Extra Day

TEA approval is required logo

 Assessments

A student who meets the eligibility criteria for this TEA-approved designated support may use it on:

  • STAAR, including STAAR Spanish

  • TELPAS

Description of Designated Support

This designated support allows a student an extra day to complete an assessment.

Student Eligibility Criteria

Submit an Accommodation Request Form to Texas Education Agency (TEA) if the student:

  • routinely and effectively uses this designated support during classroom instruction and classroom testing;

  • is unable to use the make-up policy to complete the test;

  • is unable to effectively use any of the accessibility features (e.g., tools to minimize distractions, individual administration, reminders to stay on task) or locally approved designated supports (e.g., Individualized Structured Reminders) to address this need; and

  • meets at least one of the following criteria:

    • the student has a severe impairment in vision (e.g., uncorrected vision, nystagmus, qualifies for special education services with a Visual Impairment [VI]);

    • the student has a hearing impairment;

    • the student has a severe physical disability or medical condition that limits the amount of time the student is able to continue working due to severe fatigue or decreased energy and stamina;

    • the student has a severe behaviorally or emotionally disabling condition, the manifestation of which makes him or her unable to continue working for a prolonged period of time or during certain times of the day; or

    • the student is identified with an autism spectrum disorder and will be unable to complete the assessment in one day due to severe behavioral or emotional reactions (i.e. perseveration, physical harm to self or others, a breakdown of self-control from overstimulation or too much input) that cannot be appropriately managed without an additional day of testing.

Authority for Decision and Required Documentation

  • The Extra Day field must be updated in the Non-Embedded Supports panel in Test Information Distribution Engine (TIDE) prior to testing to indicate this support was made available to the student.

  • For a student not receiving special education or Section 504 services, the decision is made by the appropriate team of people at the campus level (e.g., Response to Intervention [RtI] team, student assistance team) and documented according to district policies. The decision should be based on the eligibility criteria and aimed at addressing a student's consistent academic struggle in a specific area, even after intensive instruction and remediation.

  • For a student receiving Section 504 services, the decision is made by the Section 504 committee based on the eligibility criteria and is documented in the student’s individual accommodation plan (IAP).

  • For a student receiving special education services, the decision is made by the admission, review, and dismissal (ARD) committee based on the eligibility criteria and is documented in the student's individualized education program (IEP).

  • In the case of an emergent bilingual (EB) student with a disability, the decision is made by the applicable group in conjunction with the student's language proficiency assessment committee (LPAC). The decision is documented in the student's permanent record file and IAP or IEP.

Special Instruction and Considerations

  • Accommodation Request Forms must be received by TEA according to the posted deadlines. Late requests MAY NOT be processed unless circumstances involving the student change after the deadline (e.g., newly enrolled student, medical emergency, updated ARD committee decision). In these circumstances, the district testing coordinator should contact their district's Accommodations Task Force representative.

  • A student who uses this designated support may need to complete the test in a separate setting to eliminate distractions to other students and to ensure the confidentiality of the test.

  • This designated support is intended for an extremely small group of students with disabilities who have a TEA-approved Accommodation Request Form. Students will be permitted to test only over two regularly scheduled consecutive school days. Each day of testing must not extend beyond seven hours. TEA will provide additional guidance specific to scheduling Extra Day administrations with any approved Accommodation Request Form.

  • For students who take the braille test and require an extra day, refer to the test administration instructions. TEA approval is NOT required.

  • For TELPAS grades 2–12, the Extra Day accommodation applies only to the online and paper reading test, the online reading and writing test, and the online listening and speaking test. This designated support does not apply to any holistically rated domain, since those are assessed during authentic classroom activities and the same accommodations routinely used during classroom instruction are acceptable.

  • For situations when a student may not be able to complete a test in one day due to a potential medically related issue, refer to the make-up instructions in these Coordinator Resources.

  • For situations when a student experiences an unexpected or emergency situation (i.e., broken arms, broken glasses) immediately before the assessment, see the Accommodations in Unexpected or Emergency Situations policy.

For questions about this or any other designated support requiring TEA approval, contact the Student Assessment Division at (512) 463-9536 and ask to speak with your district's Accommodations Task Force representative. You may also contact the Student Assessment Division Help Desk.