[Pibe-division] FW: [blindkid] ITBS and COGAT testing in Braille

[Carrie Gilmer]

FYI: in case you are not on both lists (which this request was originally
sent out to)a link to getting both tests in Braille.

In regards to the sometimes differing thoughts that exist over standardized
testing and their reliability due to the "normed" population...

Curriculum and assignments and not "normed" yet they go straight to Braille
(including instructional reading and math series), also regular classroom
tests to this curriculum are not, and blind children with average or better
intell and good teachers and parents do just fine even excel beyond their
sighted peers ON THE TESTS and in the curriculum...just by having it
translated into Braille.

Also in later standardized tests, we have a host of problems too, but for
the blind students who take AP calculus and actually get a Braille test, and
even further wonder get an UP TO DATE test the same as their peers, seem to
perform as expected as they have performed in class and again some
out-perform sighted peers.

I do not think overall blind kids need much more than access to be measured
in the same way...it is not perfect but getting access can give you as an
accurate idea of their measurement as any other classmate pretty much...IMO.

And to Stephanie: I would do a bit of research at www.wrightslaw.com and
call the federal AND state dept of spec ed and inquire her inclusion rights
in standard testing in this situation-especially with regards to the gifted
program too. Calling will help at the very least in letting them know it is
a problem.
 
Carrie Gilmer 

-----Original Message-----
From: blindkid-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindkid-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Marshall Flax
Sent: Wednesday, September 16, 2009 4:16 PM
To: NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List,(for parents of blind children)
Subject: Re: [blindkid] ITBS and COGAT testing in Braille

It looks like ITBS is available in Braille -- see
http://www.riverpub.com/products/itbs/pricing_test.html

Ditto for COGAT -- see
http://www.riverpub.com/products/orderform/ProceduresforCoding.pdf

Marshall