ec__bb, you sound like some of the school staff I've run into. I think what is important to parents is that our kids have a chance to learn math with the least interference from the LD possible.
IMO, elementary school standardized tests have little to do with learning, and I wouldn't make accommodation decisions based on them.
Okay. I've done the walk-away-from-this thing to see if I would have a different perspective after a bit of time has passed, but I really don't, so I'm going to go ahead and post.
I believe this is a rather unfortunate case of the messenger (which would be my role in this case) taking a bullet. If I sound "like some of the school staff you've run into" (which didn't exactly seem to put me in an endearing category), then it's probably because I am a member of a school staff. As far as my background goes, yes, I am an elementary teacher. I teach in a self-contained gifted and talented classroom, and have done so for my entire teaching career. Not only have I taught 2e students, I am currently one of two teacher representatives on a state-level committee whose sole charge is to advocate for the needs of 2e students now that our state's definition of SLD has changed and 2e students are basically no longer allowed to exist in our state. I have probably sat in dozens of case conferences for over a dozen 2e children over the years. I have advocated for my 2e kids at both the district level and the state level, including multiple face-to-face meetings with our state superintendent of public instruction and members of our state board of public education. Helping kids learn math (and language arts and social studies and science and related arts) with the least interference from an SLD possible is
what I do on a daily basis, so that's not exactly some new revelation to me.
I'll see your "little to do" and raise you an "absolutely nothing to do" when it comes to what elementary standardized tests have to do with learning for gifted kids. However, standardized tests are the rules by which the game of education is played these days. I can't change the rules, but I have experience in helping 2e parents and kids navigate the system and play within the rules while still getting the best education possible.
I know that you prefaced your comment on accommodations with "IMO," but my whole reason for posting my response was to warn the original poster that "opinions" frankly don't matter when it comes to accommodations that can be made for state standardized testing. I have seen too many parents of dysgraphic students think that dictation is going to be "the magic bullet" for everything educational and that no other strategies will be needed...and then have no clue what to do when they're told at a case conference that it will be fine for everyday work, but NOT a good option for standardized testing. Never did I say in my reply to the original poster that a dictation accommodation should not be considered for daily work. However, because that particular accommodation may not be acceptable for state standardized testing, I thought it might be helpful to warn the original poster of that fact and to provide information on what I have found to be a helpful strategy for students who struggle with dysgraphia and the written work frequently required with math these days. You apparently read my warning and decided that I'm just another "school staff member" trying to keep these 2e kids down, and I felt compelled to let you and others reading this thread know that you are mistaken.
