Overview
Alternative arrangements that are reasonable in the context of CalAPA and supported by documentation may be provided to candidates who would not be able to complete the CalAPA under standard conditions, including candidates with diagnosed disabilities.
All candidates are required to attest to the originality of their material at the time of submission, including confirming sole authorship of commentaries and other written responses, and to appropriately cite sources. However, this is not intended to preclude candidates from using assistive technology or other supports to physically produce the materials they author. Therefore, it is acceptable for a candidate to use screen reading software and/or a scribe to complete CalAPA submissions. Notification of such arrangements in advance is not required because they do not impact the submission and scoring process (provided the candidate is able to attest to the originality of his or her submission).
If you wish to request alternative arrangements for the CalAPA, contact your preparation program's CalAPA Coordinator prior to preparing your submission. Please be aware that because of the nature of the CalAPA, alternative arrangements that might be provided for other standardized licensure or certification assessments may not be appropriate for the CalAPA (e.g., extra time because this is not a timed assessment). After you have discussed your request with the CalAPA Coordinator, you will be instructed to submit a letter detailing your specific request for alternative arrangements to the Evaluation Systems group of Pearson for review.
All timely and complete alternative arrangements requests and accompanying documentation will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis by the Evaluation Systems group of Pearson upon receipt.
Some alternative arrangements have specialized production requirements associated with them. Although every effort is made to process all requests in a timely manner, the earlier you submit your request, the more time will be available for specialized production, if needed.
Required Documentation
You must submit directly to the Evaluation Systems group of Pearson appropriate documentation for review in support of a request for alternative arrangements. All documentation must meet all of the following requirements:
- It must include a signed statement by a qualified professional, written on that person's professional letterhead, whose license or credentials are appropriate to describe or diagnose the disability.
- It must include a diagnosis of the disability or disabilities.
- It must include recommended alternative arrangements that are specifically related to the disability and that are reasonable within the context of this assessment, or verification that the examinee has received the requested alternative arrangement(s) at the high school or college/university level.
- It must be current, according to the Documentation Currency Policy below.
Additionally, if you are requesting alternative arrangements because of a learning or cognitive disability, your documentation must include:
- A full educational history with complete documentation of special education services, including other disability-related testing modifications, received within the past five years, along with the name, date, and results of the diagnostic test(s) or evaluation(s), designed for purposes other than screening, administered within the past five years*, used to document the disability (test results should demonstrate the current functional impact of your disability)
OR
- Results of a psychological, neuropsychological, or psychoeducational diagnostic test battery, designed for purposes other than screening, administered within the past five years*, interpreted by a qualified professional whose license or credentials are appropriate to diagnose the condition (test results should demonstrate the current functional impact of your disability)
OR
- Results of an evaluation interpreted by a licensed professional verifying physical abnormalities as evidenced by a computerized axial tomography (CAT) scan, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), electroencephalogram (EEG), or brain topography mapping test administered within the past five years*
Documentation, in itself, does not automatically support the granting of alternative arrangements.
*See the Documentation Currency Policy below for exceptions.
Document Currency Policy
Documentation must be considered current in order for it to be reviewed in support of a request for alternative arrangements. In order to be current, your documentation must meet one of the following:
- Be dated within the past five years
OR
- Provide confirmation of a permanent physical condition
OR
- (For documentation associated with learning or cognitive disabilities) include test or evaluation results from an instrument designed to be administered to adults, that is normed for adults AND conducted no earlier than at the high school level.
Submitting a Request
To submit your request, please call (866) 613-3279 (toll free) or (916) 928-4081.
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