Opting out of sols

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Special Ed does not equal "Low". Parents are not privy to the list of kids with IEPs. Kids are often grouped by needed interventions because Sped is always short staffed. So, the kids who are pulled out for Math or LA may be in the same class, and then those who have an aid in GenEd may be grouped together. Being in Sped has absolutely nothing to do with SOL scores and is due to a long-established IEP process.

Yes it does. Sped usually means learning difficulties such that a regular classroom teacher can’t manage without a specialist. Kids who qualify for IEPs usually are below grade level in some area. That’s considered low. Those kids are also at risk of failing the SOLs.

This is BS. Some kids have IEP’s and don’t have any academic goals. Their goals are in other areas, but still may need access to the SPED teacher

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Special Ed does not equal "Low". Parents are not privy to the list of kids with IEPs. Kids are often grouped by needed interventions because Sped is always short staffed. So, the kids who are pulled out for Math or LA may be in the same class, and then those who have an aid in GenEd may be grouped together. Being in Sped has absolutely nothing to do with SOL scores and is due to a long-established IEP process.

Yes it does. Sped usually means learning difficulties such that a regular classroom teacher can’t manage without a specialist. Kids who qualify for IEPs usually are below grade level in some area. That’s considered low. Those kids are also at risk of failing the SOLs.

Do you have a child, or children in Special Education? It means getting an adapted curriculum, or the GenEd curriculum with supports. Have you ever heard of the term 2E (twice exceptional). There are gifted children who have conditions where they need support. It does NOT mean "low". Often, kids with IEPs will vary between below, average, and above grade level, depending on the subject and their own strengths and weaknesses.

To be honest, I may have very much been like the poster above had I not had my own SN child. It's been quite a journey to see him struggle, but overcome. And we, along, with teachers see how very intelligent he can be in some areas. It's outdated and insulting to write a whole group of kids off as "low".

Yes I do. My child was on an IEP but was not academically low. Notice how in my post I said “usually” when referring to IEP kids. Obviously not all, because that was the case with my own child. Unfortunately, my kid was automatically placed in the low class because they had an IEP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Special Ed does not equal "Low". Parents are not privy to the list of kids with IEPs. Kids are often grouped by needed interventions because Sped is always short staffed. So, the kids who are pulled out for Math or LA may be in the same class, and then those who have an aid in GenEd may be grouped together. Being in Sped has absolutely nothing to do with SOL scores and is due to a long-established IEP process.

Yes it does. Sped usually means learning difficulties such that a regular classroom teacher can’t manage without a specialist. Kids who qualify for IEPs usually are below grade level in some area. That’s considered low. Those kids are also at risk of failing the SOLs.

This is BS. Some kids have IEP’s and don’t have any academic goals. Their goals are in other areas, but still may need access to the SPED teacher

That’s correct. Like I said, usually kids with IEPs have learning difficulties. Obviously that doesn’t mean ALL. But at our school, they automatically place kids with IEPs in the same Gen Ed class no matter what. This usually translates to a very low performing, poorly behaved class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Special Ed does not equal "Low". Parents are not privy to the list of kids with IEPs. Kids are often grouped by needed interventions because Sped is always short staffed. So, the kids who are pulled out for Math or LA may be in the same class, and then those who have an aid in GenEd may be grouped together. Being in Sped has absolutely nothing to do with SOL scores and is due to a long-established IEP process.

Yes it does. Sped usually means learning difficulties such that a regular classroom teacher can’t manage without a specialist. Kids who qualify for IEPs usually are below grade level in some area. That’s considered low. Those kids are also at risk of failing the SOLs.

This is BS. Some kids have IEP’s and don’t have any academic goals. Their goals are in other areas, but still may need access to the SPED teacher

That’s correct. Like I said, usually kids with IEPs have learning difficulties. Obviously that doesn’t mean ALL. But at our school, they automatically place kids with IEPs in the same Gen Ed class no matter what. This usually translates to a very low performing, poorly behaved class.

You sound unintelligent yourself. You write nonsense and falsehoods.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Special Ed does not equal "Low". Parents are not privy to the list of kids with IEPs. Kids are often grouped by needed interventions because Sped is always short staffed. So, the kids who are pulled out for Math or LA may be in the same class, and then those who have an aid in GenEd may be grouped together. Being in Sped has absolutely nothing to do with SOL scores and is due to a long-established IEP process.

Yes it does. Sped usually means learning difficulties such that a regular classroom teacher can’t manage without a specialist. Kids who qualify for IEPs usually are below grade level in some area. That’s considered low. Those kids are also at risk of failing the SOLs.

One of those failing kids is mine. Good grades in HS but he cannot pass a single SOL. That test format is just not for him, despite all the accommodations he gets. He is very stressed out about SOLs. He is terrified he won't graduate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I never understand why -w/o exceptional situations- people opt out. The test taking is good practice and don't you want to see some barometer of where your kid is? The tests are not super onerous and I never made my kids study for them.

She’s afraid her kid will fail and be put in the loser class the next year as a result.

Our ES did not do this but this was several years ago.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Special Ed does not equal "Low". Parents are not privy to the list of kids with IEPs. Kids are often grouped by needed interventions because Sped is always short staffed. So, the kids who are pulled out for Math or LA may be in the same class, and then those who have an aid in GenEd may be grouped together. Being in Sped has absolutely nothing to do with SOL scores and is due to a long-established IEP process.

Yes it does. Sped usually means learning difficulties such that a regular classroom teacher can’t manage without a specialist. Kids who qualify for IEPs usually are below grade level in some area. That’s considered low. Those kids are also at risk of failing the SOLs.

This is BS. Some kids have IEP’s and don’t have any academic goals. Their goals are in other areas, but still may need access to the SPED teacher

That’s correct. Like I said, usually kids with IEPs have learning difficulties. Obviously that doesn’t mean ALL. But at our school, they automatically place kids with IEPs in the same Gen Ed class no matter what. This usually translates to a very low performing, poorly behaved class.

You sound unintelligent yourself. You write nonsense and falsehoods.

Sure. I write what I know. My kid was on an IEP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Special Ed does not equal "Low". Parents are not privy to the list of kids with IEPs. Kids are often grouped by needed interventions because Sped is always short staffed. So, the kids who are pulled out for Math or LA may be in the same class, and then those who have an aid in GenEd may be grouped together. Being in Sped has absolutely nothing to do with SOL scores and is due to a long-established IEP process.

Yes it does. Sped usually means learning difficulties such that a regular classroom teacher can’t manage without a specialist. Kids who qualify for IEPs usually are below grade level in some area. That’s considered low. Those kids are also at risk of failing the SOLs.

This is BS. Some kids have IEP’s and don’t have any academic goals. Their goals are in other areas, but still may need access to the SPED teacher

That’s correct. Like I said, usually kids with IEPs have learning difficulties. Obviously that doesn’t mean ALL. But at our school, they automatically place kids with IEPs in the same Gen Ed class no matter what. This usually translates to a very low performing, poorly behaved class.

You sound unintelligent yourself. You write nonsense and falsehoods.

It is a fact that kids with IEPs usually have some kid of learning disability. How is that a falsehood? There are exceptions, of course, but what I said is a fact and not a put down. I’m sorry you can’t face reality.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Special Ed does not equal "Low". Parents are not privy to the list of kids with IEPs. Kids are often grouped by needed interventions because Sped is always short staffed. So, the kids who are pulled out for Math or LA may be in the same class, and then those who have an aid in GenEd may be grouped together. Being in Sped has absolutely nothing to do with SOL scores and is due to a long-established IEP process.

Yes it does. Sped usually means learning difficulties such that a regular classroom teacher can’t manage without a specialist. Kids who qualify for IEPs usually are below grade level in some area. That’s considered low. Those kids are also at risk of failing the SOLs.

This is BS. Some kids have IEP’s and don’t have any academic goals. Their goals are in other areas, but still may need access to the SPED teacher

That’s correct. Like I said, usually kids with IEPs have learning difficulties. Obviously that doesn’t mean ALL. But at our school, they automatically place kids with IEPs in the same Gen Ed class no matter what. This usually translates to a very low performing, poorly behaved class.

But your first 3 words were: Yes it does. That part was very off-putting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Special Ed does not equal "Low". Parents are not privy to the list of kids with IEPs. Kids are often grouped by needed interventions because Sped is always short staffed. So, the kids who are pulled out for Math or LA may be in the same class, and then those who have an aid in GenEd may be grouped together. Being in Sped has absolutely nothing to do with SOL scores and is due to a long-established IEP process.

Yes it does. Sped usually means learning difficulties such that a regular classroom teacher can’t manage without a specialist. Kids who qualify for IEPs usually are below grade level in some area. That’s considered low. Those kids are also at risk of failing the SOLs.

Do you have a child, or children in Special Education? It means getting an adapted curriculum, or the GenEd curriculum with supports. Have you ever heard of the term 2E (twice exceptional). There are gifted children who have conditions where they need support. It does NOT mean "low". Often, kids with IEPs will vary between below, average, and above grade level, depending on the subject and their own strengths and weaknesses.

To be honest, I may have very much been like the poster above had I not had my own SN child. It's been quite a journey to see him struggle, but overcome. And we, along, with teachers see how very intelligent he can be in some areas. It's outdated and insulting to write a whole group of kids off as "low".

Yes I do. My child was on an IEP but was not academically low. Notice how in my post I said “usually” when referring to IEP kids. Obviously not all, because that was the case with my own child. Unfortunately, my kid was automatically placed in the low class because they had an IEP.

PP. That's really unfortunate for your school then. My DC is in 4th and that has NEVER been the case.

[Anonymous]

I opted my MS son out during Covid because we didn't want to go to the school for testing. I opted my SN son out of Math because it would have really stressed him out. Did have him do Reading though. His teachers have been supportive.

[Anonymous]

My kids ES used 4th and 5th grade SOL scores to determine eligibility for the "President's award" at their 6th grade "graduation". If you want your kid to be eligible, don't opt out. If you don't care about that, then there is no other consequence to not taking 5th grade SOLs if you aren't relying on the math SOL score to be in advanced math.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No way they put all the low kids in one class. As a teacher who is livid at the amount of time spent on teaching to the test, and the way these testing companies are getting rich, I wish everyone would opt out.

If you keep the kid home, they will just have the kid take it another day in the several-week window.

They did this to my daughter. She’s in a “loser” class. Because she had one bad meltdown the year before. We just moved here in the middle of the year. I told them she doesn’t do well with transitions. So I just found out they put her with all the low achievers even though she’s brilliant. I’m so pissed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I never understand why -w/o exceptional situations- people opt out. The test taking is good practice and don't you want to see some barometer of where your kid is? The tests are not super onerous and I never made my kids study for them.

Um maybe because their kids aren’t “standard”. Maybe they don’t test well. Maybe we refuse to play this sick game of bullshit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Special Ed does not equal "Low". Parents are not privy to the list of kids with IEPs. Kids are often grouped by needed interventions because Sped is always short staffed. So, the kids who are pulled out for Math or LA may be in the same class, and then those who have an aid in GenEd may be grouped together. Being in Sped has absolutely nothing to do with SOL scores and is due to a long-established IEP process.

Yes it does. Sped usually means learning difficulties such that a regular classroom teacher can’t manage without a specialist. Kids who qualify for IEPs usually are below grade level in some area. That’s considered low. Those kids are also at risk of failing the SOLs.

Special education is a huge program encompassing kids who have intellectual disabilities, autism, learning disabilities, emotional disabilities, speech-language needs, visual impairments, hearing impairments, physical disabilities, and more.

Just because my blind niece needs access to Braille, read-aloud, and adaptive physical education does not mean she is "low."

Just because my nephew, who has extreme anxiety, requires counseling and access to small group for testing does not mean he's "low."

Just because my son, who has a physical disability similar to CP, requires adaptive physical education, access to a computer or scribe for all written responses, and adaptive classroom seating, does not mean he's "low."

The examples above are a small sample of how children with IEPs are not always "low."