Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Parenting and Advocacy Problem or not??

Melessa, our elementary school used DRA assessments to track reading. Did the teacher give test him as far as he could go with the assessments? It sounds like she did not back in October - doing "fine" on an 8 and then arbitrarily assigning a level 10. The idea is that the teacher should keep giving progressively higher level assessments until the student isn't able to pass the assessment. (The assessments are basically reading a book aloud to the teacher and then orally answering comprehension questions). If he was tested all the way up to his current level (and topped out there), that's a-ok... but if he wasn't tested until he topped out, then I would request a re-assessment with the DRA.

Re DRA level vs AR level - you can google and find charts that compare the levels. From a quick google (don't take my word for it - I did this *quickly*) it looks like a DRA level 14-16 is end-of-first grade and AR 3 is beginning of 3rd grade.

Try not to worry about the meeting until you're there - and if you come up with a question that you don't have time to submit before the meeting, don't worry about it - ask it anyway! I understand the teacher wanting to be able to prepare to answer your questions but at the same time - meetings like this tend to generate more questions.

Best wishes,

polarbear

Here's a conversion table: http://libmedia.salkeiz.k12.or.us/Resources/Conversion%20chart%20for%20DRA2%20and%20AR.pdf

I'd like to hear how the meeting goes, so keep us posted.

At our school, kids are expected to be at a DRA 18 by the end of first grade or they are a candidate for a literacy plan. For us, 14-16 would be considered grade level for the second semester of first.

FYI, we have noticed that the teachers only test DRA level up to one year above grade level in the lower grades. In the upper grades, they seem to test up to two years above grade level.

In K my son got a DRA level of 40 which is 4th grade. I am glad the K teacher didn't just stop at one level up...what a difference that would have made in her educational planning for him. He is in 2nd grade now and I haven't heard lately what his DRA is probably because he is such an outlier that he gets taught as a group of one for his reading and they have to work hard to keep him in books and at a challenging level. They are probably not too worried about his DRA.

Thanks everyone!!! Really much appreciated. Ds5 is in kindergarten, so maybe she's testing only 1 grade ahead. She did make him take Star test with AR level 2.7-3.7, but he is reading mostly 4th grade books. With DRA, ds teacher expects him to recite book word for word. (Funny that he is doing this easier with more interesting books.)

This year has been such a mess. I counted today and realized there have been 94 emails and 7 p/t conferences. Something needs to change. My ds loves to learn, but is bored with school and I can't blame him. Hoping this meeting leads to somewhere in the right direction.

So thankful for all the support and words of wisdom!!

My DS5 in K was not tested past the end of 1st grade even though he aced the test. They just said that they don't do that. We use Guided Reading here and that was a J level. He had been reading M and P level books for awhile. They seemed to believe that although kindergarteners might be able to decode higher than end of 1st grade they wouldn't be able to comprehend.

Some things just don't make sense to me no matter how much I talk to the school. I hope you get some answers on Weds.

Wow! This makes me feels like such a minor league player in the "that parent" game! I might need to step up my game! LOL

Sounds like you are doing a great job with advocating for your DS! Keep it up!

LOL-- I just have to say "THANK YOU" to Melessa for sharing the specific number.

I, too, feel like a much less... er... "invasive" parent.


But don't feel bad-- I think that during DD's 7th grade year, we had even more than that... that was the year that we had four 504 meetings, including one in which I distinctly recall frostily asking counsel "Interesting. Is that "cannot?" Or is it "will not?" There IS a difference." again.

I got so that I would apologize FIRST when I called anyone at school that year... I'm pretty sure that the principal eventually recognized my number on caller ID and cringed.

The above anecdote is to note merely that one CAN recover from such a toxic environment (through advocacy, of course!!) and even have things be somewhat normative again afterwards.

OTOH I realized my advocating was lacking when I came across the school psychologist in a hallway and she could not remember my name.

This was rectified.