Obtaining 504 plans can be a complicated process for families seeking academic accommodations for their children, and The Department of Human Health and Human Services makes it difficult to understand the eligibility requirements for obtaining one. The ambiguous language used by the federal department under section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act “defines the rights of individuals with disabilities to participate in, and have access to, program benefits and services,” under federal protection. This phrasing outlines the inherent bias within the eligibility process of obtaining 504 plans.
Since 79 percent of Redwood students take at least one Advanced Placement (AP) exam before graduation, it is clear that gaining experience in more advanced classroom environments has become mainstream. This trend is amplified by the pressures of the college preparatory and admissions process, as students challenge themselves academically in order to increase their chances of acceptance to top universities. Many students achieve this through opportunities like private tutoring or academic coaching. Due to a high level of wealth in the local and school community, many Redwood students have access to these opportunities.
Marin is considered to have the third highest median household income among California counties, according to a census by U.S. News and World Report. For more information on this socio-economic lens, navigate to Nina Howard’s in-depth research on cultural disparities and how they impact 504 plan issuance here.
With financial security, many economically advantaged students have the means to invest in diagnostic tests for various mental incapacities — tests which are often costly. These tests can expedite determining eligibility for a 504 plan.
Compounded by the pressure to excel, some believe that getting a private diagnostic test is simply an effort to get academic accommodations they do not need. In an effort to ease academic expectations, students may seek out these tests to serve as potential proof that they need accommodations. The rumored thought process is that if a student can qualify for accommodations, they will perform better on assessments compared to their peers who have not qualified. With a formal diagnosis, a student may argue their need for a support plan. This may jumpstart the process of getting an edge on their academics.
Redwood’s Lead Psychologist Tracy Joseph, who helps interpret the data gathered by these assessments, unpacks the process of a diagnostic test.
“Typically if someone has undergone a neuropsychological assessment, they’ve gone to a professional [who is] looking at their learning profile…[including] cognitive skills, academic skills and processing skills,” Joseph said. “Covering all of those areas can inform us about where a student’s areas of strength are and where they might have some areas [of weakness].”
Jefferson Sands, one of Redwood’s academic workshop specialists, helps to make sure that students are supported within and outside of the classroom by leveling the playing field of accommodations.
“The school has a responsibility to make sure that if a parent would like an assessment to be done, they can bring that to a school-based team. Our lead school psychologist, Joseph, sits on that team and goes through information to figure out where a student is going to be placed [to determine] the next steps,” Sands said.
Support plans are provided to students who have been diagnosed with disabilities or meet criteria eligible for academic accommodations. Often, 504 plans are confused with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) as both provide accommodations for students. However, 504s are typically for in-class adjustments, such as mandating extra time to take tests. IEPs, on the other hand, are a more advanced option that often go beyond in-class accommodations, such as providing one-on-one instruction from an academic workshop specialist.
While California legislation does not mandate basing 504 plan eligibility on grades, students may speculate that transcripts are being used as evidence of their performance. In this system, high-functioning students can be disadvantaged due to isolated, on-paper representations of their learning that show above-average grades. However, there is a balance between providing accommodations for students who are struggling academically and those for students who are performing at or above average levels.
If diagnosed with a mental disability, students may qualify for accommodations, allowing them to obtain academic help or extra time on assessments. However, high-performing students may be deprioritized due to their natural aptitude to self-correct. This has become an issue of increased discussion at Redwood. According to Joseph, this is part of the reason why criteria for 504 plans have become stricter.
“A student’s performance on any particular [diagnostic] test is not the determining factor overall, because it comes down to if there is a condition [and] how [this condition] translates for them in the school environment,” Joseph said.
Symptoms can vary from student to student, which is why using grades can be helpful in decoding the student experience. A key piece of this process lies in the fact that observing a student from the outside cannot paint a student’s mental process in an exactly accurate manner. Junior Annabelle Forman, who has applied repeatedly for 504 plan accommodations, has encountered challenges in the process.
“[I have been told that my 504 plan] got turned down somewhere along the process, but I have no idea where or why [my plan was denied],” Forman said.
Forman has felt pressure both from teachers and peers that encourage her to undermine her academic performance to receive accommodations.
“I’ve gotten feedback [from teachers] like, ‘I don’t understand why you could need accommodations if you have good grades,’” Forman said.
While grades provide a measure of academic success, they leave out an integral part of student experience: the work process. Joseph, too, believes in the importance of students’ expressing their own experience as it pertains to their learning patterns.
“Student voice, especially in high school, is one of the central things on the agenda of any support planning meeting,” Joseph said. “If we’re reviewing teacher feedback, we ask [the student if] it aligns with their experience.”
Grades can fluctuate for a student depending on an array of factors, such as teacher, schedule rigor or course expectations. Forman is one of many students who feels underrepresented by her high-achieving transcript and doesn’t see it as an honest reflection of her learning. For a high-aptitude student like Forman, this can be frustrating in the pursuit of what she perceives as medical rights.
Understanding when and where 504 plans are applicable can be complicated in a case like Forman’s; where can the administration draw the line to make sure that people who need 504 plans get them while filtering out those looking for an academic edge? When a student’s story fails to match up with their assessment data, the administration may have to investigate further into the student’s experience in order to determine if they truly need accommodations. 504 plans are difficult to understand, but students like Forman hope to create a system centered around eligibility, not aptitude.
“I think that you can have good grades and still struggle with certain things, and you shouldn’t be punished for that,” Forman said. “I wish [the school administration] would just talk more with the kid about their experience… and not let grades be a basis of [need for a 504 plan].”
While trying to receive a 504 plan later on is an option for students, this response offers little compensation for their situation. It can seem as though one cannot obtain academic accommodations unless their grades reach a low level.
However, some students believe Redwood seems to be capping academic potential in order to keep low the number of students with accommodations. While grades are an adequate measure of student performance, they are unable to measure the mental process of the academic experience. This can be detrimental to students with strong work ethic, which can compensate for their medical condition. With 504 plans becoming a topic of increased discussion, it will take work from all sides to construct an honest system of issuing accommodations.
