Would you guys mind looking at my letter draft? :-) I think it's too long, but I can't decide what to take out ...
Dear Mrs. Principal:
Having met with you several times to review our son Benjamin's academic planning and various assessments, we'd like to express our concerns and hopes regarding Benjamin's placement at Madison School.
Benjamin took the MAP Mathematics test December 5 of this year. Based on his results in the Math II section, we understand that he is not eligible for first-grade pullouts under Madison School's standard guidelines.
The MAP assessment is designed to measure what a student has been taught, but not how a student learns. Since Benjamin has not received formal instruction in mathematics at home, he has not been exposed to the format of questions typically taught in school and used on the MAP test. However, Benjamin's privately administered WIAT-II scores show that he has a specific aptitude for math reasoning; his scores in that area were in the 99.9th percentile for his age. We feel that Benjamin's ability in mathematics is much better demonstrated on his WIAT results than on his MAP results.
Looking at Benjamin's extremely varied performance on the MAP test, his achievement scores on the WIAT-II, his ability as demonstrated by his IQ scores on the privately administered WPPSI-III, and our own observations of our son, we feel that Benjamin would benefit from pull-outs with the accelerated first-grade math program. We ask that Benjamin be granted a trial period to assess his ability within the group, with the MAP results used as a guide to shore up weaker areas.
We further request that the Iowa Acceleration Scale be completed as a guide for Benjamin's educational planning. His reading is well advanced; his DRA level places him at the beginning of third grade, and his WIAT achievement test places him at the 99.9th percentile for decoding and comprehension. Benjamin's mathematics scores have been at or above the 98th percentile on all standardized tests given, with the exception of the MAP Math II. His social development is well on par with that of his peers, and he has no significant behavior issues. We therefore believe that academic acceleration needs to be considered for Benjamin.
We are willing to arrange a telephone conference with Dr. Elizabeth Mika, the psychologist who administered Benjamin's individual IQ and achievement testing, for further consultation, if the school feels it would be helpful.
We appreciate District 69 and Madison School for their long traditions of excellence and thank you for your dedication to ensuring the most appropriate education for our son.
Sincerely,
Too long? Thoughts? Is it too soft? Too pushy?
This is the first time I've done this!
