Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Parenting and Advocacy Convincing 2e DD8 to "play the game" of school

do you have a citation for this? I'm curious because our state's RTI implementation document explicitly excludes the use of a discrepancy model (i.e. a discrepancy between IQ and achievement). In this respect, RTI seems to have made things worse for 2e kids in our state.

The RTI process should be used only for determining whether a child has a specific learning disability and is different than the determination of whether another diagnosed impairment such as autism or ADHD adversely affects educational achievement. ADHD is NOT a specific learning disability, but is clearly classed as an "other health impairment".

Since you brought up RTI, though, under 34 CFR 300.309, a discrepancy between ability and achievement is one of the three allowable ways to determine that a child has a Specific Learning Disability. IDEA 2004 did not say that states could not use this criterion, only that they could not make it a *required* criterion. States are responsible for developing their own criteria for identifying children as children with a disability, and many of them either did not include this method of determination, or else directly prohibit it.

You can read the preamble to the regulations implementing IDEA 2004 and analysis of comments and changes here. If there is a particular topic in IDEA you are interested in, such as identification of SLD or general eligibility criteria, simply scroll down to the relevant section number (note that there is often discussion of several different points concerning the same section, since the analysis and discussion is based on what sorts of comments were received regarding the regulations.) It's interesting reading.

***Update***

We've quit the game.

DD8 and I went to meet the teacher. Here's all the reasons we decided it was so horribly wrong it isn't worth bothering to go tomorrow for the real first day:

1. DD8 noticed that all the books in the 3rd/4th room were baby chapter books, and the bigger books were all ones she'd read before.

2. When we asked the teacher about it, she indicated that she rotates her books throughout the year, and these are her beginning of the year books. (Even DD8 knew that the teacher should be providing books that the students need and not just rotating the books on some pre-determined schedule.)

3. There were slightly larger chapter books, Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, and Mysterious Benedict Society, but she's read all those already. Years ago, in some cases.

4. The teacher did not use this as an opportunity to connect with DD8 and find out what books she likes, etc.

5. When I asked how they were going to split the kids, either based on grade or based on ability, she said they have to go by grade for the district. When I probed further and suggested we meet in the next couple of weeks to talk, she had the nerve to put me off and suggest that there is going to be a curriculum night coming up and that might make things clearer for me.

So, the teacher is going to provide books on a schedule, and stick like Velcro to the curriculum rules from the district. I re-reviewed the scope and the sequence of just the math curriculum for the 3rd and 4th grade and DD has mastered it all already.

So, the game is up. We've reached the final play. New game starts tomorrow. How am I going to do this? I don't know. But, I know in my heart that watching her spin her wheels and trying to lie to her and say it's all right is the wrong decision.

I know that this is wrong on their part, and normally I leave no windmills un-tilted, but I don't want to put my child front and center in my personal battle with the school district to get her something they don't want to give her.

Thanks for all of your advice! DD8 is really excited. Back to conic sections and large long division problems!

JennyM

I'm so sorry to hear that it was such a bad experience, but it sounds like you dodged a bullet.



We've been homeschooling since DS was 5, and I completely understand. I was only willing to make a nuisance of myself when the benefits greatly outweighed the risks, and I was sure that my DS would be protected from any repercussions. If there is anything I can do to help, feel free to drop me a PM.

I recognize that there are many different nuances to the way people use the term "Response to Intervention," but I just want to say that I do not agree that it should be used "only for determining whether a child has a specific learning disability." In fact, one of the primary uses of RtI is to deliver effective and timely interventions to prevent a child falling so far behind that they are ever considered for special education.

In my state, we have a model that is similar to RtI, but we call it comprehensive student support. The way that it's implemented, of course, is not nearly as comprehensive as I would like, but it's a good vision. The class I taught last year had a very low percentage of students in special education, and pretty good proficiency rates, but fully half of them had received some kind of intervention or action plan in elementary school.

Wow Wow Wow! I've found over and over that things that we 'absolutely can't do' we do when we can notice that we really really need to do them.

Best Wishes on the Homeschooling - hopefully she can work independently for a good chunk of the day! Glad that your home has 'beauty and order' all set so at least that is not an issue.

Love and More Love,
Grinity

@Jenny -- Good luck with your new game. I know that it must have required some personal sacrifice on your part.
@aculady thanks for the citation.

JennyM, it sounds like you made a courageous and good decision! How exciting to hear that your DD is excited about it! And I'm thinking, as hard as it might be -- at first, especially -- to adjust to being a PhD student and homeschooling, what a wonderful example you are setting for her. You are both working, side-by-side, on learning at your own pace and scope, and that sounds pretty great for her (and you) to experience.

Good luck with the new game!

Thank you all for the amazing support! This has been a real "jump and you'll find the net" experience. I contacted a friend who runs a wonderful daycare last night to see if she could keep my DD when I can't be with her and Dad's out of town. Not only did she say yes, but in another surprise decision, her high school son is also homeschooling this year, so she's completely on board with us.

Here we go!

JennyM

Beckee:
Absolutely - all children should be monitored for educational problems and have appropriate intervention provided as needed, without waiting for them to fail. That is the spirit of RTI. My point was that provision of special education services, accommodations, modifications, and supports for children with disabilities that affect educational functioning other than suspected specific learning disabilities should not be denied or delayed because the child has not completed a phase two RTI process. The RTI process is not part of determining whether a child has an impairment in any of the other disability categories, but many LEAs are trying to use RTI in this way. RTI is, rightly, part of the process for determining whether a child has a specific learning disability - in this case, it allows you to at least begin to answer the question "Is the problem in performance a problem with learning or a problem with the prior teaching?"