What accommodations does he have that he isn't using? Could you list them here? I'd also go through each of them with him to get an answer re why he isn't using them. There are several different reasons students don't use accommodations - with my ds we've run into each of these reasons:
PB, thanks for such a detailed response and ideas. My son has the same excuses you list, as to why he doesn't use his 504. In addition, he doesn't think it's fair that he would get extra time, and get to keyboard when other kids (who also want the time and keyboard) are not allowed. He would never do that to his friends, even if we explain why he should.
The accommodations he doesn't use:
- extra time. In fact, he is often the first one finished. When his reading teacher told me this at the beginning of the year, we each coached my son to take all the time given (not extra time) to make sure he was doing his best work. That did make a difference in his performance. Does he need the extended time on his 504? Apparently not at this point, but thanks to this thread, I realize we don't know whether he'll need it in the future.
-- keyboarding all assignments and notes. Other kids are required to make class notes in composition notebooks. He won't keyboard when the other kids aren't allowed, even though he can't read his handwriting about half the time.
-- the teacher is supposed to check with him to make sure he understands the assignment or test questions. This is on the 504, but left over from elementary school. I insisted on it because he often made math mistakes when he skipped over words in word problems. He doesn't use this, and would be mortified if a teacher checked his comprehension (and in fact, his reading comprehension is particularly high).
For state/standardized testing accommodations to be included you have to have proof that there is a need, and according to policy the same accommodations have to be *given* in class. This is technically different than being "used" in class. My ds has an extended time accommodation for all classroom and state testing as part of his 504 plan, which means he can use extended time on tests in the classroom when he needs to. He doesn't have to use it every time, and in fact, he rarely needs it in the classroom
This is an interesting distinction, and it's not the way I understand it. I'll have to check on it. Another problem with the way my son's school uses the extra time for state testing is that my son would have to go into a different room for testing, which he would be too embarrassed to do. All his friends would ask why he didn't take the test.. and then he'd say he did in a different room. I can see why that's uncomfortable for him.
If the school is pushing you to drop it, I'd request current testing showing that whatever testing data identifying the need initially has changed (example: relatively low processing speed score on WISC for writing, reading tests for dyslexia, discrepancy in scores for timed vs untimed achievement tests etc). If it hasn't changed, the need is still there. Also ask for a timed handwriting sample and compare # of letters per minute to grade-level peers.
Great idea. I've seen this mentioned before, and of course I should ask that they test to prove he doesn't need it.
And unless he types EVERYTHING, he can't use a keyboard on state testing.
Do you mean everything in the classroom or everything on the state testing? This really doesn't make sense, but from two different perspectives.
I didn't mean to imply he had to keyboard multiple choice answers, although they are computerized. I was talking about writing prompts. And I was told that unless he always answers ALL writing prompts on the computer, he can't make an exception and keyboard the prompts during state tests.
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Thank you soooo much for everyone's thoughts and ideas about how to handle this. I obviously don't know what high school challenges he will have and even though he's doing great in school now, I realize I do need to be prepared for the unexpected with his 504. I guess my strategy at our 504 meeting will be to tell them unless they have data to proof he no longer needs the accommodations, we'll keep them!
