school testing-is this right?

[Babs]

I clicked on a site someone suggested and it was explaining the testing and how it would be done in the school. My school did it all, but this article said it was in two parts and the second would be done only if a team decided it warranted it.

This is the portion I question:

The initial stages of a school based evaluation are often called the "pre-referral screening phase". Information collected during this phase may include a combination of classroom observations, achievement testing, and specific educational interventions that are implemented to enhance a child's behavioral functioning and academic performance. An important goal of this stage is to determine whether a child's needs can be adequately met in the regular classroom without any special educational services being required. This phase will often take at least a month, and can sometimes take considerably longer.

If parents believe this is taking too long, it is important to discuss your concerns with the Assistance Team. Information collected during this stage is evaluated by the Assistance Team to determine whether a full psychoeducational evaluation appears warranted. (This would be the case if the interventions attempted to enhance the child's success in the classroom were not sufficient.) The psychological evaluation will generally consist of an individually administered IQ and achievement test, along with other procedures that are deemed important. If the Assistance Team determines that a full evaluation is necessary, parents will be asked to sign a consent form to allow this to occur. If the Assistance Team decides that a full evaluation is not necessary, but you disagree, you have the right to appeal the decision. The school is required to provide you with information about appeal procedures.

I thought once you requested the testing and were not refused with a PWN, that all the testing was done and no team had the right to decide whether or not they could help your child without testing.

Someone, please set me straight here! The address for the entire article is www.addresources.org/article_educ_rights_rabiner.php

Thank you.

[Mayleng]

The way some schools work is to get a Student Support Team together to "decide" if a full evaluation is necessary. BUT if a parent requested for a full academic evaluation, then they have to do the testing or give you a reason for rejecting the request, in which case, you then can appeal.

That is the way I understand it. We went into the full evaluation because I made the request and we did not even have any SST meetings. I don't even think NY State has an SST. They have early intervention but that is not Sped.

Every State has their own way of doing things.

[Babs]

Thank you Mayleng.

[dihicks6]

Once you request (in writing) a full educational evaluation (not assessment) under the IDEA, and Section 504 laws, they must do the evaluations within 60 days. It's just that not many parents know this and go along with their "committees, SST's", etc., and don't realize that they can skip over this step, which in my opinion, most of the time, just delays providing the appropriate services and accommodations to the child.