[blindkid] Aubrie and state/CRCT testing

[Deborah Kent Stein]

Dear Bonnie,

An excellent source of tactile maps is a grassroots organization called the 
Princeton Braillists.  They are two senior citizen volunteers who have been 
making tactile atlases for the past twelve years.  Their work is very 
affordable, and uses plastic thermoform sheets.  Here's their contact 
information:

The Princeton Braillists
76 Leabrook Ln.
Princeton, NJ  08540
609-924-5207 (Nancy Amick)

I believe they now have a website which lists all of the atlases they have 
available.

If you would like to discuss maps further, please feel free to contact me 
off list.

Debbie
 dkent5817 at worldnet.att.net
773-631-1093

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Bonnie Lucas" <lucas.bonnie at gmail.com>
To: <blindkid at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Monday, April 27, 2009 8:37 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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