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Testing Accommodations

Loyola Academy is able to support students who need limited accommodations to be successful in a college preparatory high school. Students with diagnosed learning differences have been successful in all academic tracks offered at Loyola. Loyola’s accommodations are limited to: 50% extended time on tests and semester exams, no scantron, and preferential seating. A complete psychoeducational or neuropsychological evaluation, within the last three years, must be submitted to Loyola for consideration of accommodations. All documentation must be submitted electronically to testingaccommodations@loy.org.

If you have any questions, please contact

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Mr. Christopher Penna

Associate Principal for Student Success

(847) 920-2442

If currently using testing accommodations at Loyola, students may be eligible to use accommodations on the College Entrance Exams taken during Junior and Senior years. The ACT and SAT are managed independently by separate companies, and both require a different application process. Please note: approval to use accommodations at Loyola does not guarantee approval to use the same accommodations on either the ACT or SAT. Please pay careful attention to procedural information and deadlines as provided below.

Students with Diagnosed Learning Differences

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General Information
- Loyola Academy is able to support students who need limited accommodations to be successful in a college preparatory high school.
- Students with diagnosed learning differences have been successful in all placement tracks offered at Loyola.
Learning Accommodations that can be supported at Loyola
- Extended time for tests and semester exams (not to exceed 50% extended time)
- Preferential seating
- No scantron for tests
Learning Accommodations that cannot be supported at Loyola
- Curriculum modification
- Remediation
- Modified assessments
- One on one instruction
- Small group testing
- ESL instruction
Process for Requesting Accommodations
All requests for learning accommodations will be considered after Loyola has reviewed/received the following:
- A student’s current (within three years) and complete psycho-educational testing
- A confidential release signed by the parent allowing Loyola to contact the examiner if needed
- Anecdotal information from a student’s current teachers regarding the student’s academic performance. For students seeking admission to Loyola, a review of the accommodations currently being used at the junior high level will be required.
Additional Information
- Please note: The presence of a learning disability does not automatically mean that a student will receive academic accommodations. Loyola will carefully review all relevant information to determine if there is a significant discrepancy between measured cognitive ability and academic achievement. This is consistent with the process College Board and ACT use to decide whether students are eligible for accommodations on their exams.
- If a determination is made to support learning accommodations, Loyola will formalize an Academic Achievement Plan for the student that will specify his/her accommodations. This plan will be shared with a student’s parents, classroom teachers, and counselor and can be used when requesting standardized testing accommodations during high school. The Academic Achievement Plan will be reviewed on a yearly basis.

School Based Evaluations

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General Information

Loyola Academy will be providing school based evaluations this year to assess students for learning based disabilities (i.e. Specific Learning Disabilities). At this time, Loyola Academy cannot support school based evaluations for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Anxiety, or other mental health related struggles.

Students who already have Loyola Academy Academic Achievement Plans for learning based disabilities can elect to have their student’s re-evaluation (once every 3 years) completed by Loyola's School Psychologist Natasha Sagalov. Please contact her at nsagalov@loy.org for additional information.

Parents of students who have never been evaluated or received official school accommodations can request an evaluation if they suspect their student to have significant struggles in reading, writing, or math that has existed over a significant period of time and to a marked degree by completing this official request form for consideration of an evaluation. All requests will be reviewed and be accepted/denied by School Psychologist Natasha Sagalov. Please make all evaluation requests here. You will receive a response in writing within 14 school days.
Criteria used to determine if an evaluation is deemed necessary
- Poor grades (i.e. Cs. Ds)
- Significant teacher concerns
- Poor test grades despite turning in homework
- Spending a lot of time on homework
Criteria used to determine if an evaluation is not considered appropriate at Loyola Academy
- Straights A’s/B’s
- No academic concerns
- Emotional concerns only
- Attentional concerns only
- Significant absences
Parents may consider seeking an outside evaluation or through New Trier High School.
What happens next

Following the evaluation, if the student is found to have significant difficulties, an Academic Accommodation Plan will be created for the student. Having a student evaluated does not guarantee that a student will meet requirements for an Academic Achievement Plan.

Lastly, receiving Extended Time for school based assessment does not directly translate to receiving extended time on Standardized Assessments. ACT and College Board make their own determinations regarding testing accommodations.

ACT Accommodations

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Basic Information
If you are planning to apply for extended time on the ACT, please see the information below and pay close attention to the deadlines!
- Acquiring accommodations on the ACT is a three-step process: the student must first register for an ACT National Test Date, consent is then provided for the school psychologist to upload relevant student information onto ACT’s Test Accessibility and Accommodations System (TAA), an accommodations decision is made by ACT.
- Please note that ACT makes determinations independent of the eligibility process at Loyola Academy. It is possible that a student could qualify for access accommodations at school but not on the ACT.
Accommodations Request Process
1. Students should create an online account with ACT
2. The created student account can then be used to register for the ACT
  - During the sign-up/registration process, students will be prompted to answer some questions regarding accommodations
  - students should indicate that yes, they require testing accommodations: these accommodations would fall in the "National Extended Time" category
3. Please upload a photo, and print the Admission Ticket.
4. If you have not already done so, please submit a signed Consent form to Natasha Sagalov at nsagalov@loy.org by the deadline listed below.
5. Loyola will enter, into the TAA, any documentation we have on file to support the request for an accommodation.. An accommodations decision will be made within three weeks. Loyola will contact you with ACT's decision.
6. If approved, students should reprint their Admission Ticket to confirm "Group C, Extended Time" is noted in the upper right corner, and to check if their testing location has changed
Deadlines

Students must register for the ACT and provide the Administrative Assistant for Accommodations with the Consent Form) at least 1 week prior to the registration deadline set by ACT (listed below) to ensure ample time to complete and submit your request for accommodations to ACT.

Please note the deadlines for requesting extended time: