3 year evaluation

[wakeupcall]

Is a school evaluation done every three years with a child that has OHI disability? I can't remember where I read that. Is that a law somewhere? What if it's not being done? I've been deliberately not calling for a meeting on difficult child's IEP until it's done so that we don't have to have TWO meetings, but the school is dragging their feet somewhere on getting the evaluation done. What should I do?

 

[Sheila]

Is a school evaluation done every three years with a child that has OHI disability?

Yes

Is that a law somewhere?

Yes. You might want to bookmark http://idea.ed.gov/explore/home .

A public agency must ensure that a reevaluation of each child with a disability is conducted in accordance with 34 CFR 300.304 through 300.311:

* If the public agency determines that the educational or related services needs, including improved academic achievement and functional performance, of the child warrant a reevaluation; or
* If the child’s parent or teacher requests a reevaluation.


A reevaluation conducted under 34 CFR 300.303(a):

* May occur not more than once a year, unless the parent and the public agency agree otherwise; and
* Must occur at least once every 3 years, unless the parent and the public agency agree that a reevaluation is unnecessary.

[34 CFR 300.303] [20 U.S.C. 1414(a)(2)]

What should I do?

If you haven't already, request in writing and via Certified Mail that it be done. If you have already requested the re-evaluation, request a status update in writing and via Certified Mail.

 

[wakeupcall]

Thanks, Sheila. I knew you'd know this one. I found on the school's website that a re-evaluation is done every three years (that's ALL it said). The last evaluation was done 11/4/04 and no one has done anything on it since. I emailed the school district's lead psychologist in October to gently remind them and I see it has gotten me nowhere. Guess it's time to be more aggressive since I think he's lacking in Reading and the reason for that is that he's in a reading group to TEACH THE TAKS TEST! That's the state test he's supposed to pass. I think they are only teaching the test and not really how to read better, but an evaluation should show that.

Thanks!

 

[Sheila]

It always puzzles me when people say "teach to the TAKS." Perhaps I'm missing something somewhere, but the TAKS is Texas' accountability testing, e.g., it is to show how well the schools are teaching the students.

Further, the TAKS test are predicated on Texas Essential Skills and Knowledge (TEKS). In short, the students must master the TEKS before they can be successful on the grade equivalent TAKS.

You can find the TEKS by grade at https://web.archive.org/web/2008121...a.state.tx.us/rules/tac/chapter111/index.html . It's the TEKS (curriculum) that make up the TAKS.

If you will look at your child's TAKS report to the parent, you'll find the "Objectives" listed. They will correspond to the TEKS.

If you want to review released TAKS tests by grade, you'll find them at https://web.archive.org/web/2008121....assessment/resources/release/taks/index.html . The corresponding answer key will tell you what questions correspond to which TEKS.

The bottom line is that if your child is struggling with TAKS, he hasn't learned grade level curriculum, e.g., TEKS. Whether it's due to lack of appropriate instruction and/or unidentified neurological problems should be the focus.

And you bet, if he's in a TAKS reading group, he having problems with reading. The school will not put him in a TAKS reading group just because they don't have anything better to do. If you'll compare his reading TAKS categories and scores to the TEKS, it should give you a good idea of where his primary weaknesses in reading are (but it won't tell you the "why?")

It's been my experience that the TAKS reading group is great for teaching students that are lacking in instruction. They teach additional reading strategies also. But it's also been my experience that the TAKS reading group does not remediate or treat reading problems like dyslexia, language based reading problems, etc. To get to the underlying problem, and thereby remediate or treat the real problems, appropriate testing is required.

 

[wakeupcall]

I think that may be my problem with his Target Reading class. He just got a report card and made a D in reading. He has B's and A's in everything else. I struggle with his "reading" being so poor, but he makes such good grades (which involve reading of course) in everything else. Also, he only has this class twice a week. I've not seen any attempt to find out his particular problem so they can hone in on it; in fact when we went to open house the teacher didn't even know he had an IEP. Hmmmmm, I find that inconceivable. Anyway, the point of this thread was that I want an evaluation done to see if any of his deficits have improved or perhaps gotten worse in the last three years. I really do understand that this target reading group is "special" education, but maybe my son belongs in a daily special education reading class, or not. Am I going about this correctly?

 

[Sheila]

It may be "special," but it was explained to me by difficult child's principal that technically it is compensatory education. lol