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About Alternative Arrangements

Alternative testing arrangements may be requested by:

• an examinee with a disability, and
• nursing mothers 

According to Rule 6A-4.0021(6)(a)(b), FAC, a person with a disability means any person who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, has a record of such an impairment, or is regarded as having such an impairment as defined in the Americans with Disabilities Act, Section 35,104(1)(2)(3)(4). Examinees requesting alternative testing arrangements must be certified by a licensed psychologist or physician as having a disability that substantially limits one or more major life activities. Any documentation presented must describe the examinee's disability.

Alternative testing arrangements, such as extra time, may be made for examinees who have visual impairments, hearing impairments, physical disabilities, or specific learning disabilities. Reasonable accommodations will be provided where possible.

Some alternative testing arrangements may be accommodated at selected sites only. You will be notified about test site availability when you are contacted to schedule an appointment.

If your test(s) or evaluation(s) were administered prior to the past 3 years, a full battery of testing may not be required. Instead, you may wish to consult with a qualified professional to determine which diagnostic test(s) related to your disability would indicate the current functional impact of your disability.

Do I need pre-approval for my request?

Some types of accommodations, considered “comfort aids,” do not require pre-approval and can be requested by examinees at the testing site. These accommodations typically involve allowing medical or health aids into the testing room. Review information about comfort aids .

For all other alternative testing arrangements requests, you will need to follow the process outlined below.

How do I make a request?

Each step in the process outlined below must be followed for each registration for which you request alternative arrangements. Failure to complete each step could delay resolution of your request, which will delay when you are able to take your test with your requested alternative arrangements.

1. Log in to your FTCE/FELE account and begin the registration process.
   When prompted during registration, indicate that you intend to request alternative testing arrangements by checking the provided box.
   If you already began the registration process and did not indicate your intent to request alternative testing arrangements, you must cancel your registration and submit a new registration with this indication.
2. Submit a completed Alternative Testing Arrangements Request Form.
   Your form must clearly state ALL alternative testing arrangements you are requesting for the registration. You will not be approved for an alternative testing arrangement you do not specifically request. A new request form must be submitted for each registration.
   If you need additional assistance, please contact Customer Service to be connected with an Alternative Arrangements Coordinator.
3. Submit all required documentation.
   Documentation must be on official letterhead stationery (including physician name, address, and telephone number), from a medical doctor or licensed psychologist (including license number). The documentation must:
   • describe and attest to your specific disability and how it substantially limits one or more major life activities.
   • contain an interpretation and summary of test data used to document the disability, dated within the past 3 years.
   • be dated within the past 3 years when first presented. FTCE/FELE Customer Service keeps your documentation on file for 3 years after it is received.
   • contain clear recommendations or support for alternative testing arrangements you are requesting, specifically related to the disability.
   If your documentation does not meet all the requirements above, you will be asked to submit additional documentation before your request can be resolved, which will delay when you are able to take your test with your requested alternative arrangements.
   
   As an alternative to submitting documentation directly to the FTCE/FELE program, candidates who receive alternative testing arrangements at a college/university or through Vocational Rehabilitation services may be eligible to submit an Institutional Verification of Documentation Form  for select alternative testing arrangements.
   
   If you are retaking an examination for which you requested alternative testing arrangements during your initial administration OR are requesting the same alternative testing arrangements previously provided but for a new examination, you may not need to resubmit your documentation.
4. Complete the registration process.
   When your request has been received and processed, you will be notified about the next steps for scheduling your appointment with any approved accommodations.

When should I submit my request?

Plan to register and submit the Alternative Testing Arrangements Request Form along with any required documentation as early as possible. You should allow sufficient time for the review and processing of your request. You cannot schedule your test appointment until your request has been resolved.

A general timeframe for each step in the process is provided below:

• You will be notified about a decision approximately 2 weeks after receipt of your complete request and be provided contact information to schedule your appointment.
• You will select an appointment approximately 1–3 weeks from the date you schedule and pay for your appointment. Some accommodations have specialized production requirements and therefore may require more time to implement. 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 to make arrangements for necessary staff, space, and specialized materials, if necessary.

Note: Your request form and supporting documentation may be shared with the DOE in order to process your request.

How do I appeal a denied request?

You may appeal the denial of some or all of your requests for alternative testing arrangements. Before you submit your appeal, please review "How do I make a request?" above for required documentation. If after reviewing the information in this section you still wish to appeal the decision, you may do so by submitting your appeal, in writing, to Evaluation Systems.

The appeal should include the following information:

• Your name and address
• The date of the appeal
• Any documentation, in addition to the documentation that you submitted with your Alternative Testing Arrangements Request Form, that supports your alternative testing arrangements requests
• A brief summary of the reasons why your alternative testing arrangements requests should be granted
• Your signature

Your appeal should be submitted within 30 days after you receive notification of the denial of your requested accommodation(s). Appeals must be resolved before an appointment can be scheduled. After your appeal is reviewed, you will be notified as to whether your appeal has been granted or denied. All appeal determinations are subject to the approval of the Florida Department of Education, and all appeal determinations are final.

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