How schools use the "learning disability" label to

Thanks Dad! I could be the person in that story. The line I found the most striking.

In 5 recent studies, when kids with poor phonological skills were given intensive instruction in phonemes and phonics, the expected incidence of learning disabilites originally 12 to 18 percent, was reduced to 1.5 percent.

I think maybe I’M a slow processor but…:-)

I privately remediated my daughter and she is doing well.

I just found out that b/c she is still ESE, her test assessments are NOT included with the rest of the school’s assessments that they are “graded” on.

My question is doesn’t it appear that they have NO REASON to remediate these ESE children (from a financial standpoint only) (NOT INCLUDING ESE TEACHERS ON THIS BOARD WHO WANT TO HELP WITH ALL THEIR HEART - MAY YOUR TRIBE INCREASE) because IF the children are remediated, then they go back to the general ed classroom and they no longer receive any additional funding on them? So, wouldn’t it be more financial prudent to NOT remediate and have lifetime ESErs? Then they get a “thanks for coming” diploma (my friend’s words). No wonder the drop out rate is SO high if at about 16 they find out I’m going to school for 2 more years and will not even get a regular diploma?

Am I getting this right?

SO, I ask my ESE teacher WHY they accommodate my child if her assessments are not counted in the school’s grade anyway. She said it is to reduce stress for her and help her to do her best. I said “So this accommodation is for HER AND ME, not for any school advantage?”, wherein she agreed.

Am I cynical, or does this have a bad smell to it? This is what it appears is happening in OUR county.

ALSO, if the information I was given is INACCURATE, please let me know. This is what I was told by my daughter’s ESE teacher.

And, this has NOTHING to do with the ESE teachers who are given limited programs and high volumes of children and are working diligently with each one(more children = more funding). NO wonder they are frustrated!

Again, am I getting this right?

DISCLAIMOR: THE ABOVE IS NOT INTENDED TO IGNITE NOR ACCUSE ANYONE ON THIS BOARD. THE PROFESSIONALS WHO VISIT THIS BOARD ARE SOME OF THE BEST AND WOULD LOVE THEIR STUDENTS TO MOVE OUT OF ESE, FLOURISH AND SUCCEED!

You are correct and that is why my 6th grade son is not in special ed. and receives no formal accomodations; now because his state testing scores ARE counted the teachers are very motivated to help him.

So that’s why we need to lobby to get ESE students’ tests grades INCLUDED in the school’s grades. That is the ONLY way we are really going to make school accountable to remediate.

My daughter is doing great and would still be doing above average without accommodations, but not as good as with, so I can’t decide what to do.

I think we need a class action lawsuit in our county, personally. I am considering taking out an ad in the local paper for all ESE parents to get some things moving.

My same friend, who has the “thanks for coming” quote - her HS school did NOT qualify for anything until they saw his previous year’s SAT scores (he was in private school). He runs between the 1% and 10% in most areas. Needless to say they immediately found a way for him to be considered ESE b/c they don’t want those kinds of scores on their grades!

What a joke! It’s time for parents to get involved and do something. Congressman contact is probably going to be the only way to do this.

While you all do have very sound arguments, special education teachers are being held accountable along with the schools in the education of students with special needs. Granted scores of students with special needs are being disaggregated from the rest, however, schools must close the gap in test scores in comparison to the rest of school. If they don’t they will lose federal funds. This is all apart of the accountability requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act. In Georgia scores from students with special needs will appear on the school’s report card that are sent to parents, and these scores do reflect on the school as a whole. While it does seem that there is little initiative to remediate these children, the federal government has made demands that this will occur. I hope this will answer some questions that you may have about this issue.

Laurie

I have long suspected that they qualify more kids LD than neccessary just so that the schools scores get a boost. My school district has both higher volumes of sped kids and higher test scores. Whenever anyone questions some of the really bad decisions of administrators they point to those test scores. Those scores are EVERYTHING.
So by having an inferior whole language curriculum you can improve your test scores by having more kids qualify for sped.

I hope they start to look closer at districts that have high volumes of sped kids.

Hi all, i haven’t written in a while but i have a question on this matter. I am Hope by the way and Stephini is my 7th grade daughter.
Stephi’s reading ability is of a 4th grader but no LD classification, she has accomadations VIA 504 plan, no remediation or IM … here is my question… how can a child learn if all the division is doing is accomadating a child; ie. reading all test material to the student? from my point of view Stephini will pass through school with accomadations but as soon as she leaves the educational setting there is no accomadations in life. no one to read to her road signs, instructions, and definately no one to define for her basic concepts. she has always failed in reading and english based subjects but now with Accomadations she is now passing with “B’s” ironic that when i get in a meeting now all the group says is well mrs. daniels your daughter is passing what else do you want us to do? “help me teach her to read…”
what can i do i hit a wall each time i ask the division for help… oh to remind you stephini was one point from being LD (her score was 22 the division guideline is 23)

Hope