Long Time, No Blog - Classification of your Student

Long Time No Blog

Trends (that are not good) in Special Education that Parents NEED TO KNOW

We have been absent from our blog since 2019, and how time flies. Many things have changed and happened since then, and there is a significant trend in IEPs that we are seeing and want to discuss. 

When your child is evaluated or reevaluated by the school psychologist through cognitive and achievement tests, many things might be revealed. Your child may have deficits you were unaware of, and they may have strengths that impress you. However, your student’s IEP should address their strengths and have specially designed instruction (SDI) and goals that help to improve their deficits that the school psychologist classifies. 

Let’s explain in more detail: 

Significant trends and aspects of an IEP that we want to highlight: 

The IEP should have goals for the achievement areas the school psychologist identifies. For example, if your student is classified with a Specific Learning Disability (SLD) in reading and they are average or above average within their math subtests and the school psychologist does not classify them with a need or SLD in math, your child’s case manager or special education teacher should not be writing an IEP that includes math goals through their diagnostic testing. 

Real Examples: 

Many districts within the suburban Philadelphia area diagnostically test their students while writing the annual IEPs, which should be a standard practice. This diagnostic testing should target the IEP goals, not try to find new areas of deficit. For example, if your child has an SLD in reading, their annual diagnostic testing should focus on reading through an assessment like the QRI-7. The case manager should not be diagnostically testing in reading AND math.

Let’s Explain in More Detail: 

When classifying your student, the case manager completes this diagnostic testing, different from the cognitive and achievement testing the school psych completes. The diagnostic test that the case manager/special education teacher does SHOULD NOT override the classification of the school psychologist. 

If your child is classified with an SLD in reading and the school psychologist does not find needs in math, your child SHOULD NOT HAVE MATH GOALS. This is a trend throughout the suburban districts. As a parent, you should ask your child’s case manager during the IEP meeting why they would override the school psychologist’s testing with less comprehensive tests and then give your child unnecessary IEP goals. An IEP with more goals does not mean that it is a better IEP. 

Next Trend: 

If the IEP is effective, your student should be making progress with their academics and within their goals. They should not have repetition of the same goals from year to year. If you see this, you should ask the IEP team why your student is not progressing. A good IEP helps your student progress and catch up to the grade level of their same-age peers. Simply because your student has an IEP does not mean they are getting a better education. 

When a student does not truly need an IEP or makes significant progress in exiting special education, as a parent, you should embrace this, not fight against it. Having an IEP can be stigmatizing for many students if they do not truly need it. 

Ask for your student to be reevaluated, especially if they are learning support students, evaluated during COVID. Open up the conversation with your student’s IEP team and remember, just because they have an IEP does not mean they are getting a better education. 

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to us and discuss!