Garga Posted February 12, 2019 Share Posted February 12, 2019 (edited) Celebrate with me: THE REQUEST WAS APPROVED!!!!! I should think so! His psycho-educational tests showed he definitively needs more time on things. (The results were ridiculously dramatic. The boy clearly needs TIME.) WHAT A RELIEF. What a harrowing journey. So glad that hoop is jumped through! Next step: have him take a practice test with the extended time and then on to the real test. ********************************** We requested time and a half for the SAT for my son and extended breaks. In order to make our requests, he needed educational testing. It took a couple of months to get the psych testing done, then another month to meet with the psychologist to review the tests. I spent hours and hours writing up a 22 page document of his entire academic history and how I accommodate for his needs. Once I had everything in place, the high school (where he got the testing done) offered to send the request to College Board using SSD, which is an online way to apply that only the school can access. That was lovely of them. College Board says on their website that they prefer to get the requests via SSD as they can work a lot faster that way. I just now got the notification from College board saying they couldn't give us the request for *double time* (we didn't ask for double time!) or *unlimited breaks* (we didn't ask for unlimited breaks!) and that they needed more information and it seriously sounds like they never got the psychologists report and test scores. They mention that they got the "information from parent" and "504 plan" and say that they need test results. Um...what about the 17 page report from the psychologist that had all the test scores? Where did that go? I have a strong feeling that the person at the high school who sent in the request for us online via SSD, checked off wrong information about what we were requesting and also didn't send all of the information. Even though CB is supposed to be open today right now, they're closed due to bad weather, so I can't try to contact them and figure out where the error is. Did CB misread our request and not see the report from the psych? Or did it not get sent properly? I spent hours upon hours preparing the information for this request and if someone else botched it, I'm going to be soooooo ticked. If someone at the high school using the online SSD botched it, I guess I won't be using the online SSD format. I'll have to fax everything. It's about 50 or so pages of information which will take a while to fax and apparently takes them longer to review. He's scheduled to take the test in 8 weeks, and they say they can take up to 7 weeks once they get the new information, so I have to have answers soon and I need to get faxing right away. If CB is closed again tomorrow, I'm going to go ahead and refax everything to them, even if it turns out they have it all. I can't let this ball stay dropped. PS. Oh, and CB saw in my report that my son has outsourced online classes. They asked for those online teachers to give reports about why my son needs more time. Um...those teachers never see my son. My son literally had a literal anxiety attack last Friday over a thing due for an online class that he was struggling to do (because he needs extra TIME), but that teacher never sees that. *I* am the one who handles it when he flips out and needs more time. *I* am the one who shuffles all his work around so he can get things done on time. *I* am the one who sees how long it takes him to complete the task--not the online teacher who is 3 states away. Online teachers don't know that he needs to work later into the night to get the work done. Why would they? He's not in their classrooms flipping out in front of them. He's home. I'll have to tell CB that and hopefully they'll understand how online outsourced classes work. The teacher assigns the work and then it's up to the parent/student to figure out how to get it done. Ok...vent/whine over. Gotta cook dinner. I'll be calling CB tomorrow and I have heard they're super hard to get the right person to talk to. I sure hope I can confirm with someone why they think we want 100% extra time and unlimited breaks...when we didn't ask for that. And if they can confirm whether or not they got the 17 page report. 😞 Edited March 4, 2019 by Garga 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie of KY Posted February 12, 2019 Share Posted February 12, 2019 What a pain... My main suggestion is that assuming you get to talk to someone, you mail in everything yourself. Also, note who you talk to etc. I had problems in the fall with them "mailing" me the information to me with plenty of time to apply before the deadline, but it never came. When I called back they were able to send it again to me AND make a note in the file to processes it faster. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom0012 Posted February 13, 2019 Share Posted February 13, 2019 When I applied to the College Board for SAT accommodations for my son, I had a very thick packet of materials that I sent to them, dating back to when he was three years old. My request was denied, stating I had not included certain necessary information (which I had included). I appealed and included a short letter stating that I was re-sending the materials that they needed. In our case, it was certain test scores and I sent the summary of the scores from the psych report instead of the whole thing. I faxed it and they granted my son extended time very quickly. I don’t think whoever they have evaluating these accommodations requests either takes the time to carefully go through the information or has the expertise to know what they are doing. I would state things as simply and briefly as possible if you appeal. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garga Posted February 13, 2019 Author Share Posted February 13, 2019 (edited) 1 hour ago, Mom0012 said: When I applied to the College Board for SAT accommodations for my son, I had a very thick packet of materials that I sent to them, dating back to when he was three years old. My request was denied, stating I had not included certain necessary information (which I had included). I appealed and included a short letter stating that I was re-sending the materials that they needed. In our case, it was certain test scores and I sent the summary of the scores from the psych report instead of the whole thing. I faxed it and they granted my son extended time very quickly. I don’t think whoever they have evaluating these accommodations requests either takes the time to carefully go through the information or has the expertise to know what they are doing. I would state things as simply and briefly as possible if you appeal. I will strongly consider this—keeping it simple. Like you and your thick packet, I wrote a 22-page document of his entire academic history and how the disability affects his schoolwork and what I do to accommodate and they requested information about how his disability affected his academics and what accommodations he has. Um... And then wanted to know what his outsourced teachers thought. Good Lord. Outsourced teachers have no idea how the kids manage to get the work done. And they’re not public school teachers, so they don’t have to follow any IEP or anything like that legally anyway. CB clearly doesn’t have a clue about how that works. I have no idea why they think we requested double time and unlimited breaks when the little bubbles you fill in on their report are clearly filled in next to time and a half and extended breaks (which are automatically given by CB if you get time and a half). So, even if (and I don’t know how SSD works) someone at the high school clicked on something different using the online SSD system...why didn’t that come up as the reason for denial: we had to deny your request due to conflicting information? They didn’t even look at the form because I *know* the form was filled out correctly. I’m looking at it right now. I was going to call them this morning to try to figure out what they actually received, but I’m thinking I’m just going to resend everything anyway, so calling is just superfluous. Even if they did get the psych report, (which I don’t think they did because the psych report was something the SSD person had to access through the school’s system and it couldn’t be attached to the email I sent him, so I think he forgot to access the psych report and only sent what I emailed him) they were assessing it for the wrong accommodation, so they’ll have to reassess anyway. I learned back in my job when I worked 17 years ago that almost none of my coworkers could come through for me. I ended up having to double check their work whenever it was something important and about 7 times out of 10, something was wrong with it. I was thinking of that when I went ahead and let the school use their online SSD system. CB writes over and over (and over) on their website that if you use SSD, the request can be looked at much faster. So, I didn’t trust my gut and send in the information myself because I wanted a faster turn around time (in case there was a problem). I relied on the people at the school. And lo and behold...it’s wrong. Edited February 13, 2019 by Garga Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garga Posted February 13, 2019 Author Share Posted February 13, 2019 Got through to College Board on the phone. I sent about 40 pages of documentation (to the school to send to CB via SSD.) CB says they received only 7 pages from the school. GRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!! Gonna figure out how to fax from my computer, or else head to the library and fax from there. 😞 And I'm kicking myself, because I *knew* I shouldn't have trusted anyone else with this. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom0012 Posted February 13, 2019 Share Posted February 13, 2019 I hope it all works out. I’m betting it will. Don’t be hard on yourself. I would have been tempted to take up the school’s offer as well. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lanny Posted February 13, 2019 Share Posted February 13, 2019 If you need to send multiple pages to them again I would suggest that instead of Faxing to them, that you consider sending to them via FedEx. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garga Posted February 13, 2019 Author Share Posted February 13, 2019 11 minutes ago, Lanny said: If you need to send multiple pages to them again I would suggest that instead of Faxing to them, that you consider sending to them via FedEx. Why do you recommend that? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BusyMom5 Posted February 13, 2019 Share Posted February 13, 2019 Can you not simply e-mail the person you spoke to? Most places have a fax #, but it goes to an e-mail instead of an old fashioned fax machine. I know my fax machine is now my scanner-printer. If I need to fax I use it with my phone line, but most times I just scan and e-mail the attachment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeaConquest Posted February 13, 2019 Share Posted February 13, 2019 I suggest using the apps Tiny Scanner on Tiny Fax on your phone. Literal fax machines have gone the way of the dodo bird. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lanny Posted February 13, 2019 Share Posted February 13, 2019 4 hours ago, Garga said: Why do you recommend that? If I had a few pages to send (as we did on 31 January) I believe sending via FAX gives one a better chance that it was received OK. No guarantee, but if the machines agree in their "handshaking", that everything is OK, it is probably OK. If one sends an attachment via email, there is really no way to know that it actually arrived OK, without speaking with or communicating in some way with the recipient. We are probably going to be in this situation in 2 days. If something is still showing that the university in question hasn't received it (or processed it) I suggested to my DD that she send them a FAX. She could email them, but as I wrote above, I consider a FAX more reliable (I usually send Faxes via FaxZero.com) In this case we don't have a phone number so it is either via FAX or via email to contact them about that issue. However, if there were a LOT of pages, as in your case, I think it would be better received if the recipient could pull your stack of paper out of a FedEx envelope and read it the old fashioned way, instead of starting at a computer monitor. Good luck with this! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie of KY Posted February 14, 2019 Share Posted February 14, 2019 I agree to be simple and brief as possible. I included a two-page homeschool educational plan with an overview of diagnoses and accommodations - I summarized early accommodations and spelled them out by each year in high school. I had a simple cover page letter and added the formal psych evaluation for learning disabilities. Of course I also filled out whatever paperwork the CB sent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garga Posted March 4, 2019 Author Share Posted March 4, 2019 Celebrate with me: THE REQUEST WAS APPROVED!!!!! I should think so! His psycho-educational tests showed he definitively needs more time on things. (The results were ridiculously dramatic. The boy clearly needs TIME.) WHAT A RELIEF. What a harrowing journey. So glad that hoop is jumped through! Next step: have him take a practice test with the extended time and then on to the real test. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori D. Posted March 4, 2019 Share Posted March 4, 2019 (edited) 🎉 <-- Just when you want a giant emoji... they go away, lol. But imagine that's a giant emoji to celebrate hugely with you! Edited March 4, 2019 by Lori D. 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RootAnn Posted March 4, 2019 Share Posted March 4, 2019 Imagine here is the old emoji with people and balloons celebrating. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MerryAtHope Posted March 6, 2019 Share Posted March 6, 2019 YAY! Such great news!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicholas_mom Posted March 8, 2019 Share Posted March 8, 2019 How wonderful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! <dancing emoji> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happypamama Posted March 8, 2019 Share Posted March 8, 2019 I missed this earlier, but I am so happy for you and your boy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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