Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Parenting and Advocacy I didn't sign the NORA

Re the test I think it was just based on the ICAS ones, which are external maths (and other) exams in Australia that smart children sit for fun (lol). Except they either started at the harder part of the paper or were doing the one from a year ahead. I usually look at the papers when they’ve done their exam and I like them, there’re some questions that just need logic, rather than rote learned arithmetic.

Unfortunately, at least in the US, according to this linked government factsheet, data is being collected from PRESCHOOL through K-12 to post-secondary and workforce. This Longitudinal data may kept throughout the individual's lifespan and beyond.

Grade 2 may be the 4th year of data collection on the student (1=PK4, 2=K5, 3=Grade1, 4=Grade2), including test scores, teacher's names, grades earned, and more.

With Common Core, data collection, and equal outcomes, the government schools which children attend today are significantly different than the public schools which their parents may have attended more than a decade ago.

This is totally true. My DS9 has been diagnosed with both dyslexia and dysgraphia, but skipped a grade (before his dx) and his reading comprehension as of last spring was testing ~90% for his grade level. It's the outputting of what he knows in the form of writing that is difficult for him, both composition (which our school hasn't taught in a structured way) and handwriting (his is fairly illegible).

Update: I am sooo sorry I haven't been responding - I dove head-long into preparing advocacy binders and now have a 3inch binder full of the state and district laws and a 2inch binder with advocacy articles and DD's tests and school communications. Whew!
Platypus - I had never even thought of just skipping the homework lol. Over the summer I usually pick out a workbook that is a few years above her and let her work on a few pages a day - there is no reason I shouldn't do something like that with her homework and I will certainly bring that up at our next meeting.
We have a parent-teacher (student) conference next week that should be fairly unproductive. It is mostly an opportunity for the kids to show off their "portfolio" and the teacher to justify themselves with no real time allotted to parent concerns.
Mid-April is the next big GIEP meeting. They called in both guidance counselors, the gifted teacher, the gifted program coordinator, the principal, and vice principal. I'm still polishing my materials in preparation for the ambush - oops I mean meeting.
The biggest outstanding question I still have is: what does appropriate testing for a PLEP look like? What tests? How are the scores interpreted into actionable items? How often are these tests done?
Right now I know DD has a woefully insufficient PLEP, but if I push for out-of-level testing this year - what about next year? Does she just keep taking these tests all the time? I fully expect the school to ask "what I want" at the next meeting and "further testing" doesn't seem like an acceptable answer, since the one time they conceded to further testing (back in K) it wasn't the right type, and no one implemented anything new after getting the results smh.
Thanks again for all the help - I'll try to check back a little more and update!

There were a couple of times when my sons were of that age when we simply had to tell the teacher that our sons wouldn't be participating in the repetitive simple math exercises and that we'd given him other assignments to do at that time. They were of course a little perplexed but we told them if our son didn't test up to standards we'd be happy for him to resume the standard program.

I have been coming around to the idea of substituting her homework, however my husband calls that a "bandaid". Since so much of her day is spent in school, it hardly seems worth mentioning homework until the content of her school day has been dealt with. But it is certainly on my radar now. What type of homework assignments did you substitute? I was just going to order a workbook a few grades above her in each subject and let her do a page night. Does that seem reasonable? Obviously I'll gave to speak with her teachers, but as a starting point?

MEETING UPDATE: Sorry, it took so long for me to update you - it was a crazy weekend and we are still trying to process.
The short version: the meetings was.....fine?
The long version: The PLEP section looks slightly better. They included a KTEA and full DRA level as well as the CBA's from this year. There is still a bit of a gap when it comes to above-level testing, but since I plan on asking for her to be accelerated in reading I imagine they will figure that out on their own.
I was super-proud of myself for standing my ground (and I didn't cry!), the gifted teacher got pretty upset and asked that I "trust the school" at which point I told her that "was not my job". So there's that.....
The rest of the GIEP was still wholly unacceptable as they had gotten the impression that the PLEP was my only concern since that was the complaint I listed when I signed the NORA. I explained that there was no point in a conversation about anything until the PLEP was fixed, so the bulk of our meeting consisted of us debating appropriate goals and accommodations.
The takeaway from the meeting was that the team would rewrite the GIEP with specificity and send it to me for review, I would submit one round of comments and then we would meet again. The biggest victory was the district has agreed to mover her annual meeting to October so that we are better able to have meaningful discussions as we move forward.
With each meeting, I get a little bit more nervous that I am overstaying my welcome. There is still a lot to be discussed and I fear that they will grow weary of my never-ending dissatisfaction, but we started so far from where we needed to be! The one thing I have in my favor is that at this meeting I gave them an outline of my current concerns, this way they won't be surprised when they come up again and again.
I'll let you know how things progress.
I really appreciate all the help (and hand holding). I wouldn't have made it this far without you!

Thanks for the update. I am proud of you, too.

If you stay focused on meeting your child's needs,
and frame discontent in terms of meeting your child's needs,
and make suggestions/requests to better meet your child's needs...
you should be OK!

You go girl!

You are learning how to do this advocacy thing, and doing it gracefully, I think. Firm and confident is not rude.

And not to be overly crude about it, but you cannot overstay your welcome: they work for you, the taxpayer, and for your child, to whom is owed a free and appropriate public education.

Agreed!

Unfortunately, teachers/schools striving to create "equal outcomes" can and do grow weary of parents appropriately advocating for their children... and may create a false narrative, even a toxic atmosphere to drive a child out. The data stored and shared about a student in the student longitudinal data systems means that moving to a new school does not necessarily provide a fresh start for the child. Keeping accurate records and complete documentation may help a parent maintain a semblance of reality if a teacher/school begins a false narrative and/or the creation of a toxic atmosphere.