No teacher denies in the education system that every student learns differently; however, our state refuses to accept such a claim. Close your eyes and imagine a young towheaded boy with bright blue eyes, trying with all his might to express himself at the age of three, but to everyone’s surprise no words can be heard. This young man attending speech therapy would later on come to the realization that learning sounds and reading would be a life long struggle. Now flash forward two years, the little boy is sitting with many grownups in an office room at his new school. His speech is developing, but not at the rate of his peers. The office room is filled with a diagnostician, counselor and his parents who see his remarkable growth as a reflection …show more content…
Currently, the STAAR-Accommodated tests were taken on the computer. This new computerized test was to provide several accommodations to aide the tester. For example, the student can run the mouse over the words to pronounce the word for them. They may also use a highlighter on the screen as well as have a word in the passage defined. These are more steps for the already “disabled” student to learn. Our students are set up for failure before they even sit down at the computer. No doubt, these changes were supposed to help the student, but the irony is many districts could not submit their student’s answers this year due to computer glitches which caused the test to be voided. I’m sure the students were upset as well as the parents about the outcome of the tests scores. In brief, let’s write our representatives to change the STAAR-Accommodation test back to the STAAR-Modified. Stop grading student’s with disabilities on the same level as their regular-learning peers. Reflecting back to that towheaded boy, he worked his way out of the Special Education label because his parents refused services. Remarkably, with the help of excellent teachers, understanding peers and persistent parents, I am attending college and succeeding. A prime example of a slow-learner who caught up quickly with the help of many stupendous people who never stopped believing in
In the 1990’s, I grew up taking the TAAS test or Texas Assessment of Academic Skills. I did not know why we had to take them but everyone had to and teachers tried to prepare us as much as they can. Then in the 2003, the state decided to change it to TAKS test or Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills. I knew that I had passed, but as a student we do not question why we have to take these tests. We are only told that they are important to our education and graduating to the next grade or from high school. A few years afterwards they had switched to a new standardized test form called STAAR which stands for State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness. It seems that a last few tests were
The driving forces behind SB 866 include persons from both public and private sectors. Individuals testified to the Interim Committee on Dyslexia and Related Disorders in what dyslexic students need to be successful academically. Testimony was heard from educators at the college level, parents of dyslexic students, doctors familiar with dyslexia and related disorders, medical researchers, members of professional dyslexia organizations, and state officers (Texas Legislature Online, 2011). Each spoke of their experiences with individuals with dyslexia and related learning disorders, medically, personally, and academically and each was chosen for their research and knowledge as it pertains to this very specific field (T. Flanders, personal communication, August 30, 2011). Absent from the agenda were teachers and dyslexia therapists within the public school system (Texas Legislature Online, 2011).
Back when I was a senior in high school, STAAR testing did not apply to us. It was brand-new to the school district. Thankfully we did not have to take it because we still had TAKS testing going on still. From what I’ve heard about STAAR from the lower class-men, it was not the “funnest” some say it was even more challenging than the TAKS test and to prove my point I got this quote from http://www.emsisd.com/Page/13156 stating that “The new STAAR assessments will be designed to be more difficult than TAKS”. In a way I think that it is good that they are challenging students a little bit harder but at the same time it is not fair to them because for instance STAAR did not apply to me (upper class-men), it took affect after I graduated from high
The problem with STAAR testing is the enormous pressure it puts on Texas students and teachers. With STAAR testing, it affects everything with students from preceding to the next grade level, attending college and eventually their futures career choices. STAAR testing affects Texas teachers as well. For Texas teachers and STAAR testing, starting January 2016 a new elevation system will base 20% of students’ scores towards teachers’ livelihoods, reputations, pay, promotions and even determining if they get to keep their job for another year. TEA will then take these teacher elevations and determine if schools will receive funding for the coming school year. With one test putting so much pressure on students and teachers, we continue to see
Overall, we think that we should just get rid of the STAAR completely. We think that if we took small tests throughout the year then we should be able to go to the next grade if we pass, not have to stress about a huge test that determines our future.
Most of the Nation does not like STAAR, or standardized tests. The reason is because most of all the students on the day of the test are completely stressed out, and worried about not succeeding. The STAAR is really a waste of time to me, but let’s NOT listen to me. Let me tell you some interesting facts I found. STAAR more than triples exit-level test load for high school students. “TAKS only required 4 final tests for high school graduation. By the STAAR, a student must pass 15 final tests, making it triple the high-stakes testing load for Texas.”
The problem with STAAR testing and who it affects the hardest, in Texas, is the students and teachers. They deserve better from us, with so much pressure from one test is outrageous. We see that in the past 4 years since STAAR testing has come into effect, state scores were in the low 70’s or barely passing, more homework is being added, the test its self is becoming harder with a massive amount of new material being added starting next year. With STAAR testing, it’s not just students who suffer it is the teachers. Students' scores are counted towards teachers’, livelihoods, reputations, their pay, promotions and even determining if they get to keep their job for another year, through a new elevation system being put into place starting January
High Stakes Testing has been overly integrated in the education systems. High-stakes testing are used to determine grade retention, school curriculum, and whether or not students will receive a high school diploma (Myers, 2015). Since the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001, high stakes testing has become the norm and mandating that students must pass a standardized test before moving up in grade. As a special education director, the focus is to ensure the student’s accommodations are being followed. Accommodations help increase students’ academic performance. “Both the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA) of 2004 and No Child Left Behind (NCLB) call for students with disabilities to participate in the general education curriculum and in testing programs to the maximum extent possible for each student (Luke and Schwartz, 2010).” Throughout the years, high stakes testing is becoming more common than ever before. The reality is high stakes testing is one indicator in evaluating children with specific needs. This paper will discuss, the violation of the statutory language regarding assessment based on IDEA, the strategies and goals of a remediation, staff training, common Core and PARCC assessment, and funding for the remediation plan under IDEA.
The right of entry to education resources is more than uncomplicated admission to a college. The right to use means to provide students with the devices they will need to be victorious in higher learning. Students with a recognized disability ought to be no omission. In reality, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, “ensure that all qualified persons have equal access to education regardless of the presence of any disability.” Objective replacement, class waivers, and revision of classroom management, testing and course necessities are all illustrations of behavior to supply access for the learner with a disability. A break down to the creation of such practical adjustments can place schools in breach of federal and state statutes, ensuing expensive fines.
The problem with The STAAR testing, and who it impacts the hardest is our children, our students. Every day we drop them off at school, wave goodbye and leave them in the hands of their teachers and the schools we trust, all we want as their parent’s is for our children and our student’s is to grow and to have the best education we can give them. When being taught by the way of the STAAR testing, TEA pre-course lesson plans, our children our being censoring on what they are taught to learn, we trust that with our children instead of the them being taught and evaluated with weekly or chapter test, like in college or basing it on real grades or them actually being taught basic educational skills like the generations before us. We are leaving
Before the passing of the EHA, and soon to be IDEA, students who were previously excluded from the public education system are now being fully accepted and gaining the same educational experience that everyone deserves, positively impacting the lives of children with special needs as well their families, promising a bright future ahead (Special Education News, 2017).
According to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, students with disabilities should be placed in a “least restrictive environment.” One of the main ideas of this act was to improve the learning experiences of students with disabilities by giving them learning opportunities outside of a special education classroom. The number of students with disabilities being placed in their general education classrooms is increasing more and more each year. The U.S Department of Education’s 27th annual report to Congress on the implementation of The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (2005) indicates that the number of students with disabilities in general education classrooms has risen to almost 50 percent. This is about a 17 percent increase from the 1997 U.S
Every spring for the past 4 years since 2012, every student attending 3rd grade through 8th grade and including high school students across The State of Texas, sit down and take the Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness or The STAAR Test. The STAAR test is what student’s in Texas are taught about from the very beginning of the school year and what teachers are required to teach. The STARR test includes 3rd grade through 8th- graders, taking reading and math, 4th and 7th graders taking writing, 5th through 8th graders taking the science portions, and with 8th-graders taking the social studies section. In high school, students are required to take the following portions of the STAAR test which includes English 1, English 2 which contains two tests of Writing and Reading, Algebra 1, Biology, and U.S. History. The STAAR tests for students in Texas determines each individual student’s assessment of where they are educated, towards the following subjects and what grade level they should be proceeded at. With state testing like the STAAR tests, there are more and more negatives and problems in the news, with the way our students are being taught in Texas, this state test not only follows them through their next grade levels but their academic careers, even following them into college and eventually their careers, with that and the amount of pressure being put on them from one test, the bar is being raised too high for our children in Texas, this not only affects our children
In today’s educational environment, all students expect to receive the same level of instruction from schools and all students must meet the same set of standards. Expectations for students with learning disabilities are the same as students without any learning difficulties. It is now unacceptable for schools or teachers to expect less from one segment of students because they have physical disabilities, learning disabilities, discipline problems, or come from poor backgrounds. Standardize testing has resulted in making every student count as much as their peers and the most positive impact has been seen with the lowest ability students. Schools have developed new approaches to reach these previously underserved students while
The importance of education for all children, especially for those with disability and with limited social and economic opportunities, is indisputable. Indeed, the special education system allowed children with disability increased access to public education. Apart from that, the special education system has provided for them an effective framework for their education, and for the institutions involved to identify children with disability sooner. In turn, this promotes greater inclusion of children with disability alongside their nondisabled peers. In spite of these advances however, many obstacles remain, including delays in providing services for children with disability, as well as regulatory and