Dear Advocate,
I have a third grader in Rochester. My child has an IEP (Individualized Education Program) for academics, and a behavior plan for things like running out of the classroom. My son’s grades are all As and Bs and his teacher says he is doing great, but I just got a report that he’s in the 25th percentile for reading and 15th for math. I don’t understand, and I think that the goals are not helping. Or maybe they are helping, which is why he has such great grades? If that is the case, why are the goals the same as last year? What is this test that tells me he’s not doing great, and can we use that to make goals? If we can, then how?
- Tester in Rochester
Hi Tester!
Grades. Tests. Percentiles. Goals. Is your head spinning? If you are like most parents, all this assessing and progress monitoring and grading make for a confusing experience. I will try to break it down for you.
One of the most common points of confusion for parents is the distinction between IEP goals and grades. Grades are a traditional measure of a child’s academic achievement in relation to grade-level state standards for learning. An “A” means the child is exceeding the standard, a “B” denotes meeting the standard, “C” is approaching and “D” is below the standard. In theory, and barring grade inflation, your son’s grades show that, if accurate, he is learning at grade-level and above.
Assessments are a little different. You didn’t mention which assessment was used, but I’m guessing that it was a district-level assessment. There is the Washington Smarter Balance Assessment, which doesn’t provide percentiles. The Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA) Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) is the most common district-level assessment, and I’ll assume for the purposes of this response that you are referring to it in your question.
The MAP provides detailed data on your child’s academic achievement and growth, and even provides growth projections. While grades are individual, and the Smarter Balance is normed across the state, MAP compares your child to age-peers nationally. The assessment then provides the percentile of their achievement and/or growth, provides detailed information as to achievement gaps, and recommendations for areas on which to focus.
I hesitate to discuss percentiles, as I don’t know if they represent achievement or growth. If the percentiles are for achievement, it means that your son is in the lowest quartile for reading and math in terms of grade-level achievement. If this is the case, then your child needs more support and targeted interventions.
If the percentiles are for growth, it means that your child is growing more slowly than age-peers. This isn’t always a cause for concern, because children who are working at advanced levels tend to grow more slowly. In my teaching career, children who scored in the lowest percentiles for achievement often scored in the highest percentile for growth, and vice versa.
So, the bigger question: What does this mean for your child’s IEP goals? First, I want to be clear: Goals should never, ever, ever remain the same year after year. Goals should be based on the child’s needs and designed to ameliorate deficits so that the child learns - and grows - at grade level. This doesn’t seem to be happening in your son’s situation.
The first step I recommend is to review your documents. Were you given a score report? If so, determine other versions of the score report. MAP has a few, and each tells a different story with different information.
The second step is to contact the school counselor via email. Request a meeting to discuss the results. They may recommend you speak directly to your son’s teacher, and if so, by all means, set up a meeting.
The final step is to call an IEP Team meeting and prepare for it in advance. Ask the IEP Team to clarify the grades-assessments-goals disconnects. Also, I recommend that you advocate for more appropriate goals that are aligned to grade level standards. Make sure to follow up after the meeting in writing, with your notes on what was agreed upon and what remains to be discussed.
I hope this helps you, Tester in Rochester! Special education is a confusing world, and even more so when we are looking at our child’s achievement and growth compared to national norms. I welcome further questions! Feel free to email me anytime.
We’ll see if the digital demigod can craft appropriate goals based on this Ask an Advocate question.
This column is written by Shannon Sankstone, she is an Olympia-based special education advocate and the owner of Advocacy Unlocked. She may be reached at ShannonSankstone@theJOLTnews.com.
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