testing accommodations

Hi there,

I am going to assume from the short note on this website that you are not a learning disabled student. I am a teacher of a high school class that supports students with learning differences. We provide many different types of accommodations for testing situations depending on the needs of the individual student. My students have diagnosed learning disabilities that will not go away. They have them for life. I have seen the frustration that many LD students experience when they cannot show what they know in traditional testing situations due to the type of disability they have. The goal of accommodations for my students is to allow them the chance to be successful. I have taught a range of ages of students with learning disabilities. I understand and agree with your comment that we need to spend time teaching these students how to learn. I know that at the earlier grades my LD students benefitted tremendously by learning to become more strategic learners. We tried to let them in on the secrets of being a good learner. Many of the students that I taught needed the intensive instruction and guidance to learn to use these strategies on their own. While they we learning to use these strategies they also had to survive in their regular subjects. For some students, learning new strategies did not come fast enough to apply to everyday lessons…so they were accommodated as needed. The goal is to always support them as needed…not too much nor too little. Without these accommodations many of my students would have quickly become overwhelmed and given up. The goal is to allow them the chance to develop to their potential… The high school students that I work with need encouragement and support to keep working…but they have the security in knowing that they have a way that they can show what they know and be successful.

Accommodations are fine only when if the student is being remediated in writing, reading or math. Accommodations alone will generally make the student dependent, learned helpless, and have a great deal of trouble keeping up with the amount of material that they have to learn in middle school and high school. A large percentage of the children labeled ‘learning disabled’ are so labeled due to dysteachia because of whole language not because they are truly LD. Teaching students using proven methods in elementary school would stop the majority of the incorrect labeling; this is what the ‘Leave No Child Behind’ legislation is all about as well as the overhauling recommendations of IDEA this spring. Without remediation, accommodations will continue to keep ‘special ed’ children illiterate and dependent.

You cannot “learn” a learning disability away. If a child has a cognitive problems processing information quickly, then he/she will be at a disadvantage compared to other students in timed tests. Or perhaps the student has a learning disability that makes expressing his thoughts in a written form slow and laborious, and can’t produce the quality or the amount of material other students can in a test setting. Maybe they still have problems with basic math facts due to a math disability, but can demonstrate understanding of complex algebraic concepts if allowed to use a calculator. Or if it’s a reading test, perhaps the words are just a jumble to them and it takes half their test time just deciphering them. Or maybe can’t spell, because they don’t have the ability to store the correct spelling in their brain in a way they can retrieve the next time.

As for the comment about teachers “actively helping them to learn,” teachers generally teach subject matter content. They aren’t teaching student how to correct the problems that LD kids have with input, output, storage and retrieval of information because of the learning differences in their brains. Know why? Because no one knows how. If they did, we wouldn’t be having this discussion. You can’t “learn” those issues away.

When you take you away their accommodations what you are really saying is “you should be able to function just as well as anyone else.” But the reality is, they don’t function as well as everyone else. That’s why they call them learning disabilities. And accommodations aren’t about learned helplessness; most LD kids would gladly do without them if they could. And some even prefer taking a D or an E rather than let their peers know that they are LD by using their accommodation. Accommodations are about leveling the playing field. They are about finding ways for children who learn differently to experience and demonstrate successful mastery of the material.

I would strongly recommended getting the video “How Difficult Can This Really Be” (Rick Lavoie) from your library. Put yourself in their shoes for 15 minutes. It’s an eye-opener.

Jess,
I totally agree with all of the responses posted. I just wanted to add something very simple. Consider a student who has a reading disability, an average or above average IQ, and an excellent general knowledge base that allow him/her to make A’s in, let’s say science. If he is forced to take his state’s science standardized test without the accommodation of having it read aloud, are you really testing his knowledge of science or are you testing his reading skills?
Also, I would urge you to follow AJ’s advice. Check out Rick Lavoi’s video. It changed my understnding of my students.
Renee

Remediation is exactly what should happen and could continue even at the high school level. I am not a fan of inclusion for this reason - the kids never learn remediation and get extremely proficient at a form of learned helplessness. Well written position

You didn’t mention the accomodations with reference to specifics and neither has anyone else who has posted. There are some very logical accomodations that keep the integrity of the subject matter intact. I have however, witnessed excessive help and the results of an assessment being more a measure of a staff member then a student. There’s a fine line between the two.

I’m not sure what you’re saying. It sounds as if you’re saying people need accomodations on tests because they have not learned the material.

If you are saying that, it’s inaccurate. People need accomodations on tests because their learning differences do not enable them to interact with the test itself in the same way as those who do not have learning differences.

For example, those who have reading issues, read tests poorly and need extra time. Some even need to have the test read to them. Students with attentional issues cannot concentrate on a test in a large room and need a separate quiet room in which to take their test.

I’d suggest reading a book called Educational Care by Mel Levine or reading anything by Mel Levine. He has a website that you could easily locate and read if you want to learn more about learning differences and accomodations.

Testing accommodations are just common sense. I would never ask my students who are wearing glasses to remove them…. taking away accommodations that allow students to utilize their strengths is tantamount to the same thing. Accommodations that are reasonable and focus on assisting the student to overcome their weaknesses would be:
Extended time
Taking the test in a small group or individual setting (this is especially important for the student who is very easily distracted)
Use of a tape recorder or scribe

You have to be careful with the small group accommodation. If you have a number of kids that are diagnosed ADHD and have problems with behaviors, putting kids with them in a small group setting can be disasterous! They usually are better behaved in the regular education classroom because they don’t want to act up around their regular ed peers. Also, if a student is in inclusion, and you pull them out, then they can’t ask questions of the teacher that made up the test. In our high school, we have changed what sped looks like. We give them remediation in reading and writing; cut their accommodations, get them into monitoring if we can’t exit them by 12th grade; and prepare them for a life without accommodations. Watch the accommodation that says they can use the computer for writing assignments, they have to know how to type before they should have that one. Also, if a child has auditory processing problems, why would you read the test to him? Just some thought questions that we should ask ourselves before giving accommodations. We get middle school students with sometimes more accommodations than they need. we usually amend them because for high school, they don’t make sense. Particularly don’t use the ones that modify reading and writing assignments. Most of your states have tests that sped students have to take as well, so modification of curriculum at the high school level is just setting the student up to fail. This is why remediation has to take place in elementary and middle school but the sad problem is that it isn’t.

Oh but you can ‘learn’ a learning disability away if the child has the label and shouldn’t which most of our kids have. This is the reason that IDEA is being changed, too many kids are diagnosed LD and ADHD that shouldn’t be. The use of different methods of teaching reading and comprehension does have an affect on the brain and does change neurons so that they work how they should. This has been proved by research and I even put the latest research on this bulletin board. If I can teach a child how to read and write and his ‘disability’ is in reading and writing, is he still LD? If when an LD child is tested after learning how to read and write, and tested out, was he ever LD? The LD child should be LD for life by the definition but there are so many children, again, that are suffering from dysteachia, that you have to teach the whole class as if they aren’t LD through research based methods that remediate so that you can get those kids out of the special education jail so that they can have a future. If you don’t stop the accommodations, they are going to have a tough time getting a job or even go to college. Colleges really don’t accept many accommodations; you also have to have recent testing for them to honor accommodations. Don’t forget, special education isn’t a place to stay, it is a place to be remediated and leave. Sorry, but accommodations without remediation is a real sore spot for me.

Wow this is quite a discussion. Our school just got finished administering the 3rd grade reading test. Two of my students were given the accommodation to take in in a pull-out setting. Why. One student needs to read aloud to comprehend. Do you want her in the regular education classroom reading out loud while others are trying to take the test. Another student took almost 3 hours to read one of the stories and answer the questions because her processing and reading are so slow. Both answered more than 85% of the questions correctly. I do not feel these accommodations are teaching them learned helplessness. They took the entire test all on their own. With one she did not disturb others when she read aloud. And for the second she did not feel pressured to rush because all her “peers” were done and were waiting for her to complete the test.

Wow this is quite a discussion. Our school just got finished administering the 3rd grade reading test. Two of my students were given the accommodation to take in in a pull-out setting. Why. One student needs to read aloud to comprehend. Do you want her in the regular education classroom reading out loud while others are trying to take the test. Another student took almost 3 hours to read one of the stories and answer the questions because her processing and reading are so slow. Both answered more than 85% of the questions correctly. I do not feel these accommodations are teaching them learned helplessness. They took the entire test all on their own. With one she did not disturb others when she read aloud. And for the second she did not feel pressured to rush because all her “peers” were done and were waiting for her to complete the test.

These are logical accomodations. Did you know that if a SPED student in college requests extended time it is time and a half? If the class is 50 minutes they only get 75 to complete the test. That is assuming the school will provide any services. Now don’t some of you blow a gasket and tell me about the law - I know the law. I also know what happens in the real world. Check out those post secondary schools very closely.

My experience with truly ADHD kids is that they thrive in all the attention they receive for their behaviors in the gen. ed classrooms. Maturity is a major factor and past performance is too. If an ADHD kiddo can manage their behavior in a gen ed class - in they go. If they can’t - out they come. That simple. I witness a lot of teaching of learned helplessness at the high school level with the accomodations that have trailed with them throughout their educational career. Many of my students weed out what they need to be successful but the parents insist that it be added each year, just in case. We rarely dismiss at the 12th grade because many of our students want to take advantage of accomodations at the post secondary level. Without an IEP those services are nil.

The only problem we have with some of the accomodations on state or local assessments is if it is a reading test then the student will have to read it themself. It is not a measure of their auditory skills at comprehension. We tend to put inflection into what we read and this creates an artifical result. With this said - I might add that I think these tests are the biggest waste of time that could be better spent teaching kids to read! It’s a state thing!

Exactly, and that is why I am not a supporter of Inclusion because I will never believe that remediation is occuring in a general ed. classroom. I don’t totally agree with the LD for life concept. Yes, I would agree if you have difficulty with some form of reading processing - that will continue but they can formally no longer qualify if the gap between IQ and Achievement has closed enough. Unfortunately, we rarely get a dismissal unless we bypass the psy.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not against accommodations, just accommodations with no remediation. If you remediate, you can’t accommodate in the area of the remdiation, example reading but after you remediate, drop the accommodations. During the time of remediation, keep the accommodations for taking tests, etc. One of my students, who had been ‘read to’, all of her life, hadn’t passed any of her state tests; I taught her how to read and write and she dropped the accommodation and many others. She now has passed the tests needed to graduate with a standard diploma versus an IEP diploma and is making plans for college. We now have great programs that remediate what we have in the past called learning disabilities, use them. so that our kids can have a future. I know this because my own daughter. who was a dyslexic, was told that she would never read and her employment expectations were that of either a ‘hamburg’ flipper or a nurse’s aide. She is now in college on Dean
s List studying to be a Radiation Therapist. This is after resigning from high school as a Junior, then I found PG, (just came out) remediated her reading; took her GED, passed it and went to college. We were told that dyslexia couldn’t be remediated but I just didn’t believe them. In school, all she was, was accommodated. She has told me over and over again, please don’t accommodate without remediation, real life doesn’t accommodate for anything, and she felt very helpless as she was trying to learn how to study when she went to college.

Colleges want a child to have been tested no longer than three years prior to being admitted to college in order to even recognise that they have a label. Many schools will say that they accept accommodations but it usually is up to the professor and many don’t give accommodations. My daughter didn’t even tell the college that she was a ‘sped’ student because she didn’t want to be discriminated against because it would mean extra work for the professor. It is becoming really hard to give accommodations in college due to the many changes in how they grade. There are many group projects, tests and notes on the internet, labs that have to be done during the time provided and if the child is going into a course that involves any kind of application in the medical field, there isn’t a possibility of accommodations. My recommendation is to remediate by 10th grade, put the student on monitoring for the 11th grade and then exit at the end of 11th grade. This is what I am doing with 7 students in my caseload. They should be off accommodations no later than 12th grade so that they will get a taste of reality.

Does anyone know if the Stanford Achievement Tests that are given to grades 4, 6 and 9 coming up in April are allowing accommodations this year. My 10 yr. old son (Hunter) has visual tracking problems and ADD, accommodations are written into his IEP but at the IEP meeting yesterday his teachers told me that no accommodations would be allowed this year because they are not allowing any accommodations to be used. Does anyone know if this is true. Thanks Teresa Sewell

Accomodations are totally legit. Many argue that it isnt fair for some of these kids to get longer time or tests read to them or whatever the accomodation may be. This is not learned helplessness. Would you take away a childs glasses because the other kids don’t need them so why should he have them? Or would you take away a child’s wheelchair because the other kids don’t need them? It wouldn’t be fair to them. They NEED these accomodations. It is the same thing with mental disabilities. Just because no one else needs them, does not mean that a child is not entitled to accomodations.

One more thing, why would we not allow these accomodations? It is just setting these kids up for failure if they are taken away.

Wow… you have the power to do that? Aren’t IEP’s accomodations and modifications decisions to be made by a team, including the parents and after the age of 14, the student? Where are you located that you are so powerful? I wish the 7 on your case load luck, they are going to need it! Also about your reality comment, these students and their parents have faced reality for years… the reality will never leave them. Reality is that many of these students are not even thinking about college because they have spent so many years being remediated in the sped classroom that they have no chance of going beyond high school.

I would be calling the county’s special education department on that one. My child could fail the entire test just because of the bubble sheets. Not because my child doesn’t know the answers.

I couldn’t agree with you more! I wish we would remediate and that needs to occur in a pull-out program at the high school level. It’s a push and pull issue - they want the general curriculum but get them up to reading level. I am amazed that a parent would want their child who is at the 3rd grade reading level and be in the 9th grade class with inclusion. Here’s a big suprise - child will still be reading at the 3rd grade level when the class is over. Accomodations, as you pointed out, do not remediate. The just create a holding pattern.

In my state our state funded schools do provide accomodations for sped kids. They must have a current IEP, a psy. eval that is current (<3yr), and have accomodations listed on the IEP. Our kids can get extended time, a notetaker, and a few other accomodations. I also don’t prescribe to the tossing of the child in the water and expecting them to swim. My goal in high school is very simple - get that high school diploma. Also, our kids get the same diploma as everyone else regardless of where they received the curriculum. One issue with resource is our 4 years state schools will not accept required curriculum that was taken in resource unless you can demonstrate exact content, which is rarely the case.

Although I agree with the majority of your post there is one issue that continues to be a high school problem. So many sped kids have experience this high level of success (good grades) with endless accomodations and some modifications of curriculum that they think they will experience the same level of success at post secondary. The reality of this situation is that unless they can read at a specified level and complete math at the Algebra level, we are not being truthful to them. It’s a tough thing to tell a high school senior who has been resourced for years that their skill level isn’t high enough to be successful. They are given ideas to improve these skills but for many they will never reach the level needed to be academically successful at the next level. An example is a student I have, he has taken many general ed classes but has had many accomodations. We have put him with teachers that would modify and created a nice successful environment. Then he took the ACT and scored a 14. In my state you can’t enter state colleges with less than a 21. That is reality! I don’t know what that would be on a SAT, my guess is probably a 600.

OOPS, not legal. If accomodations for standardized assessments (state and local) are written into the IEP- and they should be- then he should receive them. It is not a choice they can make. However, those accomodations must be the ones he uses daily. An example of where an accomodation would be inappropriate is if it is a Reading test and the test is read aloud. You are not accessing reading but you are assessing listening comprehension.

But only accomodate what they need to level the field not help score a touchdown.

I don’t have that power, it is an IEP decision. My students are given tests to exit out. I have students going to college. Special education isn’t a place to stay, it is to be remediated and leave for them to go and do what they want to. The students’ parents want their kids out and to have a future. I am in constant contact with my parents and they want their kids tested and if they test out, that is how sped is supposed to work.

All testing accommodations apply to the stanford 9 tests.

Reread my post. I said that accommodations should be given until remediation has been accomplished. I don’t accommodate my kids in reading and writing because I am remediating their deficiencies. In all other classes, they are accommodated whether they are in inclusion or in self-contained. When they demonstrate that they don’t need accommodations, then they are dropped. If your school doesn’t believe in remediation, I would recommend that you hire a tutor and have your child remediated to the best ability. I have been working with some students with multiple deficiencies for the past four years. She went from total self-contained with a large amount of accommodations to inclusion and regular ed classes with a modest amount of accommodations. I hope that she will be under monitored status by the time that she is a senior. We will see. At least she will be able to decide on what she wants to do with her life. College may not be a possibility but I’m sure she is better off than she was with more options.

We have high stakes tests in VA. The sped kids have to pass the same tests as the regular ed kids to receive a standard diploma. The 11th grade English test, which we are giving now has three parts: writing on a cue, (usually a five paragraph essay), editing and reading. They must pass it and four others. This is why I remediate so much because if they fail all of the high school SOLs they can receive a modified diploma if they have passes the reading and math 8th grade SOL. They can get into a community college with a modified diploma. Now, if they can’t pass the 8th grade SOL, they will receive an IEP diploma which will get them a job. The problem is if you don’t remediate writing and reading, they will have a very hard time even getting jobs. Most of the fast food and other chain restaurants give tests. My daughter applied to the Outback and she had to take a math, vocabulary and writing test in order to even receive an interview! She is working at the Outback. You have to remediate these kids. As I said before, many kids are labeled LD only because they haven’t been taught due to whole language. You can’t tell me that 20-30% of the kids have learning disabilities. We are the largest department in the schooll, 21 teachers and five aides. My school has 1600 kids and 300 are in special education. That is way too high. We also have a large ESL department and those kids quit before they have to take the state tests because many have serious reading problems due to, again, being taught reading with whole language and English not spoken at home. We have a real problem with special education and I am glad that it is going to be overhauled this year and kids who really need it get it and those that just need taught using reading programs and math programs that work, never get into it.

You are correct. That is why I like to remediate my high school kids and slowly, when they demonstrate that they can handle it, take away the accommodations. We also have high stake tests for graduation and even if read to, they haven’t passed them. A number of them will graduate with either an IEP diploma or a letter of attendance. This takes affect next June, I am thinking of having elective surgery for the month of May when our parents really are hit with reality when their son or daughter receive either of the above. How sad. All of our kids have to take algebra 1 and geometry in order to graduate as well and we have a number of 11th graders that are taking algebra 1 for the third time and still aren’t passing it. They will not graduate. Our education system across the country is really out of control.

I am sure that the parent of the kids who IDEA was written for will also be glad.

>We have a
> real problem with special education and I am glad that it is
> going to be overhauled this year and kids who really need it
> get it and those that just need taught using reading programs
> and math programs that work, never get into it.

I guess i had read your post the same way shocked did… I am glad that it is a team decision in your school. My question is what do you do for the child that will never test out? There are children who will always require special education, and some of them will be in regular ed placements. I think that your comment that it is a place to be remediated and move on is to broad and incorrect. Do you really think that everyone can be fixed? Just asking.

It should be so easy…I would consider myself very fortunate if I were the parent of a child who could follow this recommendation. With all the help in the world, it would not be possible for my child - or for many children. I hope you can realize when this is just not likely to happen and plan accordingly.

> My recommendation is to remediate by 10th grade, put the student
> on monitoring for the 11th grade and then exit at the end of
> 11th grade. This is what I am doing with 7 students in my
> caseload. They should be off accommodations no later than
> 12th grade so that they will get a taste of reality.

Wow, what a similar situation you have. It is so different at the high school level and I don’t think many of the parents understand what is really happening. I frequently send out newsletter information with my progress reports. We haven’t reached your level, yet, but we are well on our way. We are considering putting verbage in the IEP to do some exemptions. Math and Reading requirements for graduation should not be across the board. Probably the biggest smack will be when the parents realize there is no way their child can attend college due to the lack of academic skills. They have demanded so many accomodations that the child has no independent functioning skills at the next level. I’m always amazed at the parent who has demanded every possible accomodation/modification and still thinks their child will be successful in college. I just decided, after many battles, that it is their money they are tossing down the drain and they can go pick them up at semester when they flunk out because someone isn’t providing them with all the “help”. I feel very sorry for my kids because they know how it really is but their parents are clueless. Luckily, I have a few parents who realize the reality of the next level and are looking at alternatives. Yeah for their kids. I’m glad we still give the same diploma, but I’m sure that will be next and I too will begin looking for an escape in May.

I would be pointing a really big finger at the School Psychologist if we had those kind of numbers. How in the world did you get such a disproportionate number of sped kids? Somebody needs to read the requirements for placements before they are placed. With ed. funding headed where it is in most states, that should clean up some of this. When I first started working in LD area we only placed students with average to above average IQs. Those kids can be remediated. Now we place kids with low IQs, they rarely develop strategies for remediation and progress is llimited. I wish we weren’t placing the slow learner IQ in the 80s - I’m sorry but we are not the Statue of Liberty!

I agree if remediation is done and the child can perform without accommodations she/he should. I have been teaching 8 years in and elementary school K-5. I have released 3 students from the LD program after 3-4 years in my program. I have followed up on them and the regular ed teachers say they are doing fine. They are getting B’s and C’s on there own. One teacher did tell me that she does make an accommodation for one student by giving her more time to complete tests. She just take a bit longer to complete than other students.

How do you all feel about those students, not matter what remediation is done does not getto grade level. Any suggestions here?

>When I
> first started working in LD area we only placed students with
> average to above average IQs. Those kids can be remediated.
> Now we place kids with low IQs, they rarely develop
> strategies for remediation and progress is llimited. I wish
> we weren’t placing the slow learner IQ in the 80s - I’m sorry
> but we are not the Statue of Liberty!

I’m confused. What would you do with the slow learner IQ in the 80s? What about the many kids (forget about classification for now) who will not be remediated and whose progress will always be limited?

This is my soap box. If you have a child in LD and it is due to math, reading , spelling and writing dysteachia, they can be remediated. I don’t personally care what their IQ is, because of the Matthews Effect. What that is: the longer a child can’t read on grade level, they can loose as many as 50 IQ points. I have had two students that I couldn’t teach how to read; one didn’t buy into the program and the other turned out to be a 14 yr old boy that was diagnosed LD and was truly autistic! That was truly a sad case and I was his advocate. Spelling can be remediated if caught in time but at least at the high school level, they can learn to spell so that they can use spell check. The students that I have taught to read may not be as fluid or like to read as much as those taught at the elementary level but they will become fluid enough is they really practice reading by reading. Many of my English class students have reading and writing dyteachia and read their tests and I think/hope that they passed the tests. These kids came to me and could barely write a sentence; yesterday they were writing five and six paragraphs with prewriting skills that included brainstorming, a web or outline, a draft that they edited and the final product. They were using the dictionary and bless them, they used the three hours and wrote, on topic. I was so impressed that I wanted to cry and hug every one of them! I am so proud! Now I have to teach them many literary terms, a poetry unit, two books, 20 literary stories and poetry and last but not least, a research paper. I told them that they were going to have homework every night and they told me to bring it on, they were ready! The reason for the copious amount of work is that they have to take and pass another English SOL at the end of May that involves reading comprehension and knowledge of literary terms. They have to pass that test as well as the two we did this week to graduate with a standard diploma. I am just praying that most of them passed the writing tests and if they didn’t they will have two more chances before graduation to pass it. It is really stressful teaching a subject with such a high stakes test.

Shay, What I was asking is this: If you have a student who is a slow learning and has a lower IQ, how do you choose to teach him? Meaning, his deficits will not likely be remediated yet it is still the responsibility of the LEA to teach this child. I know theoretically what to do, I’m asking those who continue to claim that they can remediate.

What are you meaning, a slow learner? I have taught students to read who are diagnosed mild and moderate mentally challenged. I have also taught them how to write a simple paragraph. Please explain what you mean, slow learner. I will teach a child to the best of my ability to the best of his ability. I even last year taught a student to write a five paragraph essay who was mistakenly diagnosed MR. In fact, when I taught 7th grade in a VA school, we had four kids diagnosed MR who in fact were LD due to a reading disability. I taught them using Phono-GRaphix and they learned to read and also learned to write using STep Up to Writing. There is a problem in the South with diagnosis between LD and MR. It is actually quite prevalent. What I do is look at the deficits of a child and teach them. You will have to be more specific as to what you consider a slow learner.

Also, why do you claim to say claim to remediate? If you want proof, there are many of us on this board who do just that. Read the research, there is big percentage of kids that have been remediated by use of many methods that are backed by research. Read the archives and you will find out more. Testing can’t lie. When I exit a student from sped, they are tested out. I just don’t say that I think that they can handle the regular education classes, It test them. You have to understand one thing, when they change IDEA, they are going to throw out the discrepency formula as well as the IQ test. The Matthews Effect is too prevalent in children that can’t read on grade level. I teach in various classes, 40 students. Out of those students, I would say 8 are truly LD, ED or MR. I teach cross-categorical. I teach to the ability of the student. I don’t expect all of my kids to be college students but I do want them to be all that they can be; at least that they can be a productive member in our society.

Samantha wrote:
>Now we place kids with low IQs, they rarely develop strategies for >remediation and progress is llimited. I wish we weren’t placing the slow >learner IQ in the 80s - I’m sorry but we are not the Statue of Liberty!

All I wanted was clarification on what Samantha proposes to do with those “slow learners” - it sounded like she’d just rather not teach them since they cannot be remediated.

I teach a lot of kids whose IQs are in the 80’s. It is really rare that I teach kids with 100 or 100+ IQs. When I get them in high school, they may have had 100 IQ in elementary school, but due to the Matthews Effect, their IQ drops dramatically. IQ doesn’t matter, what their deficiency is matters to me. If they can’t read, I teach them how and then I remediate their comprehension with V/V and other study strategies. I rarely look at their IQ unless they are on my caseload and I am doing their IEP. I still would like to know what a definition is of a slow learner???

You know we skirt this issue a lot but the reality of this world is that some children are not going to master the required level of performance. Some because their are so learning disabled that today it’s here tomorrow it’s gone or the second is that they’re are not capable for cognitive reasons. Some people are Drs,. Lawyers, and other professionals and other people work at Wall Mart. Hopefully, both are happy and challenged. When it comes to cognitive abilities there are the haves and have nots.

The regular education system needs to change and realize they have the full range of cognitive skills attending their schools. Not just the college bound. Often the solution to addressing the needs of the slow learner is through a tracking program which is heavily frowned upon these days. I don’t have a good answer but putting these kids in sped is not the answer.

I think the point is that some kids get into sped who do not qualify. The taking on of students with slow learner IQs - assuming their cognitive skills have been consistently in this range for their lifetime but not just lowered due to your previous post - are difficult at best to remediate. I think Mary is asking what should be done with this kids. I do not agree that it is a sped function. It’s a lot like the 504 situation. I had a counselor want our sped paras to read a test to a kid on a 504 - oops, regular ed. function - guess the counselor must have done the reading. My point has been that sped has lost it initial intent and it’s time we got back to original intent and force regular education to meet the challenge.

80 - 85 IQ and lower, but above MR, which has been consistent throughout their school career would be considered slow learner. These kids just aren’t smart. The point is that regular ed has pushed them into sped and it is not an appropriate placement. The original definition of a LD student was one with average to above average intelligence and they possessed a descrepancy between their IQ and their achievement. The degree to which the descrepancy is depends on the age of the child. It’s that easy. When I first started in sped 20+ years ago these were the kids I worked with and remediation was possible and the kids worked their way back to general ed. and were successful. It was beautiful! Now I feel like we are just the gate keepers to get them to pick up that diploma. Are they learning anything useful for their future (I’m referring to the truely low IQ kids) the answer is probably not. Yes, I too work myself crazy trying to create understanding and products of success but I can also tell you which ones shouldn’t be in the program because they aren’t really learning disabled.