THE SPECIAL ED ADVOCATE, MARCH 19, 2001 (V. 4, N. 9)

[Guest guest]

Highlights: IEP time is just around the corner. Has your child made

progress? How do you know? This issue includes resources about tests and

measurements, high stakes tests, and other assessment issues

Subscribers on March 18, 2001: 22,345 people from 50 states and dozens of

countries.

Please forward this newsletter or the subscription link to your friends so

they can learn about special education advocacy. With your help, we may

break the 23,000 mark this week! Thanks!

http://www.wrightslaw.com/subscribe.htm

slaw Flyer: http://www.wrightslaw.com/flyers/wrightslaw.pdf

Get a printer-friendly issue of this newsletter at-

http://www.wrightslaw.com/advoc/nwltr/2001/nl_0319.htm

==================

1. TESTS & MEASUREMENTS IS STILL #1

" Your article on Understanding Tests and Measurements " is invaluable. I

recommend it to all parents. "

" Your article 'Understanding Tests and Measurements' is an excellent

reference for parents and should be read in all teacher education

programs. I am a parent of a child with special needs, who has a MSED

degree. The details of testing and measurement can be confusing and IEP

planning tedious. I will recommend this to friends. "

" Understanding Tests and Measurements " is the #1 download from slaw

and is featured at LDOnline this month. If you don't have " Understanding

Tests and Measurements, " download this comprehensive article from --

http://www.wrightslaw.com/advoc/articles/tests_measurements.html

==================

2. TESTS & MEASUREMENTS SLIDE SHOW

We developed a PowerPoint slide show to teach you how to use test data and

how to chart progress. Graphs of the child's test scores can be used as

dramatic visual aids to show educational progress or lack of progress

(regression).

Parents and advocates can use " progress graphs " at IEP meetings to support

their request for a different special education program. Attorneys can use

" progress graphs " at due process hearings to show lack of progress

(regression) in the current program.

Here is how the slide show is organized. This child was evaluated four

times (in 1990, 1991, 1992, 1995). We made a graph of the child's standard

scores. We converted the standard scores to percentile ranks (information

about how to do this is in the " Tests and Measurements " article), then

made graphs of the child's educational achievement scores as percentile

ranks.

Despite five years of special education, this child made little progress

in academic skills. These graphs were used as evidence in one of our

cases.

LINKS

Slide Show in html:

http://www.wrightslaw.com/advoc/articles/slideindex.htm

Slide Show as PowerPoint Presentation (204 kb):

http://www.wrightslaw.com/advoc/articles/slideshow.ppt

===========================

3. MORE RESOURCES ON ASSESSMENT & HIGH STAKES TESTING

Do you have questions about high stakes testing of children with

disabilities? Get a copy of the OSEP Memorandum on Assessment published by

the U. S. Department of Education.

http://www.wrightslaw.com/law/reports/osep_memorandum_assessment_000824.pdf

OSEP Memorandum on Assessment in rich text:

http://www.wrightslaw.com/law/reports/osep_memorandum_assessment_000824.rtf

" Assessing Children for the Presence of a Disability " by Betsy Waterman,

available from from NICHY:

http://www.nichcy.org/pubs/transum/nd23txt.htm

CLASS ACTION LAWSUITS

Oregon settled a class action lawsuit over " high stakes " assessment and

students with LD.

http://wrightslaw.com/law/news/OR_settlement_dyslexia.htm

The Educational Testing Service (ETS) agreed to end " flagging " on some of

its tests. Flagging identifies students who receive accommodated

testings.

http://www.ets.org/textonly/aboutets/news/01020701.html

=============================

4. WRIGHTSLAW SCHEDULE: YAKIMA, WA; MONTEREY; WASHINGTON, DC

Here's where we will be speaking in March and April:

* March 30-31: Best in the Northwest Conference, Yakima, WA.

The 10th Annual Best in the Northwest Conference will be held March 30-31

in Yakima, Washington. Best in the Northwest Flyer:

http://www.wrightslaw.com/flyers/wa_asa_2001.pdf

For more information about this conference, speakers, and registration,

please go to http://www.autismsocietyofwa.org

* April 19-21, 2001. Fifth Annual NLD Symposium, Monterey, California

Keynote: " Effective Special Education Advocacy: Use Tactics and Strategies

to Get Services and Resolve Disputes "

Conference schedule, registration, speakers: http://www.nldline.com/

* April 26-27, 2001. The Power of One Conference & Rally, Washington, DC

Conference and rally information at:

http://www.unlockingautism.org/

slaw schedule: http://www.wrightslaw.com/schedule.htm

===========================

SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION

The Special Ed Advocate is a free online newsletter about special

education legal and advocacy issues, cases, tactics and strategy, and

Internet resources. Subscribers receive announcements and " alerts " about

new cases, events, and special offers on slaw books.

To subscribe, please go to http://www.wrightslaw.com/subscribe.htm

Read back issues of The Special Ed Advocate at -

http://www.wrightslaw.com/main_newsletter_archives.htm

To unsubscribe, see the information at the end of this newsletter.

===============

CONTACT INFORMATION

Pete and Pam

slaw & The Special Ed Advocate

P. O. Box 1008

Deltaville, VA 23043

Website: http://www.wrightslaw.com

Email: webmaster@...