Under NCLB, all students, Special Education included, are being exposed to rigorous testing. the "passing" score for these tests is a "3" or a "4" and some of the text students have to read on this test is well above the level of teh "average" students taking the test.
If the special education subgroup does not meet a criteria established by the state, then schools eventually get labeled and have to make sometimes monumental changes with the goal of raising this subgroup to a passing reading and writing score. Alternative testing is not commonly employed for various reasons, one being the criteria for students to meet this testing. And if students do meet the criteria and are given the 'fairer' alternative test, they are automatically given a "1" (a "failing" grade) on the test.
Why should you care?
I will give a basic rundown.
Special education students are basically being subjected to educational abuse (in my opinion) AND all "regular" education students are also suffering the negative impact of the testing.
First, through the "least restrictive environment" clause, many students functioning at a significantly lower level (say 3rd or 4th grade reading and writing ability) are placed into English classrooms in which the texts and vocabulary being used are so far advanced the students are sitting for 45 minutes of a lesson which they may only understand, at best, half of of the instruction. I try to liken it to my own self sitting through 45 minutes of instruction in another language. Sure, through verbal cues or teacher assistance we would understand some of the lesson, but realistically even I would do better in that class compared to a limited student in a regualr class because my brains has the cognitive ability to make connections that a limited student could not.
And with class sizes getting larger and teachers' responsibilities multiplying due to financial crunches, it is much more difficult for teachers to differentiate their instruction for 25+ students, some reading at a 3rd grade level, some reading post high school. This is in addition to the new common core which actually has watered down the NYS curriculum to accomodate other states' versions. Although this core is being touted as exemplary, in truth it will leave even more students behind. David Coleman, the author of the Core, has instituted the philosophy that students should be studying even MORE difficult texts than they have been, with vocabulary in the text that even an "average" student does not understand. And after watching David Coleman give a delivery of "model" instruction, you would understand why kids aren't "getting" what's going on, much less enjoying it. Even I wanted to sleep through his lesson.
So my first point is students are sitting through a daily class, for example my 8th grade ELA class, functioning at a 3rd grade level, and with all my/a teacher's best efforts at differentiation, still may have major difficulties grasping the concepts of that class.
Now, onto the second point: Students then are required to take the New York State (or other state) test just like all other students. The English language Arts test, specifically, is where the abuse is most obvious. The 8th grade test has passages on it which are upper level high school or even post high school. Expecting a student who reads at a 3rd r 4th grade level to achieve a "3" or "4" is the goal. And even if students have "tests read" in their IEP, this test is NOT ALLOWED to be read to them. The testing is rigorous and students sit through three days of primarily reading, but also listening and writing.
So what happens when students don't achieve the 3 or 4? Well if the group of students is big enough and it happens two years in a row, schools get placed on a list called, "In Need of Improvement". If the students continue to "fail" then that title changes as the school cycles through the various "failure" stages created by the State Education department, each stage progressively creating more stipulations and holding the school to more rigourous accountability measures. Eventually schools could be taken over by the state or closed down altogether.
This has a negative impact on students for multiple reasons. First, the negative impact on all students could potentially be a change in instruction from making learning a fun, interactive, constructive environment to one based on "Test Prep." Second, I imagine that in some schools in the upper levels of the accountability cycle, i.e. "School in Need of Restructuring" the teachers (who are beginning to held accountable also by these scores) no matter their best intentions are beginning to see "Special education" as the "unwanted" students in the classroom. After all, if a teacher's job is based on how the students score on this test (up to 40% of the teacher's annual 'review') then I imagine teachers would be less likely to "want" those students in their classes. Teachers with honors classes and teachers with the inclusive group become enemies in a, invisible war started by the state.
The third point has to do with this question: So what's the purpose of the test? Apparently all students are supposed to be college ready. This in itself is ridiculous. I have had students who could take apart a lawn mower engine and rebuild it, but have done terribly on this test. Our lawmakers don't make a place in schools for this type of "smart". Instead, they recognize the only type of smart as "book smart."
It seems to me the efforts at changing our schools should be to accomodate all areas of ability, with the end result being to cultivate a child in a manner which would encourage him or her to reach his/her full potential.
My opinion is lawmakers need to reevaulate the entire school structure, but specifically immediately revise laws in regard to Special Education students and No Child Left Behind.
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Reevaulate NCLB with regard to Special Education students
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