[blindkid] Smarter Balanced testing (SBAC)

hpscheffer at aol.com hpscheffer at aol.com
Fri May 2 17:19:42 UTC 2014


We had an IEP yesterday, we brought up the testing situation and how that will be addressed. It seems that there are "private" companies involved the school systems and states contract out to administer tests. This was news to me, so I started following the famous trial…. here is a good explanation on how it all works, a bit long but worth the read


http://www.alternet.org/education/corporations-profit-standardized-tests


So one of the difficulties is that again school systems don't seem to oblige by IDEA and any of the amendments when purchasing or contracting with outside companies. They don't get the tests on time to have them transcribed to braille or the electronic or digital version usually is not accessible. 


It seems we keep encountering road blocks to make things accessible to VI and blind kids (and others), in the meantime our kids pay the price.


Heidi





-----Original Message-----
From: Richard Holloway <rholloway at gopbc.org>
To: Blind Kid Mailing List, (for parents of blind children) <blindkid at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Fri, May 2, 2014 1:04 pm
Subject: Re: [blindkid] Smarter Balanced testing (SBAC)


I cannot speak to this directly, but we’ve had similar accessibility issues in 
the past with other testing instruments.

There were a variety of responses from “we don’t test blind students” (this 
regarding certain standardized tests to qualify for the gifted program), to 
“we’re working on it”, generally followed by a lengthy silence. (I assume they 
are working too hard to take time to send any updates. They would never assume 
that ignoring the problem will solve it, right?)

That said, I was surprised to notice how anxious they recently were when other 
standardized tests came up recently, to have our daughter take them.

The translated version would seem to be that if the tests (or a reasonable 
substitution) are complicated to come up with, they are anxious to excuse our 
kids from testing, so long as the only potential beneficiary of the test is the 
student. (Rather different than when the school wants to showcase the high marks 
of their highest achieving students.) And if we demand they come up with the 
tests, they don’t really care if there is a delay such that out kids sit idle 
during the testing for sighted kids, and then have more pull-out time once the 
tests arrive for our kids. 

As to being anxious to include our daughter? Well, the really big problem we had 
a few years back was to demonstrate our daughter was qualified for the gifted 
program. They didn’t want to have to bother with her being in that program, so 
they tried for about a year to explain why she wasn’t qualified before they had 
to concede she was actually **highly** qualified. 4 years later, she remains an 
honor roll student in the gifted program, generally a straight-A student, a Beta 
Club member, and so forth.

As to them becoming anxious for testing now? It seems a recent batch of tests 
were intended to demonstrate how well the school is doing in an area where the 
tests had no impact whatsoever on the students directly. We got the friendliest 
phone call ever from an assistant principal. Would we mind if Kendra stayed 
after school to complete a certain test, and she would be more than happy to 
personally drive Kendra home when they are through.

Isn’t it interesting how school priorates for self-interest effect what they are 
willing to do?...


On Apr 21, 2014, at 4:26 PM, Holly Miller <hollym12 at gmail.com> wrote:

> Valerie Yingling at the NFB headquarters is a great contact for this. I know 
she was very involved in the PARCC assessment situation, I'd imagine she's got 
her ear to the ground on smarter Balance as well
> 
> Valerie Yingling Paralegal National Federation of the Blind Telephone: 
410-659-9314 ext. 2440
> Vyingling at nfb.org
> 
> Holly
>> On Apr 21, 2014, at 4:13 PM, DrV <icdx1111 at gmail.com> wrote:
>> 
>> Dear All,
>> 
>> My son’s high school/district decided to do a ‘pilot test run’ of the new
>> Smarter Balanced testing (SBAC) for 11th graders only this year, as the
>> STAR testing has been phased out. The testing is scheduled for tomorrow.
>> 
>> I just received an email that though a braille version was requested, the
>> materials have not been received & apparently the “accessibility kinks”
>> haven’t been worked out yet.
>> 
>> I have requested elaboration from the district, but haven’t heard back yet.
>> 
>> It would seem like the testing should be accessible.
>> 
>> Can anyone provide some guidance/insights into what to do on a practical
>> level & how this is being addressed on state/national level from other
>> blind students?
>> 
>> Who is addressing the accessibility issues in CA/nationally?
>> 
>> Sincerely,
>> 
>> Eric
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