I went to an informational meeting for the parents of incoming special ed kindergartners and was struck by:
- the increased enrollment (max 30) we are guaranteed to see in the general ed classroom, and
- the emphasis on the state standards to which the state and district will hold our children
The thought of my already anxious boy taking inappropriate and stressful state tests is more than I can stomach, so I have done a little research and found the following item in a state testing FAQ.
Can the IEP team exempt my child from participating in state or districtwide assessments?No. The role of the IEP team is to determine how your child can participate most appropriately in the assessments. Currently, California Education Code allows parents/guardians to submit a written request to the principal of the child’s school if they do not want their child to take any or all parts of the STAR tests. Parents of children with disabilities must follow the regular school process to exercise this option. Parents cannot exempt their child from the CAHSEE. However, there are potentially significant consequences for your child’s school if a large number of students do not participate in the assessments. You should fully discuss the accommodations and/or modifications to enable your child to participate with the other members of the IEP team.
What these “consequences” may be are of no concern to me and shouldn’t be to any parent. What I can say as a resource specialist teacher who has had the unfortunate duty of administering inappropriate state tests to special ed students is that for many if not most of them it has been an excruciating experience.
Will my son be taking state tests when he reaches second grade? Yes if he can absolutely handle them; no if he cannot.
Tags: Autism, High Stakes Testing, opting out, Special Education