The Wrightslaw Way

Can a parent request that the school use exactly the same tests when evaluating a student for his triennial IEP?  We want the same tests conducted to compare progress.
No, there is no requirement or regulation that a school use the same tests. If a parent requests this, it’s very unlikely that a school would comply.

Sent from one of our readers -
I have Dyslexia. I told numerous people I have dyslexia including teachers, psychologist ect… when I had my son tested for learning disabilities. No one thought it was a big deal, and no one cared to test my son for Dyslexia. He has all of the [...]

Thanks to Chicago Special Education Examiner, Kindall Nelson, who reviews and recommends books every parent of a child with special needs should read.
Several of Kindall’s favorites, she says are “invaluable to parents, teachers, and others,” are our favorites too.
Don’t miss

Did you receive academic test results for your child that were much lower than you expected?
In some cases parents say they received no scores for certain subjects or were told their child “either scored so low she could not be graded or she was not given the test.”
What can you do? First, focus on [...]

If a student has scribe on his IEP for all subjects, is he supposed to have a scribe in math also? I was told “no” by a school administrator. I’m confused.
If the IEP says a scribe in all subjects, that means all subjects. Math is a subject. You need to write [...]

I’m concerned about the level of experience the special ed teacher has with implementing my child’s reading program. She is in the 4th grade and will start the Reading Mastery/REACH program at her school. My daughter is a bright dyslexic, socially well adjusted. She is a hard worker with a great attitude.
I asked [...]

Most college special education masters programs do not include comprehensive instruction in reading for dyslexics.
Yet, dyslexics or children with reading disorders make up 70-80% of the special education students. Is there any wonder why special education reading scores are so low?
How does this happen?

As a teacher, how can I advocate for a third grade student who receives resource support services, but failed to make any progress in reading or math this year?
Her parents paid for a daily specialized reading program for three months. She made astounding progress.
She learned to read and her scores improved greatly. Her parents [...]

It appears I’ve offended some teachers by the post and comments on “Fifth grader is reading at 2.7 grade level. Should he be tested for Special Ed?”
Before clarifying the purpose of that article, I have a question for you: If your child was in 5th grade and reading on the 2.7 grade level, wouldn’t you [...]

My daughter attended her first IEP meeting today, it was a disaster. Does she have the right to write on the IEP under parental concerns? She wanted to write a statement about her daughter being dyslexic and they wouldn’t let her?
There is no legal or commonsense reason why a parent or any other [...]