ETS Makes Changes in Test Reporting
From the March 2001 Education newsletter.
As of October 1, 2001, Educational Testing Service (ETS), the standardized test company that oversees such tests as the GRE, SAT, GMAT, Praxis, and others, will no longer "flag" many of its tests that are taken with accommodations.
The policy change was prompted by a lawsuit filed in federal court by Disability Rights Advocates, a nonprofit law center in Oakland, CA, on behalf of an individual with a physical disability. Californians for Disability Rights and the International Dyslexia Association joined in supporting the plaintiff. The lawsuit alleged that ETS's practice of indicating the presence of an extended time accommodation on the score report violated the Americans with Disabilities Act and several other civil rights and disability laws.
As part of the settlement, ETS agreed to stop placing a "flag," or special notation, on score reports indicating the test was taken untimed. The tests covered in the settlement include the GRE, GMAT, TOEFL, and Praxis. Not included are the SAT and other tests owned by the College Board. However, an independent panel consisting of disability experts, university admissions officials, and testing researchers will evaluate the process of flagging on those tests and make a recommendation by March 2002.
Joshua Konecky, the Disability Rights Advocates attorney who headed the lawsuit, noted that the practice of flagging had created a "chilling effect" for people with disabilities. He pointed out that flagging identifies people with disabilities as being different from the rest of the test-takers and might have led some people with disabilities to consider not taking advantage of extra-time accommodations to avoid any possible disadvantage or stigma in the educational admissions process.
Mr. Konecky was optimistic about the impact of the settlement on other standardized testing organizations, such as the College Board and those that administer the MCAT and LSAT. Said Mr. Konecky: "The fact that ETS has decided there is no justification for flagging and that they have listened to the disability community is groundbreaking. Hopefully, other testing agencies will examine their policies and end the practice of flagging."
