Did you receive academic test results for your child that were much lower than you expected?
In some cases parents say they received no scores for certain subjects or were told their child “either scored so low she could not be graded or she was not given the test.”
What can you do? First, focus on three things.
1. What information do you have about your child’s progress or lack of progress?
2. How can you collect this information?
3. Once you have accurate information about your child’s progress, how will you use it?
A group standardized test is not a great way to measure a child’s progress.
How does the IEP say your child’s progress will be objectively measured? This is the testing you need to focus on.
If a group achievement test was what the IEP team planned to use and the group test was not administered, ask the IEP team to use an individually administered educational achievement test to measure your child’s progress. Make sure the test(s) selected will measure key academic skills – reading, writing, spelling, math.
Take another look at your child’s IEP and answer these questions:
- Is the IEP based on complete, current testing?
- Does the IEP include all legally required components?
- Does the IEP follow the recommendations of the evaluators?
- Are the goals and objectives measurable?
- Are the objectives appropriate?
- If your child is not making progress, did the IEP team increase the intensity of instruction?
- Are the instructional methods research-based?
- Are the teachers trained in the research-based instructional methods that your child needs to meet the goals in her IEP?
You need to get a comprehensive evaluation of your child by an independent evaluator in the private sector. A comprehensive evaluation will give you a roadmap for the future. The IEP may need to be changed to meet your child’s needs and more closely follow the evaluators’ recommendations.
Remember, special education is a service, not a place. To reach her goals, your child may need to receive instruction from a teacher who has different certifications and training.