Reply to OFFICIAL MCPS BOE Race & Candidates Discussion

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]So interns of money to test kids for learning disabilities in early grades all they need to do is to replace this type of testing with some of the constant MAP testing. MCPS already funds an extraordinary amount of testing in K-5. Map M and Map R twice a tear, CoGAT, PARRC and other internal tests that MCPS uses internally apparently to no real benefit to anyone beyond the central office.

MCPS is afraid that it will identify too may underserved LD kids but it may be more economical and successful to address the problem head on instead of hiding it. If schools implemented many of the best practices that help LD students across the board many students would benefit. If MCPS was forced to place more aides in classrooms rather than creating yet another central office position, all students would benefit. If LD were caught early and intervention occurred graduation rates and performance would be higher in high school. [/quote]

No. You can't use MAP or cogAT tests to identify a student with an educational disability. Listen, MCPS could certainly implement more UDL (universal design for learning) practices in classrooms as best practices benefitting all students, including EL (English Learners) and students with disabilities. In many classrooms around the county, this is the case and teachers are increasingly adopting these strategies/methodologies. (Multiple means of representation, engagement and action and expression...in other words, represent material as the teacher and allow students to represent material in a variety of ways...visually, auditorially, and with manipulatives if possible...allow students to engage with material in multiple ways, and allow students to use movement and multiple means of verbal, oral, written expression in the classroom).

Identifying a student for special education requires non-discriminatory assessment administered by a qualified professional. They are not group-administered tests. They have to be administered in the student's primary language if the student is at a certain ESOL level, and we are required to have an assessment of the ESOL student's language dominance. The determination may turn up that a student needs a translator in addition to the special educator and psychologist to administer the tests, even if they can take the assessment in Engligh. This is not uncommon at all. This is also required by Federal law.

Requiring universal neuropsychological and achievement test screening is a huge waste of resource.  The county is implementing a response to intervention program. That means tier one instruction with evidence-based instruction and regular progress monitoring to catch students falling behind, then tier two for those students that need extra support for a period of 8 to 12 weeks with regular progress monitoring and then tier 3 if the student isn't showing progress. If a student continues not to make progress in tier three over 8 weeks then a meeting to discuss the next steps. This keeps students from being over-identified for special education which has also historically been a problem. Yes, students with learning disabilities need to be identified, screened and supported. But some children need more targeted, intensive instruction for periods of time and do not have a learning disability. Children in certain minority groups have also historically been overidentified for special education.

And when this person advocates testing at a "young age," when is that exactly? Kindergarten? First grade? Every child would need an extensive report written for both the psychological and achievement tests given. This is what is done for screening for special education. Written consent from a parent is required.

Now, if what this person is proposing is not standardized testing then there already are universal screening achievement measures that students are given at the beginning of kindergarten to assess how their knowledge on all sorts of measures (letter/sound knowledge etc...). These don't screen for learning disabilities per se, they are part of a process. [/quote]

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