No more reading accommodations for kids with SLD in Reading on PAARC testing?

[Anonymous]

I received a disclosure that my middle school child will not be provided any "read aloud" accommodations on the PAARC. Apparently, this was new information to the special ed. teachers, as well. They learned of it 3 weeks ago.
I have been asked to sign a disclosure of this on my child's IEP. Has anyone else signed this disclosure?
There WILL be "read aloud" accommodations for math ( which is just , super, for a kid with an SLD in READING) but not for reading if the child is "able to decode".

[Anonymous]

That's great news.

Giving a child a reading test, and not asking them to actually read, and then declaring them "on grade level" does no service to the child, and removes any incentive to the school system to actually teach the child to read.

Getting rid of that specific accommodation was the right thing to do, except for a very small group of children (e.g. kids who are blind and also have motor impairments that make braille impossible) for whom reading is impossible and not just hard, is the right thing to do.

[Anonymous]

What is their justification for asking you to sign something that you were notified? What if you refuse?

[Anonymous]

I think you can have your child opt out of PARCC entirely.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think you can have your child opt out of PARCC entirely.

not in HS once the tests formally replace the HSAs
They're graduation requirements.

[Anonymous]

Anyone know how to opt out of PAARC for middle school? I would be interested in knowing options. Really, I am not interested in her PAARC score. Her reading SLD is only part of the picture. The scores are, fairly, unimportant to me ( but you, do make a good point that it would be interesting to see the scores without accommodations. However, I would worry that ( perhaps paranoid but, honestly, we fought a long battle and with lot of out of pocket money to get this IEP) they could use those scores , against her, for future testing. Paranoid? okay. PAARC scores- for the state and Fed Gov, not important to me.

[Anonymous]

As I understand it, there is no procedure or provision in Maryland for you to opt out of the tests required by No Child Left Behind. All you can do is keep your child home during the testing window. Or, I suppose, tell your child that the school can give her the test but they can't make her take it.

Here is the MCPS middle school testing calendar:

http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/sharedaccountability/calendar/mstesting.aspx

[Anonymous]

I am also a concerned parent that wonders why the State of Maryland is taking such a narrow interpretation of who needs the read to accommodation and who doesn't. In high school, removing the read to accommodation for the PARCC English assessment (a mandatory high school requirement) will be a significant barrier to kids that have used read to software for years.

The State of Maryland and MCPS should send out letters to parents explaining the rationale. Transparency in the decision making process and lack of input from families whom this blanket decision will effect greatly is just another example of a broken decision making process in public education.

[Anonymous]

MCPS should not be asking you to sign anything to amend your child's IEP outside of an IEP meeting. You can always elect NOT to sign. The IEP meeting will provide information, allow you to ask questions, and gives you an opportunity to make an informed decision. You should be given an opportunity to give your input to the team so the right decision can be made for your child. If there is not enough data, perhaps the team should request additional testing and evaluation of your child.

[Anonymous]

I'm an ESOL teacher and it is really wrong to allow accommodations all year long and then remove them for the PARCC. I hope the powers that be aren't too surprised when the scores come back really low.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm an ESOL teacher and it is really wrong to allow accommodations all year long and then remove them for the PARCC. I hope the powers that be aren't too surprised when the scores come back really low.

+1000 - If a child needs an accommodation to access the curriculum then that accommodation should be approved for all assessments including the PARCC. The low scores will reflect the impact of a child's disability and will not accurately reflect what a child is able to do. Why is MSDE trying to circumvent the IEP/504 Plans?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm an ESOL teacher and it is really wrong to allow accommodations all year long and then remove them for the PARCC. I hope the powers that be aren't too surprised when the scores come back really low.

I agree. Although there are definite inconsistencies throughout the county with regard to EL plans. I had a student transfer to my school with multiple accommodations, including read to, and his data does not support the need for that accommodation at all. Makes me wonder what is going on at other schools.

The thing that bothers me the most during testing is having to cover the rooms for every standardized test. We teach them to use strategies such as using resources around the room to help them all year, then have to yank those away for tests. So unfair. I had first graders taking the writing part of ACCESS who were almost in tears and shut down because they wanted to write a word and then looked around the room for the alphabet to help them with the letter sounds, but then realized it was covered. Way to make testing a stressful experience for them. I realize there has to be some consistency, because teachers could put tons of stuff on the walls, but the alphabet should be allowed, at least for ACCESS in my opinion.

-another ESOL teacher

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm an ESOL teacher and it is really wrong to allow accommodations all year long and then remove them for the PARCC. I hope the powers that be aren't too surprised when the scores come back really low.

+1000 - If a child needs an accommodation to access the curriculum then that accommodation should be approved for all assessments including the PARCC. The low scores will reflect the impact of a child's disability and will not accurately reflect what a child is able to do. Why is MSDE trying to circumvent the IEP/504 Plans?

When they enter college, there are legal differences btw IDEA and ADA. In other words, kids with IEPs in K-12 environment will not be receiving read-to accommodations in college. How in the hell do they transition then?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm an ESOL teacher and it is really wrong to allow accommodations all year long and then remove them for the PARCC. I hope the powers that be aren't too surprised when the scores come back really low.

+1000 - If a child needs an accommodation to access the curriculum then that accommodation should be approved for all assessments including the PARCC. The low scores will reflect the impact of a child's disability and will not accurately reflect what a child is able to do. Why is MSDE trying to circumvent the IEP/504 Plans?

It is a reading test, not a listening comprehension test. By reading aloud portions or all of the reading test, you really aren't testing reading. Many, many parents do not realize how behind their child is once they enter special education. They get accomodations, which can be really helpful to be exposed to grade level curriculum, but too often there isn't a concerted effort to teach a student how to read. If the student has the reading test read to them, they get a passing score. The parents get the report and erroneously think their child has improved so much in special education that they can now read at grade level. "Look at what a great job we are doing", proclaim the special education teachers. You need to show a need for services, to get special education services. I am a school psychologist and I have to go along with the party line of "let's give everyone testing accomodations", but I tell a couple of good friends who have students in special education, do NOT agree to any testing accomodations (this is for middle school and below). It might get you more service, and more intensive services when your child scores low on state tests without accomodations because then you have proof your child is not reading at grade level.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm an ESOL teacher and it is really wrong to allow accommodations all year long and then remove them for the PARCC. I hope the powers that be aren't too surprised when the scores come back really low.

+1000 - If a child needs an accommodation to access the curriculum then that accommodation should be approved for all assessments including the PARCC. The low scores will reflect the impact of a child's disability and will not accurately reflect what a child is able to do. Why is MSDE trying to circumvent the IEP/504 Plans?

It is a reading test, not a listening comprehension test. By reading aloud portions or all of the reading test, you really aren't testing reading. Many, many parents do not realize how behind their child is once they enter special education. They get accomodations, which can be really helpful to be exposed to grade level curriculum, but too often there isn't a concerted effort to teach a student how to read. If the student has the reading test read to them, they get a passing score. The parents get the report and erroneously think their child has improved so much in special education that they can now read at grade level. "Look at what a great job we are doing", proclaim the special education teachers. You need to show a need for services, to get special education services. I am a school psychologist and I have to go along with the party line of "let's give everyone testing accomodations", but I tell a couple of good friends who have students in special education, do NOT agree to any testing accomodations (this is for middle school and below). It might get you more service, and more intensive services when your child scores low on state tests without accomodations because then you have proof your child is not reading at grade level.

And? There are two parts to reading, decoding and comprehension, as I'm sure you know. So you give a kid with severe dyslexia no accommodations--congratulations, you just showed they can't decode, but you didn't even test their comprehension because you let the decoding barrier stand in the way of even getting to that step. So you only tested HALF of the components of reading. How is that any better?