SST - teachers any suggestions?

[t-dog]

Having an SST for my 7th grader - teachers any suggestions on what parental involvement helps you help a struggling kid?

[Deleted]

Oh, you'd need to be more detailed than than. Struggling with what, where, for how long?Who will be involved in the team process? 

Most important generally is letting the kids know that there is nothing inherently wrong or not good about him. We all have things we excel at and those things we need extra help with. In addition, schools are really set up around only limited specific styles and subjects of learning for the most part. Some of us have strengths that corresond, some of us are going to excel at those things that aren't as important to schools. 

Be there. Listen to him. Be his advocate. NO ONE learns anything from prolonged frustration. If something isn't working, get it changed. Other than that i'd need specifics for specific suggestions. 

[t-dog]

Math and science - doesn't understand the math at all.  Says he gets in trouble all the time in math when just sitting  because he isn't doing "on your own problems" but he isn't doing them because he doesn't know how to do them. Failing math this quarter. Even sitting with teacher after class isn't helping.   

Science - can't take notes AND pay attention to explanation at the same time.  Can answer questions on the subject orally but fails a written test on the same material he can orally explain.  Passing this class but barely. 

Does anyone else see comprehensive finals in 7th grade - seems a bit over the top and not necessarily developmentally appropriate to have final exams at this level.

[t-dog]

Difficult with writing assignments goes back years. Handwriting has sucked since 2nd grade - he's a lefty who was told by second grade teacher when learning penmanship to just do what she did backwards - that was an epic failure we are still dealing with. Reads slowly and gets frustrated if there are too many words on the page (he needs a larger font even though his eyes are fine its overwhelming if the page looks cluttered).

[Deleted]

What was he taking in math this year?  In my opinion they push abstract algebra way too early for general populations. Some are ready, but others just aren't and an additional year or two does wonders. 

Ok. Well, Study team accomodations should include him being able to record the lecture, or something similar and relisten or take/type notes later if necessary. Also allow him to orally answer tests. 

Long term though, are his writing skills adequate, is it just when he gets to science that he can't adequately articulate his response? 

[NastyWoman]

Would his science teacher let him record the lessons so he can listen to explanations and take notes form the recording later?

[Deleted]

Oh he shouldn't be handwriting. He needs to be typing. Or using Dragon Naturally Speaking or something like that. No one hand writes any more. Work on getting him a laptop or tablet with a keyboard. If he can't keyboard, then that's what i'd focus on this summer. This will also allow him to adjust font size if he is using a tablet and ebooks. 

[t-dog]

He can type and does his homework on a laptop. I find that its simply too much work and when he sees how much homework he has everynight he panics/gets overwhelmed and then can't focus on getting any of it done.

The math has been lots of geometry and they switched abruptly last year from traditional teaching methods to common core and he does not think in the manner that common core is trying to use. He just isn't ready for the more conceptual/abstract math.

[Sharon]

My DD has reading issues and she found that reading the material out loud worked for her.  If she was really tired or stressed she would also put a bookmark under each line she was reading.  It cut down on some of the clutter on the page.  Even into college she was still reading textbooks out loud because that works for her.

When DD was 5th/6th grade we got printouts of the material covered in math that year to work on during the summer.  I counted up the total number of problems and divided it by the number of weeks in the summer break and that was how many problems she had each week.  I would assign the problems on Sunday night and she had until the following Sunday to complete them.  It was a good lesson in time management skills and gave her something to do while home alone for the summer.  Any problems that were missed would be tacked on to next weeks work.  She has said multiple times that those two summers of extra basic math work made all the difference later on. 

Good-luck to you and your DS.  We had reading tutors over the summer until 4th grade. 

[t-dog]

Thanks Sharon

[Deleted]

Jun 1, 2016 15:16:23 GMT -5 t-dog said:

He can type and does his homework on a laptop. I find that its simply too much work and when he sees how much homework he has everynight he panics/gets overwhelmed and then can't focus on getting any of it done.

The math has been lots of geometry and they switched abruptly last year from traditional teaching methods to common core and he does not think in the manner that common core is trying to use. He just isn't ready for the more conceptual/abstract math.

Was it just like 7th grade Math?  Or a concentrated subject? 

The problem with 'common core' is how its being implemented. Also that he is likely to have not had the concrete foundational lessons he needed to build upon in that way. Do you know what book he might have been using by any chance? What will he be doing for math next year? His math tutor will be working with him through the summer, right? Again, i've observed a few years doing great good as far as kids being ready for abstract mathematics. 

Well, again, identifying him would allow for less amounts of work, chuncking work, allowing him to use alternative methods (like dictating to you, typing notes, or taking longer to complete task, etc.) so that can help. Some organizational skills might help too, learning how to keep a checklist, how to prioritize assignments, how to break things down into doable chunks. How to reasonably assess how much time a task or part of a task will take. Those are things you could help him with at home. And never let things become 'too much work'... if he is diligently working on material, set a time limit that is reasonable and when that's over, he's. done. Again, this is something easier to accomplish if he is identified. 

Did you request the SST? 

[Chocolate Lover]

Jun 1, 2016 14:36:51 GMT -5 t-dog said:

Difficult with writing assignments goes back years. Handwriting has sucked since 2nd grade - he's a lefty who was told by second grade teacher when learning penmanship to just do what she did backwards - that was an epic failure we are still dealing with. Reads slowly and gets frustrated if there are too many words on the page (he needs a larger font even though his eyes are fine its overwhelming if the page looks cluttered).

No suggestions, just a WTF for the teacher. Seriously, backwards?! 

[Deleted]

I'm still wondering what a SST is. And I'm a teacher.

Why do they do the alphabet soup of acronyms and not just call things what they are?

I'm guessing that they are trying to put into place interventions/accommodations to help him get to grade level?  I'm at the high school level, but we would include testing to see if there is a learning disability involved.  From your description, I would say yes.  It's the ability to explain things orally that he can't articulate in writing that makes me guess that.

[Deleted]

Student Study Team. I looked it up, lol. Must be the 'new' term for multidisciplinary team. 

[beergut]

Jun 1, 2016 14:28:55 GMT -5 t-dog said:

Math and science - doesn't understand the math at all.  Says he gets in trouble all the time in math when just sitting  because he isn't doing "on your own problems" but he isn't doing them because he doesn't know how to do them. Failing math this quarter. Even sitting with teacher after class isn't helping.   

Science - can't take notes AND pay attention to explanation at the same time.  Can answer questions on the subject orally but fails a written test on the same material he can orally explain.  Passing this class but barely. 

Does anyone else see comprehensive finals in 7th grade - seems a bit over the top and not necessarily developmentally appropriate to have final exams at this level.

Math - sounds like he needs a tutor

I can remember struggling in math, and my biggest problem wasn't understanding the concepts, it was applying the concept to the problems. I could watch how a problem was done in class, understand how they arrived at the answer, but when looking at a word problem in homework, I couldn't understand how to apply the concept to the information in the word problem. I couldn't get from A to B to arrive at C. Only thing that worked for me was mass repetition.

Science - needs to learn to type quickly

I realized I couldn't comprehend everything a teacher was saying and write it down fast enough, so I used to listen to the key points, summarize it, and then write down the summary in notes. When I bought a laptop in college, it improved my note-taking immensely because I can type a lot faster than I can write. I could write down the professor's lecture word for word if I needed to.

As for the page looking 'too cluttered' when he reads, let him use a blank sheet of paper to cover up the portion of the page he isn't reading so the page looks smaller. It can double as a note page if he is reading a class subject. 

I don't see the point on comprehensive finals in the 7th grade. 

[Deleted]

I would take your child in for private testing. Could be any number of things interfering with his ability to learn. I waited way too long to do this for my kid & it made schoolwork an anxiety fraught exercise and daily learning painful. The school quite frankly does not want to take responsibility for testing because it is expensive and they have limited budget. Best $1K I think I ever spent was getting the testing privately & once the school was presented with external diagnosis they had to provide correct accommodations for her learning issues.

She is a teacher now (and an awesome one). She works hard to support her students so nobody else has the bad experience she had :-)  

[Deleted]

The school has no choice though if you request testing. They have 90 days to comply. It isn't a question. Its the law, they have to do it. If you think a school is deliberately messing with results in order to keep kids off the indentified rolls... you need to do something about that. 

[Deleted]

Jun 1, 2016 21:22:37 GMT -5 oped said:

The school has no choice though if you request testing. They have 90 days to comply. It isn't a question. Its the law, they have to do it. If you think a school is deliberately messing with results in order to keep kids off the indentified rolls... you need to do something about that. 

State or Federal Law? They did not provide appropriate testing when I requested it, but this was 10+ years ago. SPED funds are tied to how many kids are in free lunch program here . . . because apparently you only have learning disabilities if you are poor?? . . . so in an affluent district, there is very little money to go around. Yes, they work hard to limit who gets special services, and bounce kids out of the programs at every opportunity; at least this is how the district I live in operates.

[Deleted]

Special Ed funds aren't tied to free and reduced lunch...? And I haven't even been in a classroom in a decade. It's been federally mandated for a long time. Heck when I was in elementary my father requested gifted testing and they had to comply to that then ( /same umbrella in pa). 

If you trigger an eval with written request the school has to comply within timelines. 90 days for the whole thing I think is still correct. The process does take time. 

It it does need to be a written request.

I I know this has been true for a long time but IDEA 2004 reauthorized it. 

If the district actually does that they are lucky they haven't been sued. 

[Deleted]

Just rechecked it & yes, # of students on free lunch program is still part of the program funding; a lesser percentage now than it was in the past, however still a factor in SPED funding. A larger portion is now set on the student population, which makes much more sense to me!

Oped, that is the federal funding that is using the poverty factor, so I would guess applies to your state too. Unless the state can optionally define how federal monies are apportioned, but that seems odd to me :-)  I am looking at my state education dept website for this information. 

[Deleted]

Can you link what you are talking about? Thanks.

[Deleted]

Federal Special Education Formula

Federal IDEA Part B funds are allocated to states and local districts on a census based formula of eligible children age 3–21 receiving special education and related services on the established count date.

- There are two types of Federal IDEA Part B funds

Section 611 – for eligible students aged 3–21

Section 619 – for eligible students aged 3–5



- IDEA Part B Sections 611 and 619 flow-through allocations to LEAs are based on three distribution factors

A BASE amount is allocated based on 75% of FY1999’s federal grant for minimum flow-through required by Federal IDEA Statute;

85% of remaining funds are allocated on the basis of relative POPULATION of children aged 3-21. This is the previous year’s October Enrollment of Public and Private Schools (final October Student Enrollment Report submitted to OSPI); and

15% of remaining funds are allocated based on POVERTY in which the previous year’s October Free and Reduced School Lunch rates are used.

[Deleted]

That was actually the allocation 10 years ago too it hasn't changed. 

I thought you were saying that special education funds were allocated to schools based on their free and reduced lunch populations, and then students had to split that money amongst themselves, which isn't what is posted there. 

If if a student is eligible. They get funding. That's why the first notation is that EVERYONE gets the base amount. (I believe there are actually different multipliers for different placements, levels, etc). But anyway, this base is not tied in any way to who f/r lunch population of the school. Nor is the next 85% of 'extra' money which is based on populations served in special Ed. 

I just us don't think it's in any way accurate to suggest that special Ed funding is 'tied to' f/r lunch rates.

[973beachbum]

Jun 1, 2016 22:44:53 GMT -5 oped said:

That was actually the allocation 10 years ago too it hasn't changed. 

I thought you were saying that special education funds were allocated to schools based on their free and reduced lunch populations, and then students had to split that money amongst themselves, which isn't what is posted there. 

If if a student is eligible. They get funding. That's why the first notation is that EVERYONE gets the base amount. (I believe there are actually different multipliers for different placements, levels, etc). But anyway, this base is not tied in any way to who f/r lunch population of the school. Nor is the next 85% of 'extra' money which is based on populations served in special Ed. 

I just us don't think it's in any way accurate to suggest that special Ed funding is 'tied to' f/r lunch rates.

I live in a more affluent area and the funds for the "extra" spec ed that is beyond what the fed/state funding is based on a "needs" test is to come out of the districts own money.  There is a push and pull with parents to try and get the kids off the spec ed services just to save that money.  There really can be a lot of pressure put to bear on the parents by the district.

That said it clearly isn't legal and IMO isn't moral either but from everyone I know unfortunately it is still very common practice.

[Miss Tequila]

Jun 2, 2016 7:17:52 GMT -5 973beachbum said:

Jun 1, 2016 22:44:53 GMT -5 oped said:

That was actually the allocation 10 years ago too it hasn't changed. 

I thought you were saying that special education funds were allocated to schools based on their free and reduced lunch populations, and then students had to split that money amongst themselves, which isn't what is posted there. 

If if a student is eligible. They get funding. That's why the first notation is that EVERYONE gets the base amount. (I believe there are actually different multipliers for different placements, levels, etc). But anyway, this base is not tied in any way to who f/r lunch population of the school. Nor is the next 85% of 'extra' money which is based on populations served in special Ed. 

I just us don't think it's in any way accurate to suggest that special Ed funding is 'tied to' f/r lunch rates.

I live in a more affluent area and the funds for the "extra" spec ed that is beyond what the fed/state funding is based on a "needs" test is to come out of the districts own money.  There is a push and pull with parents to try and get the kids off the spec ed services just to save that money.  There really can be a lot of pressure put to bear on the parents by the district.

That said it clearly isn't legal and IMO isn't moral either but from everyone I know unfortunately it is still very common practice.

Which is why a parent needs to be educated and be their child's advocate.  No school district wants to comply with the law.  I'm strong and not easily bullied and still old school district tried to push me around.  I knew the law, knew what they had to comply with and laid out the facts.  That didn't work...until I mentioned the fact that I would be bringing an attorney with me to the next meeting.  Issues ended and full compliance for my child.  It's sad to think what happens to the children who need services but their parents don't know how to fight or quite frankly, just don't give a shit.   

[GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl]

The IDEA requires that each and every student determined eligible for Special Ed services and instruction receive a free and appropriate education designed to meet the student's individual needs to prepare him or her for independent living.  The cost of such services and instruction -- by law -- are not allowed to be part of the consideration of a student's individual needs.  

So, there is no question that Special Education is expensive.  The IDEA understands that and mandates (I.e., NOT "suggests") that the Federal government re-imburse local school districts 40% of their Special Ed costs.  Not 100% to match the Federally-imposed IDEA costs, but, hey, 40% is a start/good chunk.  

The problem is, that the last time I checked with any specificity, the Federal government was only re-imbursing local districts 18% of Special Ed costs -- in direct and open violation of the IDEA.  Take your own district's annual Special Ed costs and calculate 22%. Imagine what your district could do with that money!!  No wonder local school district budgets for general education are decimated.

Yet, no one seems to be holding the Federal government accountable for withholding billions of dollars from local school districts.  Not parents, not teachers, not superintendents, not school boards, not local real estate taxpayers, not school levy payers.  WTF are we not up in arms about this??!!

@rockit :  Title 1 is a Federal reading program for which the funding is tied to the free/reduced lunch population in a particular school building (not district).  It is not a Special Ed program.  It does not fall under IDEA.  A student cannot be on an IEP and participate in a Title 1 program.  It is designed to assist underprivileged children who are assumed to have limited access to literacy materials.  A school is allowed to mix wealthier children who are not receiving free/reduced lunch into the Title 1 program, but must meet the free/reduced lunch criteria first to receive funding.

[GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl]

And don't get me started on the complete, unabashed, total lack of funding for NCLB.

Local districts have to fund that, too. 

Although, that said, I do support the idea of reasonably-high-expectation, "minimal", education standards for all children.  I'm not sure we've figured out all of the nuances of how to accomplish, and ensure, that all American children receive a high quality education.  Still, I favor pushing on and figuring it out as opposed to giving up because of the difficulty or expense.

[Miss Tequila]

Jun 2, 2016 9:27:05 GMT -5 GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl said:

And don't get me started on the complete, unabashed, total lack of funding for NCLB.

Local districts have to fund that, too. 

Although, that said, I do support the idea of reasonably-high-expectation, "minimal", education standards for all children.  I'm not sure we've figured out all of the nuances of how to accomplish, and ensure, that all American children receive a high quality education.  Still, I favor pushing on and figuring it out as opposed to giving up because of the difficulty or expense.

Perhaps if we focus on educating American citizens and not illegals we could accomplish more.  www.fairus.org/publications/the-fiscal-burden-of-illegal-immigration-on-united-states-taxpayers

At the end of the day there is only so much money to go around.  Some kids needs more help than others and will be more expensive to educate.  Whether it is a kid with dyslexia who needs help with reading or other disabilities, it costs money.  My daughter is educable but it takes a lot more work for her.  I'm not sure about the severely disabled that are not educable.  but I'm also not sure where that line is. 

[GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl]

t-dog :  So, since education is so expensive (and since the cynic in me considers it such big business), there are folks in education looking for ways to educate our kids for lower cost.  Not an entirely unreasonable effort -- the devil, though, is in the details.

For example, some districts have larger class sizes or make heavy use of classroom aides instead of teachers or slide kids through or turn a blind eye.

Some other districts lay out tons of obstacles to find students eligible for Special Ed through obfuscation and delay and bluffing and/or offer one-size-fits-all programs or are all talk and no action or put on a good show but don't provide effective, quality, instruction and services or bully and intimidate parents to frighten them away from advocating for their child.

There are also some districts who see children who struggle to learn in a particular district's mass-produced-factory style as the problem, and deny/ignore that the teaching style, curriculum, and materials are the issue for that child.  These districts attempt to "cure" the child's learning differences through the use of trendy computer programs that purport to "fix" children's brains because they think it will be cheaper and eliminate the accountability built into Special Ed.  Education is not alone in its love of the latest-and-greatest:  just look at technology or fashion or cars for examples.  But, like other industries, education has also had trendy ideas that have ultimately proven less than hoped (open classrooms -- I.e., without walls; California-style, flat-roofed, separate buildings in cold and snowy New England; and specious teaching styles,etc.).  Since I am a huge fan of neurodiversity, I personally struggle with any educational approach with starts with the presumption that the child is broken.  And, it will take decades of open, honest, research for me to buy into the notion that software can, in fact, safely and effectively, remediate cognitive differences -- IF, and that's a big IF, schools  should even be playing neurologist in the first place.  That said, I completely respect and support other parents' wish to pursue these types of interventions (although my heavy personal experience is that that respect is NOT a two way street).  

My point is, give some thought about what YOU want for your son -- supports and tutoring and accommodations?  Input on his teacher and classroom placements?  Special education services and instruction which are designed to meet his individual needs?  Cutting-edge (perhaps, unproven) techniques and programs?  Be prepared to express your wishes both verbally and in writing, to ask probing questions and continue to do so until you get complete answers, and to hold your ground, if necessary.

Good luck!!!

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

For science he needs to figure out another way to take notes so he can keep up.    In Molecular Genetics and O-chem I used to draw out the concepts rather than try to write down what the teacher was saying.  Having a visual made the subjects easier to grasp.

Is he trying to write down every word the teacher is saying?   If that is the case I can see why he isn't able to keep up.   Teaching him how to write an outline may be useful, then he can quickly note the important concept and put down a couple of key data points underneath.  When he gets home he can flesh out his notes with the help of his textbook.

I did that in Physics.  There was no way I was going to be able to keep up if I wrote down everything my professor said.  

Math. . .I got nothing.  I still struggle with math to this day.   It's taken me awhile but I figured out I may be dyslexic.   They didn't test for that in schools anymore when I was younger and I'd have to have an IEP (which did not exist either) to get tested as an adult.

Reading about it on the official web site explained A LOT.   I've been going around all my life thinking I was stupid but in reality it may be my brain is wired differently so I didn't click with the standard math ciriculum used when I was in school.