event the evaluation will take place over the summer months, we suggest you request forms early, so teachers can provide feedback before they leave for the summer. Any forms to be completed must be submitted no later than three weeks prior to the close of the school year.

Please contact the Learning Support Coordinator to ensure that your child's most current evaluation records are on file with the Student Support Department.

Once evaluation reports are received by the Learning Support Coordinator, please allow up to three weeks for follow-up on plan development and provision of services.

To be eligible for accommodations on IB exams, the school must submit official documentation upon IB exam registration.  Please ensure that evaluation reports are current by the start of the 11th grade year.  The Learning Support Coordinator will work in conjunction with the IB Coordinator to arrange accommodations.

College Board and ACT test dates are available from the Learning Support Coordinator, College Counseling Department, and the College Board and ACT websites.  Both College Board and ACT have their own specific criteria that must be met in order to receive testing accommodations.  Having been granted accommodations at Awty in no way guarantees that the student will meet the qualifications of these independent agencies.  

Please refer to these links for qualifications for testing accommodations:

College Board (PSAT/SAT) 

ACT 

Requirements for documentation include (1) qualifications of the evaluator; (2) recency of documentation; (3) appropriate clinical documentation to substantiate the condition(s); and (4) evidence to establish a rationale supporting the need for accommodations.

Please be advised that these organizations typically request proof of the provision of accommodations at school prior to deeming eligibility and that the decision process can take up to 7 weeks after the submission of required documentation to the testing authority.  Additionally, if an application for accommodations is denied by College Board or ACT, any necessary documentation required for the appeal of that decision will be the primary responsibility of the student or parent.  

Many colleges and universities provide accommodations based on current evaluations and proof of school-based accommodations given while enrolled in K-12.  After being admitted to the college of choice, students will need to contact the appropriate university office to inform them of the need for accommodations and to provide the necessary documentation.  

Click here to view resources for students with learning differences.

Contact the ELC/LS Learning Support Coordinator: Tim Gannon

Contact the MS/US Learning Support Coordinator: Susan Sanders