I received an anguished letter from a mother of a child with autism. She here describes–very movingly–her efforts to help him and the efforts of his teachers to help him. And when she reaches the point where he is assessed by New York’s new Common Core tests, she is in a rage. The New York State Education Department says he is a failure. She knows he is not. She knows how hard he has worked to achieve and learn. She knows how hard his teachers have worked on his behalf. My child, she says, is not a test score.
Every parent, teacher, and administrator should read her letter. So should Commissioner John King. And so should the members of the Board of Regents. See your handiwork. See what you have done.
Here is her letter:
My son is not the ELA or Math score, so why does NYS assess him and his teachers on this? WHY?
Let me start with this- I am not a teacher. I am a true single mom of a child with High Functioning Autism.
My son was diagnosed with Autism at 22 months and was lagging greatly in his developmental growth across the board. Right after he was diagnosed he started receiving services at home. Several months later I brought him back to the Developmental Pediatric Doctor and it was clear and recommended he start full time early invention. So he was registered at a school that specialized in educating kids with Autism. And starting at age 3, from 9am – 3pm, 5 days a week for a year and a half, including summers, my son attended Crossroads. It was a 45 minute van/bus ride and bless his little heart, no naps and no free play were allowed. Work. Work. Work. He worked his behind off. He made leaps and bounds. At age 4 1/2, I put him in a mainstreamed preschool that was closer to home and that following September, at age 5, he started Kindergarten in a mainstreamed public classroom. He still received his services daily and at that point his diagnosis was changed to High Functioning Autism. He made it to 1st. He made it to 2nd.
2012-2013 School Year
Last year, in 3rd grade, he took the state exams for the first time, the NEW CCSS exams. His IEP states he is allowed time and half for all tests, including the NYS Exams. That means if a child is permitted 70 minutes, my son gets 105 minutes (70 + 35). When all of this test taking was happening last year, to be honest, he didn’t feel or realize the pressure that many of his friends felt; simply put “he just didn’t get it.” Right now he doesn’t have it in him to see the big picture; I know he will at some point. He believed it was just a test, a test where he sat down and was allowed to chew gum. And back then, only 7 months ago, it was “fine”. He was fine. I was fine. Why was it fine then and not now? Because I wasn’t educated about this and quite honestly there was a more pressing issue going on at his school in regards to the leadership, which has since been resolved.
2013-2014 School Year
Currently he is in 4th grade. These past few weeks I have taken a great interest in the CCSS for NYS and am very concerned about how developmentally inappropriate the curriculum is. It seems that the CCSS program is a level or even levels, above those that are seen as developmentally “normal.” What is MORE concerning is how this CCSS is going to impact MY child, with Autism which is a developmental disability. So much so, that I scheduled an appointment with the school’s Assistant Principal, to discuss NYS testing and refusing them for my son. It doesn’t FEEL right. It isn’t right! I am not a doctor. I don’t have the stats or a PHD to back me up, so lucky for me, this is not a scientific paper. I am a mom. I am a mom who has been reading about CCSS, looking over sample math problems and ELA reading passages and it scares me, for my son. I have felt hopeless about this for the past few days. My son is smart. He works hard to stay on task and up to speed with his schoolwork and his peers. And he does it! He really does it. Granted, his IEP has accommodations and modifications that allow him the opportunity to do the same work and feel successful alongside his classmates. Granted, he has a Special Ed Teacher that pushes in and works with him daily for Math and ELA. He works with a Speech and Language Therapist that helps him figure out the non-literal language and non-verbal cues. He works with an OT to help him with his handwriting, and all types of visual/spacial planning. And finally he sees the school Psychologist twice a month to help him with peer interaction. He is well liked. He is kind. He is social. He works hard. He is respectful. And he just needs a little help along with way. What comes naturally to many others, it tough work for my son. There is no secret about it. I talk openly about this. It is what it is. There is no shame. We are ALL different in our own unique ways.
Today 10/04/13
I received the NYS ELA and Math scores and even knowing everything I know about my son, I cried (the running joke is I always cry when it comes to him, and I do.) I cried because printed out before me on two sheets of double sided paper, was, at that point, MY son, who NYSED broke down into 5 categories.
For the ELA:
· Reading
· Writing
· Operations and Algebraic Thinking
· Numbers and operations– Fractions
· Measurement and Data
I was kindly provided with the points my child earned in one column. Directly next to that column was a column labeled “number of possible points” and next to that one, the “state average.” As you can imagine, having a developmental disability, his “earned” points were low, well below the “number of possible points” and below the average.
According to NYS my son “performing at this level are well below proficient in standards for their grade. They demonstrate limited knowledge, skills, and practices embodied by the New York State P-12 Common Core Learning Standards for Mathematics that are considered insufficient for the expectations at this grade.”
The Aftermath
I let the fury get the best of me. Like I said, my eyes welled up with tears out of anger and frustration. You diminished my child to these 5 categories and to simplify the wording you chose, deemed him “too stupid to be in the grade level he currently is in.” Screw you CCSS and all the people that came up with this crap program. Screw you for its horrible implementation. Screw you for not considering the kids who are not on the right side of the bell curve. Screw you for not thinking about the kids who are developmentally delayed. Screw you for not thinking about the kids that aren’t developmentally delayed, but just don’t test so well. Screw you for putting pressures on the teachers. Screw you for allowing the kids to feel this pressure; it is bound to impact them. Screw you for allowing this chaos to spill over into homes and mess with our emotions, both child and parent. Screw you for APPR and evaluating my sons General Education teacher AND Special Education teacher on his test scores. Screw you for creating a problem in which our kids are the ragdolls and in which big businesses will be allowed to profit. I’m not a conspiracy theorist; I just call it like I see it. I am done with this. I’m not political. I’m for the kids, I am for the teachers and most importantly I am for my son.
I will say this one more time. My son, Liam, is not, your NYSED test score. He is a 9 year old boy, who works hard in all aspects of school, in the classroom and with his therapists. He receives tremendous support and kindness and life lessons from his teachers and therapists. He will be successful because of them, not because of this test. How do you evaluate that? That is my million dollar question.
What I am not understanding here is that children in NY State can take an alternative assessment path, which does not involve standardize tests and which teachers can make up.
Is this child on this track with his IEP?
Parents can opt for this, as can educators . . . .
If it’s like it is in Utah, only about 2 percent of special education students can qualify to take the alternative assessment, and a lot of documentation is involved. A lot of kids in Utah are denied the opportunity to take the alternative assessment and have to take the regular assessments with everyone else.
I really admire your letter and how you capture what is most important for your son, not the test. I opted my child out of the state examine (refused for them to administer the exam to him) and was told he couldn’t go to school during the testing window. (The school actually was told by the DoE that they would have to call the police to have us removed from the school building.) I fought to get him back to school and eventually the school instructed me that my son could refuse to take the test. As a parent I didn’t have the right to say no according to the DoE. Well I’m horrified that the state thinks they can supersede my rights as a parent and I would love to see more parents push back against testing as it is abusive to children, particularly children with special needs and violates the spirit of IDEIA (federal law that advocates for individualized approach for students with special needs). Please consider refusing the test as we need to build a movement of people who refuse to subject children to this very heartless process of testing.
This boy should be measured by appropriate assessments, and NOT standardized ones. He should be assessed the way he is taught. This mother should reach out to “Autism Speaks” and other advocacy organizations.
To give a kids like this a conventional exam is outright child abuse and endangering the welfare of a child, if you ask me. Autistic kids are educable, but not in the cookie cutter fashion our hideous officials are mandating.
Any creative lawyers out there who can make a case for autistic children who are being grossly neglected by this reform movement?
If the mother who wrote the post is reading this: immediatly contact the director of special education in your school and make an appointment to sit down and talk about the mechanisms of alternative assessment.
Your child is NOT a failure. He is a brilliant, thinking, cognitively empowered human who is not permitted to show his intelliegence because the modalities of assessment offered are the wrong ones altogether. He may well be receiving the right kind of instruction that does not get “measured” accurately because assessment and goals may be all wrong.
Your child has the civil right to an education, and that includes not giving him instruments that are clearly inappropriate. Do not put any credence into such tests or allow them to doubt the beliefs you have in your son.
If you address this, I cannot see how you won’t come out with a favorable outcome. If you keep posting on this blog, you will educate so many of us . . .. .
“This boy should be measured by appropriate assessments,. . . ”
Yes, things like height, weight, etc. . . that can truly be measured. Intelligence (whatever that is), reasoning abilities, abilities and capabilities are all things that are not amenable to being measured (even though many try) and it is this false “measurement” that causes many harms to the children, and by this letter, parents.
Mom, opt your son out of the tests. Refuse to be part of the standardized testing madness.
Robert,
To give any child such a test is child abuse! The only reason these tests exist is to profit the testing corporations; they actually have little or no educational value. We all know this.
I grew up in the 1960’s. The only standardized test I ever took was the SAT(I did not do very well because I wasn’t focused because my dog had just died ). Yet, I have been successful in both college and life. Teaching is my second career. I hold many college degrees, including seven Bachelor’s, two Master’s, and two Doctorates. All this while doing poorly on one standardized test!
Ma’am, your child is NOT a failure! My third grandson is also autistic. He is the most loving and kind child I have ever met. Like you, I don’t give a @##& about whether or not he ever does well on these tests. He is progressing well with his teachers and his devoted family. Like my grandson, your child is NOT a test score.
Agree . . .
Children who are part of alternate assessment are usually children who will not receive a NYS high school diploma. Their disabilities are such that they cannot take the state tests. I taught children in a self contained class in a special ed school who had severe multiple disabilities and severe autism. Their curriculum is extremely “modified”. Just because a child has an IEP, does not mean that they are alternately assessed. Alternate assessment began because of the need to hold teachers of these students “accountable” as well, and since they were not able to take the state assessments, this is what they came up with. This is why tying these tests to AAPR is wrong. My son is an honor roll high school student with Aspergers. He will score 90-100 in every subject except math which he barely passes. Every year he has had exceptional teachers who have done over and above to help him grasp math. But according to his (old) state tests scores he never scored higher than a 1. Does this define him??? NO . Should it penalize his teachers? NO. But if he was taking these tests now, it would. So wrong!!!!
You are one amazing mom! Continue to stand up for your child and his teachers. The state education department knows nothing about children and learning. If they did, they would stop insisting on damaging children. Anyone preaching from air conditioned offices in Albany, and who doesn’t weep when they hear your cries, doesn’t deserve, let alone, should be allowed, to be in a position making decisions for children. And if they do weep, then they should be doing everything in their power to make changes to protect your child and the many others being abused by these insane policies.
Keep fighting mom! This retired special education teacher would have loved working with you and your child.
Well said WM, well said!
My 5th grade son also has autism and received state scores after testing last year. I’ll opt him out this year. Why? He actually scored proficient in reading and math (barely) and well above grade level in science which is his passion. But I’ll opt him out because the testing regiment is not good for him–or any child actually. Mostly I’ll opt him out because there was not one bit of information on those tests that told the teachers anything useful to improve their instruction of him. They already knew his abilities, his strengths and interests and limitations because they are professionals who care about him and work with him every day. I’ll not waste another minute if his precious learning time on phony tests that frustrate him and give useless information that do nothing for his education. And guess what? I’m making the same choice, for the same reasons, for my gifted daughter as well.
A big hearty THANKS, Amy P, for opting your children out!!!
Or as we say en español: ¡Mil gracias!
Brava to this mother for publicly stating that which so many of us think. In NYC, there is the option for portfolio assessment,but that is not considered when students are being placed in middle or high school (the 4th and 8th grade tests)-the state test scores are! Many parents, including myself feel blackmailed into making sure their children take the test, just out of fear of not being able to put their child into their top choice middle or high school. It is extremely discouraging. Even though the 4th and 8th grade exams are the ones most scrutinized for placement, the 3rd, 5th, 6th, and 7th grade state exams are unspoken practice for the 4th and 8th grade exams, so missing those exams is also catastrophic.
I opted my son out of tests in california for the same reasons, he said to me “see I’m stupid “. I told him what was stupid were the tests. He never took them again, He is now in college and works part time at Home Depot. I’d say that is pretty successful.
I do have a doctorate in education from UCLA. I am an educator….but first of all I am a Mom. I followed my instincts and did what was best for my son. Opt him out. Don’t make your family feel pain and grief for the sake of making a testing company richer.
Lori vollandt: you and others have done, and are doing, the right thing.
What sort of mentality does it take to reduce a precious and unique human being to bankrupt numbers that make him utter the words “see I’m stupid”?
The same mentality that would literally bankrupt this country, all the while declaring that not only would it not be as bad as everyone else says—in fact, there’s a lot of good that will come out of it.
Rheeally!
Is it now time to introduce a new term: “edutorturers”? Or do we keep using the euphemism “enhanced eduinterrogation”?
Inquiring minds really don’t want to know if anything goes when it comes to forcing psychometrically right answers out of little lips. Remember: according to “America’s Most Trusted EduRheephormers,” it will all work out in the end no matter what the cost—
To OTHER PEOPLE’S CHILDREN. Not THEIR OWN CHILDREN.
“By trying we can easily endure adversity. Another man’s, I mean.” [Mark Twain]
Patient meekness will not be enough.
“It is not light that we need, but fire; it is not the gentle shower, but thunder. We need the storm, the whirlwind, and the earthquake.” [Frederick Douglass]
I think the edubullies really don’t understand the power of mothers and fathers defending their children.
🙂
Lori,
I, too, opted out of my son taking the tests in 3 and 4th grade. The first time he had just come back from being very ill and his teacher whispered that option to me in the parking lot. The 2nd year he was being bullied for his brains and was in no mood. The school was unhappy (he always scored near perfect numbers) and let me know how it would impact ‘them’ not having ‘his’ weight. I’m not so easily manipulated.
Now? He’s a Sr. in HS, full ride to a competitive School of Engineering next year, 1 year of college courses done in HS, a 30/hr week job (2 promotions in 7 months), and an internship with City Hall and the City Engineer during school hours.
At one point, ‘they’ tried to get him a diagnosis of Asperger’s so they could get ‘funds.’ I said, NO! He’s unique, he’s different, he’s methodical and curious – I won’t allow you to label him for profit!
Dr. Mom, EdD
(I find that title makes most cringe when I need to use it.)
Reblogged this on Transparent Christina.
Good job, Mom.
I must commend this mom for her insight and desire to maintain her son’s self esteem during this educational reform. I am an educator (20 yrs), but mom first. The accountability measures have changed drastically in America. As teachers and building administrators’ credibility and job security are tied to assessment scores, the desire to get kids to “pass tests” has robbed children from the joy of learning, and teachers the joy of teaching. While assessments undoubtedly have their place in the classroom, there are many forms of measurement tools to obtain useful information about what students have learned. Not all students test well using traditional one-size-fit-all measures, however, most students can demonstrate what they have learned through performance-based measures. We ask teachers to differentiate their instruction to meet the various learning styles that exist in the classroom. I think it is time that we differentiate the measurement tools to truly assess what students can do. As an example, If I am an auditory learning, wouldn’t you get the best information about my learning through auditory measurements? Students will perform at their best when conditions meet their various needs. I know this to be true because I have done this for the past 20 years!!!
I am so pleased that Liam has such a caring, concerned Mom. Mom, I am so proud of you. I wish every Mom would speak up as you are doing. I retired two years ago. One of the students in my class was very obviously high-functioning autism. I taught in a low-income school. His mom did not understand the needs of this child or her others, so she never had him diagnosed. My principal knew that he was autistic. She told me so; but she said as long as the mom didn’t get it, we couldn’t do anything. I knew this wasn’t true. I knew it was our job to help the mom understand how much better it would be for her son if he had services–the sooner the better. This principal made it a point to try to show me how to discipline him in the cafeteria in front of others, because he played with his food. She kept telling me to tell him to look me in the eye. Most autistic children have difficulty looking anyone in the eye. I recently had lunch with my former teammates and was told nothing is being done for him. He is just being shoved on. He is one of the children I have regrets about. Regrets that I couldn’t get him the help he needed. So, I am extremely pleased that this Mom is totally supporting her son.
Way to go, Mom! I am the mother of a special needs child as well. I have been fighting for her for 14 years. The standardized tests are a scourge. They don’t show her continuing growth in anything. Which, of course, is a huge lie. She grows significantly every year. I got tired of the state of NJ telling me my daughter wasn’t proficient. Then, in 7th grade, during the NJASK test week, she realized just how far behind she was. It was devastating to her. All that hard work – according to the tests – was for nothing. That was the final straw for me. We now opt out of standardized tests. The data reflects nothing about my daughter or her amazing teachers, both special and gen ed.
This is such a tragedy. We are so off track and perhaps with Mom’s like her, change will take place.
There are many many parents of children with Autism who could have written this very eloquent letter. This story is one I am intimately familiar with. My child is 19 and still in school and I have been complaining about the results of these tests for years. We always get the answer that nothing can be done. There are children who have serious learning and developmental disabilities that keep them from being able to properly take these tests. These tests in no way show the abilities and capabilities of these children. The tests also do not properly show how much the teachers have done for these children. This stuff makes me crazy.
I have learing disability and I didn’t do well on those test either, my mom went school bord got practice ones for me to do. My scores were not high like normal kids, but they were not great either. I had extended time test and I graduated with iep but I am smart. Tell your son that often . And I am a single mom snd work hard at that plus I work part time. So with love snd drive to succeed he can do anything with the right help . Keep up the great work mom!
Good for tis Mom! I hope she keeps learning and sharing with others what she learns.
Posts like this will encourage other parents to speak out.
Kudos to all the moms & dads and parents out there speaking up for their kids (as we ALL should be doing–I strongly recommend reading Ken Previti’s post today on his blog “Reclaim Reform,” which is just what the REST of the world is attempting to do, especially in England.
That having been said, a reply to Louisiana Purchase way up there: ironically, last night, I attended a lecture-Q/A on depression presented by Kay Redfield Jamison (brilliant dr./author of An Unquiet Mind), & afterward spoke to one of the volunteers, who happens to be a parent whose children are in Catholic school. We talked about the Common Core, & I said, “Thank goodness, your school doesn’t do that & all that testing.” (I had worked in such a school, & they only administered the Terra Nova.)
She replied,”But, no–we ARE doing the Common Core & are going to be giving those tests–our school decided that it was only fair to follow the same curriculum as the public schools, so that we wouldn’t get behind or stick out.” I said, “But the Common Core–and the accompanying tests–have so many faults.” “But,” she replied, “Common Core is a GOOD thing. It gets every state on the same page. My niece is special needs, & the family moved to Utah, where they were already doing C.C. She was SO far behind, & it was hard for her to catch up!”
At this point, I backed off & said no more. OF COURSE her niece was “behind”–we readers here know that this curriculum is–first– pushing kids (esp. our youngest) YEARS beyond that which is developmentally appropriate for each age/grade level and, second, that that would be doubly inappropriate for a special ed. student.
However, the parent did not see it this way, and was promoting C.C. implementation in a private, religious school. And, to boot, this conversation took place in a suburb home to high-income and highly-educated parents.
It was scary!
It is the school district’s job to modify and make accommodations for HIS curriculum. Our son is 13 and has “high functioning autism”. After ten years of fighting for him and his needs, he is finally on the right track at school. Most of what he does in 8th grade are now functional skills, functional math, social skills, etc., going around the community learning how to buy a treat from the store, conversations…talk to the people there…using apps on his ipad specifically for him and his needs, basically walking him through everything he needs to know. His special ed teacher wants him to be the one who sells snacks out of the Snack Cart at school. He has always been included and integrated in the classroom because I insisted upon it. He now has his aide’s back off so he is left to either ask for help from a peer, or figure it out himself before the aide swoops in and actually does the work for him. Everything he needs to accomplish in these next five years before he graduates is finally laid out. When my son was in 4th grade, no one knew what they were doing. He is still “untestable”. One day he knows something, the next day he doesn’t. If you meet him, you can tell how special he is and are always surprised by what he knows. These things are the most important for any person to know, and he already has it intrinsically inside of him. Someone a couple weeks ago said something about his emotional age, which they thought was around 5 years old. That was a fierce wind that went across my face and down to the depths of my belly. I didn’t get mad. I digested that for a few days and came up with…of course that person sees him in that light. They look at what he accomplishes. Not who he is and what he has to contribute. Most people have to judge others so they can see how they themselves fit into the world. Finn accepts everyone whoever they are. He remembers one small special thing about everyone he meets and never forgets it. He has an astounding memory, and he can’t comprehend his 2nd grade level books. He can read them, decode them, spell every word in the world, but he still can’t see how the duck and the squirrel are related in the story. The dichotomy of splinter skills he has are confounding. I think it’s about time that we stop boxing up all kids, wrapping them up and present them as a product. I have learned more from this child than any other human being. That’s says more than I can say. Keep pushing on…keep celebrating. Most people don’t “get it”. He is here to open our eyes and teach us a bit of what is really important in this world. These kids are our angels.
Bravo to you, mom! Well said, and DON’T let them do that again to your wonderful child! We need people in this world that think outside of the box, just like your son, and Albert Einstein and Thomas Edison. Keep on, keeping on!
Hugs,
Heidi Butkus
I am Liam’s mom. I am overwhelmed with all these wonderful comments and the responses this letter has received. Some of them moved me tears. I’m just a mom who was angry and I typed. And this is what resulted. Thank you for sharing this across the social networks. And thank you to Diane for hearing me and allowing me the opportunity to be heard by many many others. I know I’m not alone with my frustrations.
~ Meredith
Why haven’t I thought about opting out? What an amazingly brilliant idea given to me by those who are affected way more by this testing than any one who is requiring it. It is a tool to take away from our schools and pad politicians, superintendents, and other faux educator pockets.
I’m an advocate for individuals with intellectual and developmentally disabilities. Prior to advocating, I was a special education teacher for 12 years and most importantly I am the mother of three girls.
I’ve watched as the “core standards” has dummied down the curriculum so far that I’m embarrassed for all of us, as educators, adults and parents. It’s absolute garbage. To use what these educational consultant software companies are pushing and expect students to progress or actually obtain factual information from these sources is ridiculous.
I would like to extend an invitation to Meredith (Liam’s Mom) to email me at suelind@arcservices.org with her contact information so I can explain why using a standardized grade level assessment to evaluate her son would never accurately reflect his abilities or challenges. And I would also like to thank her for sharing her letter and opening up this dialogue for us!
Reblogged this on Adventures with Robotzilla and commented:
Rotten to the Core; The implications of Common Core on children with Autism
When my oldest daughter was told by the neuropsychologist that she could not succeed in college because of her low test scores and social impairment, my youngest daughter said “They can test reading and language, but they can’t test character. http://annkilter.com/2013/01/25/perseveration-perseverance/
Terrific response! However, given the statistical unreliability, hence, invalidity of the test scores, they are not testing reading and writing well at all!
You’re right. They tested her reading level by having her read a discrete list of words. Nobody reads like that. She learned to read in the 8th grade. She always said, “If I don’t know the word, I just figure it out from the words around it that I do know.” Isn’t that the way that most of us do it?
That’s the way I learned.