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I was thinking about keeping him back a year and have him redo 2nd grade. The only real reason is that next year he will have to start standardized testing per my state's requirements. He can do his math even though it takes him a bit because he doesn't have his facts down pat, but we are working on those over the summer. He likes science and history and does narrations with me. It's his reading and writing that is below level and if he can't read well, I don't think he will be able to do the testing.

 

I guess I could try to get him out of the test or have it read to him, but where we aren't going through the school for services I don't know if this will be possible. We do have the option of testing ourselves using BJU and my husband being the administrator. I guess we could do that and I could read it to him and mark his answers ( not help him withthe answers though) but I don't know if this would be considered dishonest.

 

The biggest downside of keeping him back would be that he would be 9 entering the 2nd grade and then 19 when entering 12th. Am I overthinking this?

 

WWYD?

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Hi Jean,

My 3rd grader also has to test this year and is a non-reader. He is being given the WISC by our evaluator. She will read it to him. She also has administered the Peabody Test in the past to those who need the test read to them.

 

I would not hold my child back due to testing. I don't know how it works in your state... I am in PA and the test is just a measure of where the child is compared to other children his age/grade. IOW, there's no pass/fail, even if the test results are absolutely horrible.

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I'd check with a homeschooling group in your state before making a decision. Really, the only obstacle is the testing. I know that in MN, if a child tests below the 35th percentile on a standardized test, the parents are required to seek outside help (purposely very vague). That's it. If your state is similar, I would not hold him back a grade because of how old he is now.

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If you use the Iowa, the adminstrator can read the questions and answers. You just have to report that when you turn the test in for grading.

It is not cheating. Officially, it is called "Special testing conditions."

(I am testing coordinator for our local support group. I'm smack in the middle of test planning.) You can even bubble in the answer sheet for children with fine motor control issues.

You just have to keep record of what modifications are made: extra time, repeating directions, reading the questions, reading the answers.

I do not know if this applies to the Stanford but I do know it does for the Iowa test of Basic Skills.

 

 

If it were my son, I wouldn't worry about keeping him back a grade. I figure he could always "skip a grade" later on when he catches up. But it would depend on what the state did with the test reports and how he would feel being kept back.

 

So I wouldn't worry about high school just yet. Things might change for him.

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BJU does have the Iowa test. (ITBS) That's where I order mine from.

Parents with a college degree can adminster test to their own children and do not have to test other unrelated children. Test adminstrators have to register with BJU before they can order tests.

 

Do you have to use a specific test?

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I would not "hold him back" a grade. All the research is that this is detrimental. I think the reason is the impact it has on the child's confidence. Being "held back" is associated with very negative outcomes in the high school years, when compared to similar students who weren't held back.

 

It is not cheating to read the test except for the reading part. It is cheating to read that. The rest of the test can be read as part of an IEP. Or, you could seek out someone to administer the Woodcock Johnson. The tester reads everything except the reading part. It would also give you some useable information about your child, which the bubble tests are not meant to do. (They are meant for screening only with regard to an individual and were designed to compare groups of kids --like school A to school B)

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BJU does have the Iowa test. (ITBS) That's where I order mine from.

Parents with a college degree can adminster test to their own children and do not have to test other unrelated children. Test adminstrators have to register with BJU before they can order tests.

 

Do you have to use a specific test?

 

OK, I just found this from the Arkansas Education Alliance web site https://www.arkansashomeschool.org/index.asp?PageID=Testing :

 

In 2003, the Arkansas Legislature mandated norm referenced testing for public school students in grades 3 through 9. The State Board of Education has approved use of the Iowa Test of Basic Skills for both public and home school students. They are to take the full battery (complete test), which takes approximately 3 half days to complete.

 

In March of each year, home school students will take the reading and math portions of the Iowa Test of Basic Skills. It is the responsibility of the local Education Service Cooperative to notify home school parents about when and where to take the test. In Pulaski County notification is done by the local school district. The state-mandated test is paid for by the State of Arkansas.

 

And this on Alternate testing:

 

Arkansas law allows home schoolers to conduct alternative testing. An alternative testing plan must be approved by the local Educational Service Cooperative. Home schoolers wishing to conduct alternative testing must use the same test that has been approved for all home schoolers by the State Board of Education. They must find a certified test administrator to give the test and they must order and pay for the test themselves. The test dates may differ from the dates established for annual testing by the State of Arkansas, as long as they are approved by the local Educational Service Cooperative. Alternative testing may be set up for as few as one student. Test of home school students who participate in alternative testing are not sent to the Arkansas Department of Education nor are they calculated as a part of Arkansas’ overall home school test scores.

 

I know my DH could administrate it because he has a BS, which is the requirement. I think this might be a solution for us for next year. I just need to figure out what to do about the reading part of the test.

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Or, you could seek out someone to administer the Woodcock Johnson. The tester reads everything except the reading part. It would also give you some useable information about your child, which the bubble tests are not meant to do. (They are meant for screening only with regard to an individual and were designed to compare groups of kids --like school A to school B)

 

I don't know if my state would allow this as an alternate. It doens't say anything on the web site I posted above. He doesn't have an IEP because we aren't going through the school system.

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OK, I just found this from the Arkansas Education Alliance web site https://www.arkansashomeschool.org/index.asp?PageID=Testing :

 

In 2003, the Arkansas Legislature mandated norm referenced testing for public school students in grades 3 through 9. The State Board of Education has approved use of the Iowa Test of Basic Skills for both public and home school students. They are to take the full battery (complete test), which takes approximately 3 half days to complete.

 

In March of each year, home school students will take the reading and math portions of the Iowa Test of Basic Skills. It is the responsibility of the local Education Service Cooperative to notify home school parents about when and where to take the test. In Pulaski County notification is done by the local school district. The state-mandated test is paid for by the State of Arkansas.

 

And this on Alternate testing:

 

Arkansas law allows home schoolers to conduct alternative testing. An alternative testing plan must be approved by the local Educational Service Cooperative. Home schoolers wishing to conduct alternative testing must use the same test that has been approved for all home schoolers by the State Board of Education. They must find a certified test administrator to give the test and they must order and pay for the test themselves. The test dates may differ from the dates established for annual testing by the State of Arkansas, as long as they are approved by the local Educational Service Cooperative. Alternative testing may be set up for as few as one student. Test of home school students who participate in alternative testing are not sent to the Arkansas Department of Education nor are they calculated as a part of Arkansas’ overall home school test scores.

 

I know my DH could administrate it because he has a BS, which is the requirement. I think this might be a solution for us for next year. I just need to figure out what to do about the reading part of the test.

 

Yes, the ITBS is the one mandated for use in Arkansas.

 

Last year, homeschoolers were required to take the full test; this year, we're taking only the math and reading portions.

 

Since the state is testing only math and reading this year, I decided to test my dd10 with the full ITBS battery, including the CoGAT. (She has had some vision problems that she's done therapy for, and I wanted the full test to see how she compared to last year.) We just finished it up today. I buy from BJUP, and it was very easy to be certified as an approved ITBS tester. I can't remember if I did it online or if it was something I filled out and mailed in. Anyway, as you said, you just have to have a Bachelor's degree to be approved. And there are special provisions for reading the test to the student, etc., that you can use if needed. They have lots of information about it on their website.

 

When you received your testing form from the Cooperative (I think ours came about three months ago), there was a choice to indicate that you planned to test at home. So that will be simple to do next year.

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I would not "hold him back" a grade. All the research is that this is detrimental. I think the reason is the impact it has on the child's confidence. Being "held back" is associated with very negative outcomes in the high school years, when compared to similar students who weren't held back.

 

Laurie has made a very good point. Dh and I struggled with what to do with dd10 this year. She was in the middle of vision therapy and wasn't ready to be a 5th grader. We talked with dd and she pleaded with us to go ahead and call her a 5th grader.

 

I am so glad that we did. She has made great, great progress this year now that her vision is so improved. It would have been a huge mistake for us to have held her back. She would have lost what little reading confidence that she had; instead, her confidence has soared as she has come up-to-speed in reading and other areas that were affected by her vision.

 

Ultimately, though, you and your dh have to be the ones to determine what is right for your son. I have several friends who held back their sons from the start (waited until the year after they were "of age" to start K or put them a year back when they went from hsing to private school). My dh has a September birthday, and he says that he always wished his parents had kept him at home for another year so that he would have been one of the oldest in his class instead of one of the youngest. For boys, being one of the first to drive in their class is a big deal, I guess. :)

 

You have some time before you have to turn in next year's Notice of Intent and he'll have begun some of his therapy by then so you'll be able to make a better assessment when the time comes.

 

Edited to Add: I would not even consider holding him back a grade if your only concern is the testing issue. The parents are the only ones who see the individual test scores in Arkansas; the scores are reported in groups to the Arkansas Department of Education. And there is no provision in the law for further action if test scores are low; the law requires only that the test be taken.

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I don't know if my state would allow this as an alternate. It doens't say anything on the web site I posted above. He doesn't have an IEP because we aren't going through the school system.

 

The Woodcock Johnson is a very widely used and well respected test. Much better than the CAT. The only reason they wouldn't allow it is because...well the gummint doesn't always make sense. :001_huh:

 

My statement about the IEP was because it sounded as if you were wondering about honesty in the way you would administer the CAT. If it would be allowed as an accomodation on an IEP, I don't see the problem with honesty in doing it as a homeschooler.

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Thanks, Laurie. I am going to see about the Woodcock Johnson test instead for him. Can't hurt to try!

 

Jackie, I have read that about the results not being used, but it still makes me nervous :) . I plan on moving him forward into 3rd and I hope by next spring, when testing comes, he will have made some good progress anyways because of the new curriculum and the assorted theraphies we are using.

 

We will plan on testing ourselves with BJU and I need to think @ the IEP for him. It does make sense to have one in place now rather than wait until highschool.

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Thanks, Laurie. I am going to see about the Woodcock Johnson test instead for him. Can't hurt to try!

 

Jackie, I have read that about the results not being used, but it still makes me nervous :) . I plan on moving him forward into 3rd and I hope by next spring, when testing comes, he will have made some good progress anyways because of the new curriculum and the assorted theraphies we are using.

 

We will plan on testing ourselves with BJU and I need to think @ the IEP for him. It does make sense to have one in place now rather than wait until highschool.

 

Jean, I didn't read this thread carefully, but my understanding of AR hs law is that there is no real consequence for a poor score on the ITBS. And I thought the 'grade' requirement was for grades 3-9. Will your 2nd grader even be required to test? Just musing...I don't know all there is to know.

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Jean, I didn't read this thread carefully, but my understanding of AR hs law is that there is no real consequence for a poor score on the ITBS. And I thought the 'grade' requirement was for grades 3-9. Will your 2nd grader even be required to test? Just musing...I don't know all there is to know.

 

He wont have to test until next year and that's why I was wondering if I should have him repeat 2nd in order to give him a year to catch up. I am going to move him into 3rd as planned and just remediate him as much as I can by spring. If we do get an IEP then he will be able to have some help with his testing, I just need to figure out the best route to go for that.

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Jean, I am struggling with the decision on whether or not to 'hold' back my struggling 2nd grader, also. At least on 'paper'. I plan to do homesat with him next year, and he'll be doing 3rd English and Math, but 2nd Reading. BUT, he won't be 8 until mid May. So he'd be 8 through all of next year. It's a tough call with your son being 9.

 

A friend of mine, whose ds in in public school, had to make this decision a few years ago(about repeating 2nd). The school wanted to hold him back due to his reading. But she got him caught up working with him over the summer. So now his reading is fine, but he is really struggling in math. He is in all the lowest groups in his class, which is causing social problems.(the other kids he are with are more the trouble makers). I'm not sure if she regrets her decision to move him on or not. I haven't asked her. But all she talks about is how hard school is for him.

 

If your son's only issue is reading, and due to his age, I'd probably say to move him ahead. You'll have till the spring to prepare him for testing.

Good luck.

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Thanks Ginger. I do think I am going to move him into 3rd. I am not so worried @ testing now that I have read afew post on how my state uses the results. I did speak with the professor at the university where he is in speech and he is going to have other testing there and she said she will do what she can as far as helping me have special help for his test, which would be wonderful.

 

We are using homesat next year too and he will be doing math and science. I am using barton's for his reading, which we start this week coming.

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repeated second grade. She will turn 19 the spring of her senior year. BUT - she needed the extra time to learn to read well, etc. Better to repeat with a younger kid, and get core stuff like reading/ math solid, before moving on, as it can be harder to play catch-up later. Just a thought from someone who has been there, done that.

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First, about repeating a grade -- three out of my four kids have been slower in going through the grades. The oldest one took 3 years to do 1st and 2nd grades; another one took two years to do first grade, and another two years to do 2nd grade. With my youngest we got only about halfway through 2nd grade by the time the school year was over, so the following year we just finished up 2nd grade. Is it necessary to repeat? Would it be okay just to continue? If he needs the repetition, then go ahead and repeat him. Or maybe over time his reading will improve and he can stay on track as to grade levels. It's always a decision, up to you.

 

Second, about testing -- in my state testing is one of three different ways we can report our progress. We choose the testing because it's easier for me, and the kids have a fun, social time with others in our hs group. But I learned this several years ago, that they hardly even look at your scores. I was told by HSLDA that your child would have to have an overall score below the 23rd percentile or so before you would be considered as not having met the standards for achievement. That gives you lots of room, I think. If you have the option of choosing which test to use, I'd choose the California or Iowa (I forget which), in that case you can administer it yourself and give your son the concessions he would need to give you an accurate picture of his progress. This is not cheating, and as someone mentioned, you have to notate what you did. The best thing that ever happened in our testing was when the Stanford was updated 2 years ago and became an UN-timed test. My kids struggle with always needing more time, and being timed not only gave them anxiety but lowered their scores b/c they could never answer all the questions which was frustrating to them. Now they can take all the time they need.

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