HI all,
Now I must admit I am totally amazed that I am now doing the transition to high school thing with my older son. There was a time…
Anyway, he has had a mighty struggle with math this past year, due in part to having an inflexible teacher (as well as his own adhd/slow processing issues). He is able to learn the concepts, he just needs a lot of repetition and time. He has learned more from his tutor than from his teacher this year.
At our IEP meeting the other day, his math teacher pretty much told me he thought my son should take the bare minimum math in HS needed to graduate and that I should tie it into some kind of votech program.
Now, I don’t have a real problem with the votech per se, my son is eager to take some auto tech classes and has done well in tech ed these past 3 yrs in middle school.
However, I do not want to limit his life choices for after HS by making poor choices during HS. I want my son to have the choice of college if that is what he wants OR to be a grease monkey if that is what he wants. I don’t care which as long as it is HIS choice not someone else’s.
I am a prime example that someone who didn’t take a math class beyond Alg.1 can make it through college.
My son was retested with the WJ 3 achievement test, he did very well in all parts, solidly average. So… my average IQ child, who tests solidly average, who makes average grades should be able to do average work at an average college. Perhaps even doing it the way his dad and I did, JR college then transfer to senior college.
He is allowed accommodations in class but the only one that he really uses them for is in the math class and on standardized tests. He does all the same work the other students do in class and for homework. I also understand that many of these same accommodations can be used in college.
So, how do you all suggest I make this clear at the HS transition meeting coming up on the 5th of May?
I really am amazed that I am at this point, watching him struggle in his early years just to learn to read and keep up in class really made me worry for his future. Obviously I haven’t stopped worrying LOL!! I keep saying to myself
“4 more years, 4 more years…”.
Thanks for your replies. Best wishes.
Amy
Re: transition to high school
If he only uses accommodations for math, then that is all that he should have on his IEP and maybe he should be exited from sped if he does well in high school without accommodations, that would be my goal and should be. Not all colleges will give accommodations and he has to have testing that isn’t more than three years old at time of admittance.
Amy-
First of all, congratulations to you! I know you must be proud! Way to go!
Secondly, I teach high school spec. ed. to learning disabled and emotionally disturbed/ADHD students. I play a major role in the transition from middle school to high school.
In your meeting, I would present the same facts and figures that you have presented here: his test scores, his grades, etc. I would assert that with the proper support services(testing accommodations, tutoring), he could achieve the same standards as everyone else. I would make sure, however, that certain support services are in place. For instance, it is important to somehow track how he is doing at least a on a weekly basis in the form of teacher updates. These can be prepared by you or the resource teacher and the regular class teachers can fill out weekly reports. In addition, I have many of my students take a daily planner to each class and have the teacher initial that the proper homework assignments were recorded. The biggest problem with the adhd kids is organization, and this will help you to help him stay organized.
Remind those at the meeting that your son has the same right to success as everyone else, and that his scores and grades do not make your expectations unrealistic. Good luck!