I have the same questions - does he understand what's being taught in class and do well on classwork and homework but then struggle in testing? If it's testing *only* that's the issue, try to figure out what it is about testing, does he become anxious, is he distracted, is it something about the surroundings he's in etc. Schools are often very accommodating with simple testing accommodations such as a quiet room or extended time etc.
If he seems to be struggling with something beyond simply testing - just for example, is he struggling with reading, then you can request that the school evaluate him for specific learning disabilities.
Another thing you might ask the teacher is - how much time does he/she expect the homework to take? If it's taking much longer than the teacher thinks it should, that could be a red flag that he is struggling with some type of learning challenge.
The other thing you can do is look at the different school options that are available in your area - my children attended a very project-oriented elementary school which allowed (in theory) for differentiation within classrooms, had very little conventional testing, and didn't assign grades but instead focused on self-assessments and what was learned during a project or semester. It was a helpful environment for my 2e ds for awhile as it took the focus off of grades and testing when we were working through figuring out just what was up with his inconsistencies in school.
polarbear
