Post by eaccae on Nov 26, 2003 11:54:19 GMT -5
I am feeling so tired and frusterated. We all have terrible colds and have to drive 6 hours for Thanksgiving.
We just heard from the insurance company and they are now refusing to pay for the Metadate CD that DS is taking.
And I just had his PPT meeting yesterday. The crux of it is that DS tested way too high to receive any help, an IEP or a 504. They said that NEXT YEAR (4th grade) they will look into a 504 since he will be transitioning schools when he goes into 5th grade. Both IQ tests put him in the superior range and his Woodthingy Johnson and TOWL tests put him above average to average range. Forget the fact that he isn't self starting or independently doing work at all, that his handwriting is illegible, that he is having unbelievable organizational problems, that his teacher calls me up up every other week to basically tell me DS is keeping up, etc.
He tested superior and above average in the reading comprehension arena. At the beginning of the year the principal looked up his reading score and it was two grade levels ahead - and yet his teacher just DROPPED him a level in reading group. She was supposed to RAISE him a level. When I asked her why she said he came unprepared for group one day so she thought she would build his self confidence by dropping him a level. Is she fixing the problem of getting his work done? It sounds more like a punishment. She told me that he picks inappropriate books for independent reading - way below his level. I told her it is because that is what is reading in reading group - so the thinks that is the level he is at. Forget the fact that at home he is almost 8 and reading the Hobbit on his own. The stuff he is reading in reading group is almost a joke for him - he must be so unbelievably bored.
The teacher has called me up many times this year regarding his writing - "his writing is illegible and inappropriate for his grade level," "he's not going to be able to keep up with the class this year," "if he doesn't do this assigment he is going to fail the writing course for the year." Because his TOWL test came back so high - his vocabulary, linguistics, sentence combining and concept skills were all high - he therefore can't have a problem in writing. I told them I was extremely please to find out he didn't have a processing problem which I think both the teacher and I expected. But clearly his work in school and his tests are completely at odds which indicates some kind of problem. (The teacher's face looked like she couldn't believe it when we were going over the scores). So instead of backing me up (which you think she would since she is the one who is extremely frusterated and keeps calling me) she tells everyone he doesn't have a problem and that he is doing better. So I asked her if he was writing now? And she said yes. Well - we haven't really done any of the narratives in writer's workshop since the last one (where he was going to fail the writing course for the year) - it will start again on Monday. So basically - she has no idea if it has improved.
The only thing that they decided to do was have him type his homework assignments and have her sign them (which she was supposed to be doing since Sept. but did it only a couple of times). Okay - that is going to help a whole lot.
I asked them what they were going to do about him becoming more independent. "Well, he just isn't there yet." What the hell does that mean? They have been saying that EVERY year. They said that he was young. I asked how was he less mature than the other kids? Was it behavior? Well he was a little sillier - of course the teacher doesn't see that because most of this only came out with the evaluaters when they were testing. So behavior in the classroom isn't an issue (and it never has been.). Well, he's younger than the other kids in 3rd grade. He's much smaller. Yes - his birthday is in Dec. but he isn't behind. Yes he's small - he is smaller than most of the kindergartners - so no matter what grade he was in - he would be small. So I asked for specifics - give me something concrete. He's small. I wanted to scream. I explained that you could hold him back 4 times in a row and he would still be samller and sillier than the other kids. He's a little guy - always has been. And it's his missing stop sign. I am working on it but he still doesn't necessarily know what is funny and what isn't - what is appropriate and what is not. I think a lot of us are going through this. Goodness - if he was in 2nd grade - they would be saying the same thing!
I am just so tired of nothing happening. I wanted to know if his testing was so high why aren't his grades reflecting that. If he is putting in very little effort and still doing grade level work - what does that say? That maybe he isn't at the right levels? If I could take him out of that school right now I would.
Oh well. We shall see how it goes. I have to go take more medicine and get DD her chicken nuggets!
Have a Happy Thanksgiving!!!
We just heard from the insurance company and they are now refusing to pay for the Metadate CD that DS is taking.
And I just had his PPT meeting yesterday. The crux of it is that DS tested way too high to receive any help, an IEP or a 504. They said that NEXT YEAR (4th grade) they will look into a 504 since he will be transitioning schools when he goes into 5th grade. Both IQ tests put him in the superior range and his Woodthingy Johnson and TOWL tests put him above average to average range. Forget the fact that he isn't self starting or independently doing work at all, that his handwriting is illegible, that he is having unbelievable organizational problems, that his teacher calls me up up every other week to basically tell me DS is keeping up, etc.
He tested superior and above average in the reading comprehension arena. At the beginning of the year the principal looked up his reading score and it was two grade levels ahead - and yet his teacher just DROPPED him a level in reading group. She was supposed to RAISE him a level. When I asked her why she said he came unprepared for group one day so she thought she would build his self confidence by dropping him a level. Is she fixing the problem of getting his work done? It sounds more like a punishment. She told me that he picks inappropriate books for independent reading - way below his level. I told her it is because that is what is reading in reading group - so the thinks that is the level he is at. Forget the fact that at home he is almost 8 and reading the Hobbit on his own. The stuff he is reading in reading group is almost a joke for him - he must be so unbelievably bored.
The teacher has called me up many times this year regarding his writing - "his writing is illegible and inappropriate for his grade level," "he's not going to be able to keep up with the class this year," "if he doesn't do this assigment he is going to fail the writing course for the year." Because his TOWL test came back so high - his vocabulary, linguistics, sentence combining and concept skills were all high - he therefore can't have a problem in writing. I told them I was extremely please to find out he didn't have a processing problem which I think both the teacher and I expected. But clearly his work in school and his tests are completely at odds which indicates some kind of problem. (The teacher's face looked like she couldn't believe it when we were going over the scores). So instead of backing me up (which you think she would since she is the one who is extremely frusterated and keeps calling me) she tells everyone he doesn't have a problem and that he is doing better. So I asked her if he was writing now? And she said yes. Well - we haven't really done any of the narratives in writer's workshop since the last one (where he was going to fail the writing course for the year) - it will start again on Monday. So basically - she has no idea if it has improved.
The only thing that they decided to do was have him type his homework assignments and have her sign them (which she was supposed to be doing since Sept. but did it only a couple of times). Okay - that is going to help a whole lot.
I asked them what they were going to do about him becoming more independent. "Well, he just isn't there yet." What the hell does that mean? They have been saying that EVERY year. They said that he was young. I asked how was he less mature than the other kids? Was it behavior? Well he was a little sillier - of course the teacher doesn't see that because most of this only came out with the evaluaters when they were testing. So behavior in the classroom isn't an issue (and it never has been.). Well, he's younger than the other kids in 3rd grade. He's much smaller. Yes - his birthday is in Dec. but he isn't behind. Yes he's small - he is smaller than most of the kindergartners - so no matter what grade he was in - he would be small. So I asked for specifics - give me something concrete. He's small. I wanted to scream. I explained that you could hold him back 4 times in a row and he would still be samller and sillier than the other kids. He's a little guy - always has been. And it's his missing stop sign. I am working on it but he still doesn't necessarily know what is funny and what isn't - what is appropriate and what is not. I think a lot of us are going through this. Goodness - if he was in 2nd grade - they would be saying the same thing!
I am just so tired of nothing happening. I wanted to know if his testing was so high why aren't his grades reflecting that. If he is putting in very little effort and still doing grade level work - what does that say? That maybe he isn't at the right levels? If I could take him out of that school right now I would.
Oh well. We shall see how it goes. I have to go take more medicine and get DD her chicken nuggets!
Have a Happy Thanksgiving!!!