Re: [ARN-state] IEPs, IDEA, and NCLB

["Monty Neill" <monty@fairtest.org>]

I think but am not certain that other students with disabilities can have accomodations that address the disability but that do not alter the substance of the test and thus impact the inferences to be drawn. Examples might be more time, large print. Actually adapting the test (as for the 20 percent) is different, as are the kinds of alternatives allowed for the most severely disabled 10 percent.

As to the sources: disability rights folks I have talked with say there is no good evidence on the percentages - these are rough (and political) guesses. 

Monty 
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Peter Campbell 
  To: ARN State ; ARN Main List ; arn2-strategy 
  Sent: Sunday, April 02, 2006 3:04 PM
  Subject: [ARN-state] IEPs, IDEA, and NCLB


  I'm not an expert in the realm of IEPs and IDEA and how they connect to NCLB, so I would greatly appreciate someone who is an expert to look at this message carefully and tell me if I understand this correctly.


  I just read a disturbing document from the Federal Dept of Ed. It can be found at http://www.ed.gov/admins/lead/speced/toolkit/faqs.doc


  What I found most relevant was the following: (1) the Feds figure that app. 10% of all students with disabilities can be categorized as having "severe cognitive disabilities" and (2) the Feds also figure that app. 20% of the learning disabled population "are not likely to achieve grade-level proficiency within the school year covered by the students’ IEPs."


  The documents I read all say that this 30% figure is based on research, yet I did see a single reference to any study or finding that shows this to be the case. So who knows where these numbers come from . . . Does anyone know?


  The students with "severe cognitive disabilities" are to be given alternative assessments. Their proficient and advanced scores can be used to report AYP. But only 1% of these scores for the entire student population of the state or the district can be counted. According to the above document, "If more than 1.0 percent of proficient scores come from such assessments, then the state must establish procedures to count those scores as non-proficient for the purposes of school accountability." Translation? These kids above the 1% threshold are reported as "not proficient," i.e., as failing the test.


  The students who "are not likely to achieve grade-level proficiency within the school year covered by the students’ IEPs" are to be given "modified assessments." According to the document, states are to "(1) develop modified achievement standards, that is, standards that are aligned with the state’s academic content standards for the grade in which a student is enrolled, but may reflect reduced breadth or depth of grade-level content, and (2) develop assessments to measure the achievement of students based on such modified achievement standards ." The proficient and advanced scores of these students can be used to report AYP. But only 2% of these scores for the entire student population of the state or the district can be counted. If more than 2% of proficient scores come from such assessments, then the state must establish procedures to count those scores as non-proficient for the purposes of school accountability." Translation? These kids above the 2% threshold are reported as "not proficient," i.e., as failing the test.


  According to the Feds, therefore, app. 30% of all students with learning disabilities who are given some kind of modification in their assessment can be counted towards AYP. However, the remaining 70% of the population of all students with learning disabilities CANNOT be counted towards AYP if any modifications are made in their assessments. So 7 out of 10 kids with learning disabilities have to score proficient or advanced on the state test without any modifications in order to make AYP. If only 6 out of 10 score at the proficient or advanced level, the IEP subgroup fails to make AYP. And here come the sanctions . . .


  Since this is the first year that all children in grades 3 - 8 will be taking their states' reading and math tests, there will be a greater number of students with learning disabilities taking the tests. The odds that 70% of them will score at the proficient or advanced level seems remote.


  "Soft bigotry of low expectations" or "The Emperor has no clothes"?


  Peter Campbell





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