What exactly is the school asking to see?

[Renee in NC]

I posted on the general board about the "hoops" the school needs me to jump through so they can test my 2 ds's, but I am not sure what they want.

 

They asked for 3 samples from each subject where they are experiencing difficulty and documentation of 2 interventions for each subject area.

 

Our whole homeschool is intervention-oriented! My 11yo does Spell to Read and Write as well as MegaWords in order to remediate reading dificulties. I suspect that he also has dysgraphia, but we are remediating that with Writing Skills A from EPS.

 

For my 11yo, I want him tested in Reading, Spelling, and Writing. For reading, I gave him 3 tests from his McCall-Crabbs book and calculated his grade average from that. For spelling it was the Diagnostic test from SWR. For writing, I have a typed compostion and a science worksheet that he hand-wrote.

 

So, would his interventions be the SWR and MegaWords? Or are they looking for something else? In spelling, would it be the SWR phonograms as 1 and the explicit spelling rule instruction as the other? For writing, would it be the HWOT and the Writing Skills A?

 

For my 8yo, it is even worse. When I told her that he doesn't produce much written work, she said I need to give him worksheets to do. I have, and guess what? He can DO them!!! LOL Can't read a lick, but he completed a worksheet on opposites with no problem. How? By matching the underlined word in the sentence to the lists of opposite pairs at the top and writing the other word in the blank. I need worksheets for every subject (he can't do math really either), but he functions on a K level pretty well. It takes him 2 times as long to get through a grade-level as anyone else.

 

I understand that in a regular classroom, all the students complete the same work, so the samples would be easy and the interventions would be anything different. However, in a homeschool setting, all of his work is tailored specifically to him and we don't move on until he masters it (which can take AGES - counting to ten and writing his numerals has taken 18 months of intensive work and he still can't name the numerals.)

 

I just want the WISC-IV and the W-J for each of them. My oldest needs a papertrail in case he needs SAT accomodations (which isn't likely - he's going to be a mechanic) and the youngest is going to have more extensive testing somewhere else, but they suggested he have this done at the school to save me $600.

 

How do I "package" it so that they get their bases covered and my dc get their testing?

[Renee in NC]

Okay - should I give my 8yo typical 2nd grade work to do so that I can show that he isn't capable of doing it? Or 1st grade work since that is what I am calling him (I "held him back" in 1st again)?

 

Are All About Spelling, MCP Plaid Phonics, MUS, etc. his interventions? Or should I use flashcards or something else?

[chiguirre]

Could you take in your curriculum and some recent work and ask what they want from the pile? It's hard to know what exactly they're asking for, but they'll be able to spot it immediately. This might help them see that you're diligent, but just don't share the same institutional point of view and they'll be more willing to hold your hand through the process.

 

Good luck!

[Hillary in KS]

I think they're wanting some specifics from you. What they need is a reason to test. Why should they test your dc other than your request that they do so? They need a *reason* to do it. (Even ps teachers have to provide the same documentation.) Show them that your children's problem interferes with their ability to do schoolwork, and how you've tried to help.

 

What *specifically* are you seeing in your dc that is causing you to pursue testing?

 

EX: Johnny cannot read and appears to still be mixing up letters even though he is 15 and should be able to get them straight by now.

 

EX: Susie is 10 and still cannot pronounce the letter "r" correctly. When she is writing she rarely uses an "r," but will instead use a "w."

 

Things like that. Be as specific as you can with your examples.

 

Not "I think he has dysgraphia" but "Johnny reads well, but his writing mixes capital and lower case letters, have letters of mixed proportions, and he says it hurts when he writes."

 

For each child, bring in something that demonstrates the problem. Try and find a worksheet for your ds that he can't "cheat" to complete. Or give him a writing prompt at the start of the page, and have him write a story or essay underneath. Make note of how long it took him to do it. Things like that.

 

You want clear examples of what concerns you. Something they can look at and say "Ah! Yes. Now I see."

 

 

Then, for each child, bring in something to show *how* you tailor their work to compensate for this problem. (Because Johnny can't write legibly, we _________ to help improve it.) If your method of intervention is using a specific curriculum, bring it in. Maybe it's that you let your older son type everything because he can't write it. Whatever. Just make clear, concise lists and examples for each child.

 

Does that help at all?

[Tree House Academy]

Are you enrolling your kids in ps or just having them tested there?

 

I don't understand how they can refuse the testing - in TN, they can't. The parent requests it and they have to do it. It takes them forever, but they have to do it.

 

Your plan sounds like a good one - give him 2nd grade work (age appropriate) and show them that he can't do it. (The ps sure knows how to make a kid feel bad about himself, huh? :()

[Hillary in KS]

I don't think the ps is refusing to test. They must demonstrate that testing is necessary.

 

Even ps teachers can't just order testing. They sort of have to build a case to show that it's needed. From what the OP wrote, that's just what it seems like they're doing. They're building a case.

[Mom22ns]

I agree with Hillary. Start with what you are seeing, then give them samples to show it, then the modifications you are using to help work around it and remediate.

 

For example, with ds 1: He has a difficult producing written work. Have him write a 1 page paper - whatever type you want. A typical 11 yo should be able to produce that. The things you are doing to accommodate his writing are letting him type on computer, and using Writing Skills A.

 

Do this with each problem you are having. Reading, have him read something on grade level and answer comprehension questions. Spelling isn't really tested for on its own, but you can discuss it as part of a pattern of failure in Language Arts. Give him a grade level appropriate spelling test. Anything you are not already working at grade level, have him do a grade appropriate work sample. Then tell them what what the struggle is and how you are helping him.

 

I would do the same with your younger son. Usually to qualify for special services in ps a child has to be 2 grade levels behind. Show that he can not do work at the level he should for his age - he is 2 grade levels behind. Again, show them the work he cannot do, what you are doing and how you are working on those skills.

 

Then put a request for the testing in writing. It is critical with ps that they receive the request in writing. It triggers a mandate and a time limit for them to get things done.

[LUV2EDU]

I posted on the general board about the "hoops" the school needs me to jump through so they can test my 2 ds's, but I am not sure what they want.

 

They asked for 3 samples from each subject where they are experiencing difficulty and documentation of 2 interventions for each subject area.

 

Our whole homeschool is intervention-oriented! My 11yo does Spell to Read and Write as well as MegaWords in order to remediate reading dificulties. I suspect that he also has dysgraphia, but we are remediating that with Writing Skills A from EPS.

 

For my 11yo, I want him tested in Reading, Spelling, and Writing. For reading, I gave him 3 tests from his McCall-Crabbs book and calculated his grade average from that. For spelling it was the Diagnostic test from SWR. For writing, I have a typed compostion and a science worksheet that he hand-wrote.

 

So, would his interventions be the SWR and MegaWords? Or are they looking for something else? In spelling, would it be the SWR phonograms as 1 and the explicit spelling rule instruction as the other? For writing, would it be the HWOT and the Writing Skills A?

 

For my 8yo, it is even worse. When I told her that he doesn't produce much written work, she said I need to give him worksheets to do. I have, and guess what? He can DO them!!! LOL Can't read a lick, but he completed a worksheet on opposites with no problem. How? By matching the underlined word in the sentence to the lists of opposite pairs at the top and writing the other word in the blank. I need worksheets for every subject (he can't do math really either), but he functions on a K level pretty well. It takes him 2 times as long to get through a grade-level as anyone else.

 

I understand that in a regular classroom, all the students complete the same work, so the samples would be easy and the interventions would be anything different. However, in a homeschool setting, all of his work is tailored specifically to him and we don't move on until he masters it (which can take AGES - counting to ten and writing his numerals has taken 18 months of intensive work and he still can't name the numerals.)

 

I just want the WISC-IV and the W-J for each of them. My oldest needs a papertrail in case he needs SAT accomodations (which isn't likely - he's going to be a mechanic) and the youngest is going to have more extensive testing somewhere else, but they suggested he have this done at the school to save me $600.

 

How do I "package" it so that they get their bases covered and my dc get their testing?

 

Organize your thoughts, and put it in writing.

 

Difficulty Samples

 

Reading

 

1.

 

2.

 

3.

 

Reading Interventions

 

1.

 

 

2.

 

...and so on.

[Dobela]

I used to teach special ed in public school. In every school I worked in the road to test a child was a very long one. Sometimes we spent months gathering information before the school would contact the parents to ask permission to test.

 

When asked to provide proof of other interventions attempted that sometimes included 1-1 tutoring, adaptation of curriculum (then we had to tell how we adapted it-shortened assignments, extended time to complete assignments, etc... ), allowing student to test orally instead of written because [student is unable to read on grade level but can understand questions and provide answers orally, spelling is poor, handwriting is illegible, students can't put thoughts onto paper, etc]. And so on. It is everything specifically you did to make the child succeed yet the child is not succeeding. I thought this comment was a great statement of interventions - "counting to ten and writing his numerals has taken 18 months of intensive work and he still can't name the numerals". Then tell all the ways you tried to teach those skills. Have you ever had a child repeat a grade? Or spend more than the traditional 9 months on a grade level? If you need samples of work, create them. I am pretty certain there are free worksheets online somewhere as well.

 

If you have had any other testing completed, provide that as additional documentation if they want it for background information. Or have they had any therapies outside of the home like OT and PT? If so, include those reports to support your claims.

 

Testing is very expensive even for schools. The psychologists they use do not come cheaply. The classroom teachers may administer some of the achievement tests and their time is precious. Every year we always struggled to complete testing on children attending the school. To work in an unexpected homeschool family may be difficult. By asking for all of this documentation, the school is meeting all the laws and regulations thye must follow plus they are weeding out those homeschool parents who are not really serious about helping their children or following thru on the testing.

 

I would also recommend you check your state laws however. I have heard of some state(s) that require schools to be more involved in the academics and such of homeschoolers with special needs. If you don't want to work more with the schools or be more in their oversite, saving $600 may not be worth having them know your children are demonstrating academic difficulties. We finally decided to just pay for testing privately instead of opening the door for the schools to be more involved in how we educate our children. My dh is looking for a 2nd job to pay for it.

[Renee in NC]

My state does not get more involved with special needs hsers - no additional requirements or anything.

 

It isn't just a matter of saving $600 - if they can't get tested at the school, then it will be a LONG time before it happens. Maybe never. I don't know that we can affod the other testing, either, but this is a step in that general direction.

 

However, I am not sure that the testing will help. He won't be eligible for services as a homeschooler and we can't pay for services privately. We don't want him in school - our school system keeps LD kids in the regular classroom and I don't want that for him (he can't keep up and he is already REALLY tall for 8 - putting him in a ps 1st grade class would be a disaster.)

 

I appreciate the thoughts here - it has helped me organize in my mind what we need to do if we decide to continue with the testing process.

[Dobela]

We are going thru with the testing for our son just so I can know exactly where he is and what I need to be addressing. So yes, if you can do it, I find testing very valuable. Not so much the IQ tests though. While I can learn from them more about my son and how he ticks, I am most looking forward to seeing the results of the achievement tests that show me strengths and weaknesses. It can possibly be very helpful for you as well and help you better plan your teaching directions. My son is also very large for his age and I won't put him in ps for special education at all. He would also have to be in a regular classroom, then pulled out for services in a class that can have up to 12 kids. I feel that the 1 to one I am providing at home is much better.

 

Testing can also help with getting other services. I know when our son qualified for OT 2 years ago, our insurance wouldn't pay for it and we couldn't even begin to afford it as often as recommended. A therapist recommended we apply for state insurance based on disability need. Based on his huge delay in that area substiantiated by her evaluation reports, he qualified for state insurance similar to Medicaid that pays for his therapies. That has really opened a lot of possible doors for him. We use our regular insurance for everything else so we don't feel like we are dependent "on the system".