IEP Problems

Guest
well I hope everyone is setteling in the school year a little better now.

Today was the big IEP meeting. 10 people from SD was there & this time they brought a recorder too! I was lucky to get 3 people before.The IEP was already wrote & we went over it. They made a couple of changes @ my request. They ended up changeing their minds about the small tutoring class. No suprise there since "this would set a presadent". Now he will be in a reading class with Learning Disability (LD) English teacher in addition to Learning Disability (LD) English, same teacher (he also had her last year, why was this never offered before?. I had them put in IEP that we are to have a IEP meeting every 4-5 weeks so time doesn't sleep away. We will decide at next one if new class is working. I'm wondering how can I trust that when they tell me his reading grade level has gone up? I'm not sure if the IEP is even a good one, I wasn't sure how to word things.
Here is a sampling of what is on it.
Present level; According to MFE reading @ 4th grade level. Annual goals; inprove his skills in written expression & reading. Objectives; use correct grammer & punctuation, Complete paragraphs of at least 6 sentences, write a formal composition of @ least 2pgs.,learn vowel/combination sounds, rules & skills for syllabiction, read passages @ 5/6 grade level & spell words from list. Evaluation Procedures; daily assignmates. teacher test/observation. Criteria; Passing grade of B. Review 9 weeks
& naritave report cards.

I just don't feel this is enough to get him reading by the end of 12th grade. At a year advancement each year that would only put him @ 7th grade level. The psy. said he was capeable of learning to read much better
but not sure how long it wil take and how much needs to be done. Any suggestions?? Of course I didn't sign anything & I told them his psy.& dr would be going over it to make sure it was acceptable. By the way you guys are my dr.
wink.gif
LOL

I also went & got sons school records, a lot is not there from 3 years ago & new ones have even appeared. I asked fo a copy of his disapline file today and Asst. Princaple said he didn't have one! Now I looked at that file a couple of days ago & it had a form in it re. a bus problem with-detention, the AP said she didn't know about that. He was also suspended @ JR. HS for a fight, they don't even have any of his attendance record showing he missed a lot of days that they sent me letters about. Anyway they didn't give it to me. I also didn't sign anything to get his records, just paid a $2.50 charge. Heck they didn't even ask me for ID and nobody there even knew me or that I was coming. So what do I do to make sure I have everything they do?

Sorry these are always so long. I guess I write the way I talk. Done much better @ the meetings though. LOL

XXOOXX
Georgina
 

Patty

New Member
I know how you feel. But it sounds like you had a good showing at your meeting. If you send a written request to the Superintendent of schools and request a copy of all his records by law they have to give you everything. But putting it in writing is the key.

Your difficult child is so lucky to have you behind him. I have been trudging through the politics too. My difficult child is also having trouble with language. He is in the 8th grade and is at a 4th grade level. He reads at 8th grade level but can not compose his Learning Disability (LD) has to do with organizing his thoughts and putting them onto paper.

Keep the school accountable!

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Patty
ADHD/ODD? no medications/ Trying Accupuncuture and herbs Male difficult child, 2 Male easy child 17 & 7, 1 Female easy child 5, and 1 husband for 19 years both of us over the hill.
 

Guest
Just when I think I've got it I end up with even more questions. LOL

Most of the teachers have been keeping intouch by email, & I with them. Also been getting weekly reports with-grades(b's with 2.9 ave) So what's the problem? I'm confussed about how they are measuring his reading & what type of work they give. He never has homework. In reading class he mostly reads to himself, worked on science. Learning Disability (LD) Teacher has been doing a reading inventory, just what is this? She said he is @ begn. 4th gr. in isolateted words, ability to read & comprehend parag. is 6th so has developed excelent strategies, needs audotory feedback, which he provides himself. With this ability they feel he is able to function in the world & be self suportive & with this ability there isn't the strong need
for intervention. And with him passing 9th gr. profecency test they can now take him off IEP & out of Learning Disability (LD) services, but they are willing to let him stay for now! Is there any truth to this??? :C We had him fill out a job app. and he needed help doing that. SD said that they might need to work on his
"functional reading" & "life skill" but he has probable reached his peak, like most Learning Disability (LD) students, his high IQ has nothing to do with his ability to learn to read.

Well, that is the latest in the most upsetting new info. I should be having another meeting in a couple of weeks, so I wanted to get as much info as I can. By the way I have not signed the IEP from our last meeting.

Thanks for your help once again!
biggrin.gif

XXOOXX
Georgina

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married, two boys, one 15yrs with ADD/Learning Disability (LD), would be easy child if school would teach him right {well, almost] & one 8yrs with ADHD that isn't even still in his sleep! Both doing good on low dose of medications at school only. Georgina
 

Martie

Moderator
One of the problems with IEP's is the same people who have lots of input into writing them, also implement them, and then evaluate them. The only way to be certain that your child is actually achieving is either 1) through standardized tests that the s.d. can't fool with (although some Learning Disability (LD) kids test very poorly in this format; however, a child can't "fake good" so if a standardized score goes up, it's real unless the teacher helped the child in order to "look good" (sad but documented) or 2) have the child idependently evaluated periodically.

Unfortunately, the only independent evaluations that are at public expense are when the s.d. has failed to conduct an appropriate evaluation. So in order to get a school district to pay, a parent ususally has to take the financial risk of paying for an independent evaluation. up front, get the "bad news" that the progress the district claims isn't demonstrable by an independent evalautor, and then take the district to hearing to get the independent evaluation paid for. It's a real hassle.

An easier way to keep tabs on a child's progress if you live near a university is to find a school psychology or Special Education. teacher training program that is looking for kids to evaluate "for practice". Often, this is free and although students' skill levels vary, they have no vested interest in finding progress that isn't there.

I did this for years with my difficult child-- and only had him tested by "certified" personnel (that I paid) when I was ready to fight their Learning Disability (LD) label. difficult child is not Learning Disability (LD) and keeping progress on his advancing reading level gave me confidence to continue to believe that his refusal to read is emotionally based. The school had a vested interest in finding him Learning Disability (LD) as an excuse. He's not Learning Disability (LD) and now they say "what are we supposed to do about his refusal to read?" DUH?

When they believed his problem was presumably neurologically underwritten (Learning Disability (LD)), then they would try, now that even their own testing shows him refusing rather than incapable, they don't know what to do.

I'm rambling--it's late. The original point is, you can't really trust the school's evalautions--especially if in your gut you feel that what they are saying doesn't agree with you're seeing.

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Martie, mother of Mr. No (Major Dep -in remission, ODD, not ADHD or Learning Disability (LD), musically very gifted) and a 14 yo easy child daughter. husband of 22 yrs.
 
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