Interesting piece in the Times last week about the SATs. Seems that kids with disabilities can get extra time to take the test. But the problem is, most kids who even learn about the dispensation process are upper-crust kids from prep schools. So they gin up bogus justifications for extra time — like having ADD or some shit. And it’s costly to apply for extra time. Generally, you need a physician or a shrink to write a recommendation (which they don’t do gratis) detailing why extra time is necessary.
The article notes that we can’t eliminate the extra-time option altogether; kids with real disabilities — like blindness or prosthetic hands – should be accommodated. But the abuse by kids from the Upper East Side who want an extra couple hours because of, say, sugar addiction — that shit has to stop.
The proposed solution is just removing the timed aspect of the test. That is, let every kid take as much time as he or she needs (within reason — maybe no more than a day).
