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Accommodations and English Learner Supports for Educators
ACT has recently streamlined accommodatons eligibility requirements for students with IEPs and 504 plans! See our press release for more information.
Requesting Accommodations and English Learner (EL) Supports
All requests should be submitted by the school official, through the Test Accessibility and Accommodations System (TAA) by the published late registration deadline for your examinee's preferred test date.
Examinees may be placed into either a National test center or into Special testing, depending on the accommodation approved and test option. If Special testing is required, ACT considers submission of the request as certification that the school will test the student as part of ACT Special Testing during the published special testing window.
If the school is not able to test the examinee, the request within TAA should reflect this as a comment. The school should notify the examinee that Special testing cannot be administered and the examinee will need to work with ACT for an alternate location.
Review Process
Stage 1
Initiation
Receive a notification email from examinee that accommodations and/or supports need to be requested.
Confirm that a signed Consent to Release Information (PDF) is on file at your school.
Stage 2:
Submit Documentation
Sign in or create an account in TAA.
- New accounts must be validated prior to accessing TAA, this may take up to 5 business days for this process to occur.
- TAA User Guide (PDF)
Submit the request formally through TAA. You will be asked to provide:
- examinee details
- test date information
- reason for the request
- plan details
- requested accommodations and/or supports
- required documentation for the: accommodations and/or supports
Note: All requests with documentation that are submitted by the late registration deadline will be reviewed for the indicated test date. All requests must be associated with a future test date.
See details about required documentation for
ACT Policy for Requesting Accommodations for the ACT Test
ACT Policy for English Learners
Stage 3
ACT Analyst Review
ACT will review the request. Requests are normally processed in 10-14 business days.
You'll receive an email when the Decision Notification is available to view in TAA.
- Review the decision notification.
- Print a copy of the decision notification and provide it to the examinee.
Stage 4
Post-Review
If the request has been approved:
- For National testing: The examinee must submit photo identification. Testing location will be provided on the examinee’s admission ticket.
- For Special testing: The examinee must submit photo identification. The first approval will assume the school is willing to test Special Testing, unless noted by the school. Any subsequent requests will require the school to recertify their ability to administer Special testing during the published window.
Once certified, Materials for special testing will be sent to the school prior to the test date.
If the request has not been approved:
- You may use TAA to edit the existing request and provide additional documentation for reconsideration.
Note: If a reconsideration request is submitted after the applicable late deadline, decisions will not be available for the preferred test date.
Information Privacy
ACT will treat all information provided to support accommodations and EL supports requests as confidential and will use it solely to determine eligibility. Details about accommodations or EL supports will be shared only with the testing staff and will not be released to anyone else, including score report recipients. The only exceptions are for those instances in which an examinee’s accommodation/support-related documents and information are the subject of a subpoena or other court order, or an enforceable request from a government entity.
Resources for Educators
| File Name and Link | Description |
|---|---|
| ACT-Approved Bilingual Word-to-Word Dictionaries (PDF) | Guidelines and a detailed list of approved word-to-word dictionaries for use by examinees approved for English learner supports. |
| ACT USB Usage Guidelines (PDF) | For examinees using the practice USB materials to prepare for Special testing |
| Quick Start Guide for Requesting Accoms/Supports (PDF) | Information for Test Coordinators about requesting accommodations for examinees with disabilities and supports for English learners. |
| Test Accessibility and Accommodations User Guide (PDF) | Instructions for how to access and navigate the TAA system. |
| Requesting Accommodations using a Voucher for the ACT (PDF) | Information on how to apply new test dates in TAA for students retesting with accommodations. |
| Test Coordinator Policies for ACT Special Testing (PDF) | Brief outline of policies and requirements for a qualified member of the school staff to serve as the test coordinator for Special testing. |
| ELL Toolkit | Use these resources as you help make a difference for underrepresented students. |
| Test Accommodations Coordinator Training in TAA (Video) | Brief video explaining how to request accommodations for students after they have registered for the ACT. Includes MyACT and TAA communications, how to find student's TAA request file, and why it is important to have only one TAA PIN. |
| Success for You and Your Students (PDF) | How to prevent some of the common “pitfalls” of testing with accommodations and/or English learner supports that can result in score delays and cancellations. |
Forms
| File Name and Link | Description |
|---|---|
| Exceptions Statement Form and Checklist (PDF) | Examinees who do not currently have an official accommodations plan, EL support plan, IEP, or 504 plan can submit the Exceptions Statement Form to support their request. |
| Order Form for Alternate Format Practice Tests (PDF) | Is used to place an order for free alternate formats of the ACT practice test. These materials may be checked out by students or used to simulate a practice session in school. |
| Sign Language Interpreter Certification Form and Request for Payment Form (PDF) | The test coordinator and sign language interpreter must complete and submit these forms when applicable. |
| Teacher Survey Form (PDF) | A teacher at the examinee’s school may complete this form as supporting documentation to be uploaded in TAA. It asks for specific ways in which the examinee used accommodations in their class. |
Resources for Students and Parents
Are you a student or parent looking for information about accommodations or English learner supports?
Contact Us
Still have questions?
Or call to speak with an ACT representative at 319.337.1332 Monday - Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM (CT)