Thursday, June 18, 2020

On Receiving

   . I am confident she will do well on it! The Classic Learning Test (CLT) is another exam that is rising in popularity, and for good reason. It’s an attractive alternative to the ACT and SAT in that students use modern technology such as laptops or tablets to analyze classic passages across a broad range of cultures and disciplines. And it does it all in just two hours with the results provided the same day. When my daughter took her exams, the CLT wasn’t as broadly accepted as it is now. Today there are more than one hundred colleges that welcome the CLT, and the number is growing. I suspect receiving accommodations for it won’t be nearly as challenging as for the SAT and ACT. Information about accommodations can be found on the website. CLT recommends that you begin the process no later than eight weeks in advance. You may wonder if our journey through testing is done. Unfortunately, no. My daughter will need to repeat her testing soon so that she will be eligible for accommodations when she goes to college. Because she tested using a pediatric battery, she will need to test one more time, this time with a battery of tests designed specifically for adults. I anticipate doing these either later in the spring of her junior year or in the fall of her senior year. You may also be thinking to yourself that colleges and universities might be prejudiced against her for needing accommodations. The fact is, they will not know unless she self-identifies. Neither ACT nor SAT indicate on their test report that a student obtained accommodations, so rest assured. I’ve shared this story with you with the permission of my daughter. We both hope that by sharing our journey with you, you will feel empowered and able to face those high school years with your special learner. Having a learning disability is not a mark of low intelligence. Our students who have them simply need to be given a chance to show what they know, and they will excel.    Jennifer Mauser  has always loved reading and writing and received a B.A. in English from the University of Kansas in 1991. Once she and her husband had children, they decided to homeschool, and she put all her training to use in the home. In addition to homeschooling her children, Jennifer teaches IEW classes out of her home, coaches budding writers via  email,  and tutors students who struggle with dyslexia.