[blindkid] Aubrie and state/CRCT testing

Thu Apr 30 19:22:40 UTC 2009

I understand the feeling of not caring about the standardized 
tests--sometimes we have so much to deal with on a daily basis, that 
we have to pick our battles.  I would say, tho, that state  testing 
is an important issue and we should not let our kids be placed in 
lower classes because of discriminatory tests.  It really is 
something we need to address.

Are there enough parents in your state to start working on the 
issue?  When we did some work on it in NJ, we started with finding 
out who did the brailling for the state and whether or not there was 
anyone informed on the issues checking the tests.  We also tried to 
educate the state regarding what kind of accommodations are necessary 
and fair.  My feeling is if even the College Board (which administers 
the SATs) could come to its senses regarding accommodations, that 
states can, also.  It does take time, energy, and work, tho.

Carol

At 11:25 PM 4/27/2009, you wrote:
>  GaDOE will say that as long as the test is in braille - it is 
> accommodating to standard. Na'im had no maps for social studies 
> either during regular instruction - not sure how he did on today's 
> Social studies test. Math did not match the book last year, so the 
> graphs were unrecognizable and prompting is not allowed.  This 
> year's reading passage for 4th grade was so long his fingers became 
> swollen and hurt,  the para had to dip them in ice water.  Na'im 
> has been on the cusp edge of the math scoring either failing by a 
> few or passing by a few for the past couple of years.  I asked how 
> his scores are measured considering that parts of the test were 
> either irrelevant to him, based on lack of instruction, consistent 
> transcribing, or just plain untranslatable. Nothing I have been 
> told seems sensible- maybe I have a deficit - go figure. I have 
> been waffling between not caring about the standardized tests and 
> trying to make sure that Na'im is not buried
>  under bureaucratic BS (utterly left behind).
>
>Tene
>
>
>
>
>________________________________
>From: Bonnie Lucas <lucas.bonnie at gmail.com>
>To: blindkid at nfbnet.org
>Sent: Monday, April 27, 2009 9:37:53 AM
>Subject: [blindkid] Aubrie and state/CRCT testing
>
>Hello everyone,
>I hope that your state testing for your children is going well. Last 
>week, aubrie came home and said a couple of things that are 
>concerning me about both testing and what her TVI has been teaching her.
>First, she complained that when she was doing the math test, that on 
>the graph problems, there were no numbers at all on the graphs. The 
>coordinates for the problems were given, but she had to count every 
>square because there were no numbers given. The TVI administering 
>the test said that her print copy was numbered. I called the DOE 
>person in charge of testing and left a message. That was nearly a 
>week ago. and no response as of yet.
>
>After taking the social studies test, she was upset because she said 
>that no one had taught her to read a Braille map very well and she 
>was supposed to find some rivers and select the correct name. She 
>said that her atlas book from APH does not have rivers listed. Quite 
>frankly, I have looked at the book just a couple of times, sometime 
>ago and I don't remember whether there were rivers included in the 
>maps or not.  It seems as if I saw something a while back about 
>tactile maps that someone was selling. I wonder if getting these 
>would help with topographical items such as rivers.
>
>Part of my concern has to do with gifted testing which Aubrie is in 
>the process of doing. I believe they are planning on using her 
>scores from these tests as a part of this determination. I know that 
>she does well in social studies because last year, 60 percent of the 
>students in Georgia failed the SS test and consequently, it was 
>thrown out. Aubrie, was among the 40 percent of students who 
>actually passed the test and she didn't just barely pass it. She 
>would really like to be in the gifted SS class because neither her 
>teacher this year nor the way the class was taught was very enlightening.
>
>I plan on writing the special ed director along with the twoTVI's 
>who work with her. I will also call back the DOE person. Actually, 
>I'll email her this time. I'd like to make them aware of what has 
>happened before tests are completely graded and her scores are 
>written down. Does anyone have any other suggestions?Has anyone had 
>experiences such as these.
>
>thanks in advance.
>Bonnie
>Bonnie Lucas
>770-992-0484
>Cell: 678-480-0864
>lucas.bonnie at gmail.com
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