Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
We'll be moving at the end of the school year. My seventh grade daughter has been struggling in school the last few years, barely making good enough grades each marking period to have a cumulative grade that will pass her to the next grade. We've asked about holding her back and have been told unequivocally "no" each time because she passed--even if she got almost all Ds to do it.
She does well enough on her homework when we force her to it, but the problem comes with remembering to turn it in and remembering to put her name on her classwork so that she can get credit--or turning in the classwork in the first place. She has ADHD and is incredibly high on the ADD part of the scale. A cough across the room can be enough to distract her when she's supposed to be doing something. And then it takes her so long to finish the work that the bell rings and then she's rushing to pack up and doesn't remember to turn it in.
My husband and I want to talk to the school where we'll be moving to see if they'll let her start seventh grade over again. We think if she's more familiar with the work, it'll be easier to finish quickly and also maybe help her with some fundamentals she hasn't been able to grasp in the "rush." At the same time, we're afraid the new schools will deny us the request just like her current one.
I don't understand it. I thought that schools used to be okay with holding back under-performing students to try and bring them back up to standards. It happened to a few people I knew throughout my own school years. What happened? Was this No Child Left Behind or something else? How likely is it that we'll get denied again?
Because research says it doesn't work. Well, it does initially but it doesn't address the issues that resulted in the need to hold back a student. Because they are reviewing material they do do better the year they are retained and usually for one or two more but then the problems that resulted in the grade retention in the first place, which were never addressed, rear their ugly head again and you're right back where you started only now you're a year behind.
Retention is just doing what you did before and expecting different results. You need to address the learning issues. That can be done with or without retention and the preference will be without to keep a child with their peers.
Let's say Suzy can't read so we retain Suzy. Suzy does better this next year because she's reviewing and maybe picks up a little on her reading for the repetition but what happens next year when Suzy moves up and no one has addressed that Suzy can't read? Suzy still can't read but now she's a year behind. Or let's say that her problem is she doesn't know how to study. Well she needs to study less during the retention year so you just exasperated that problem.
You have to ask yourself why you think doing the same thing she did last year next year will give different results this time. Usually when we simply do the same thing we did before we get the same result. What you need to do is find out why your daughter is struggling and address the reasons she struggles.
I have never seen it solve the problems intended. If the problem were the content, that might be different. But what you (the OP) has described is a problem with how the student is (or is not) learning.
I have never seen it solve the problems intended. If the problem were the content, that might be different. But what you (the OP) has described is a problem with how the student is (or is not) learning.
Does your daughter have a 504 or an IEP?
I agree, I would like to add that the OP should seek out behavior therapy or some other sort of interventions to help improve her focus. Retention will not fix the issues described.
I have never seen it solve the problems intended. If the problem were the content, that might be different. But what you (the OP) has described is a problem with how the student is (or is not) learning.
Does your daughter have a 504 or an IEP?
We've been told by the schools here that she doesn't qualify because her ADHD is "controlled by medicine". Maryland schools SUCK. (At least the ones where we're at. Supposedly they're highly rated. )
In Ohio she had an IEP, and it was helping. They wouldn't transfer it here when we moved four years ago, and it's been a struggle ever since. Some people are saying it's too late to change her now, which is incredibly frustrating. It's like the schools here won't bother with IEPs or 504s unless forced to by threats to the school board--something I only found out in the last couple months because a parent I work with had a kindergartner with an allergy to sunlight and the school kept putting off meeting for a 504 for her until my coworker threatened to go to the school board in JANUARY. They put it off that long.
I feel like it's not even worth fighting for at this point and like we should just wait until we get back to Ohio, which has MUCH better policies when it comes to these things, at least in our experience. It also has cheaper EVERYTHING, including tutoring and behavioral therapy, which she was getting before but which is now somehow no longer under our health insurance policy since we switched regions. They only want to pay for medicine for her.
We've been told by the schools here that she doesn't qualify because her ADHD is "controlled by medicine". Maryland schools SUCK. (At least the ones where we're at. Supposedly they're highly rated. )
In Ohio she had an IEP, and it was helping. They wouldn't transfer it here when we moved four years ago, and it's been a struggle ever since. Some people are saying it's too late to change her now, which is incredibly frustrating. It's like the schools here won't bother with IEPs or 504s unless forced to by threats to the school board--something I only found out in the last couple months because a parent I work with had a kindergartner with an allergy to sunlight and the school kept putting off meeting for a 504 for her until my coworker threatened to go to the school board in JANUARY. They put it off that long.
I feel like it's not even worth fighting for at this point and like we should just wait until we get back to Ohio, which has MUCH better policies when it comes to these things, at least in our experience. It also has cheaper EVERYTHING, including tutoring and behavioral therapy, which she was getting before but which is now somehow no longer under our health insurance policy since we switched regions. They only want to pay for medicine for her.
We've been told by the schools here that she doesn't qualify because her ADHD is "controlled by medicine". Maryland schools SUCK. (At least the ones where we're at. Supposedly they're highly rated. )
In Ohio she had an IEP, and it was helping. They wouldn't transfer it here when we moved four years ago, and it's been a struggle ever since. Some people are saying it's too late to change her now, which is incredibly frustrating. It's like the schools here won't bother with IEPs or 504s unless forced to by threats to the school board--something I only found out in the last couple months because a parent I work with had a kindergartner with an allergy to sunlight and the school kept putting off meeting for a 504 for her until my coworker threatened to go to the school board in JANUARY. They put it off that long.
I feel like it's not even worth fighting for at this point and like we should just wait until we get back to Ohio, which has MUCH better policies when it comes to these things, at least in our experience. It also has cheaper EVERYTHING, including tutoring and behavioral therapy, which she was getting before but which is now somehow no longer under our health insurance policy since we switched regions. They only want to pay for medicine for her.
As a note, Anne Arundel, as well as Calvert, has had issues with Special Ed over the years. Both have had to pay some significant settlements for failure to provide accommodations.
We've been told by the schools here that she doesn't qualify because her ADHD is "controlled by medicine". Maryland schools SUCK. (At least the ones where we're at. Supposedly they're highly rated. )
In Ohio she had an IEP, and it was helping. They wouldn't transfer it here when we moved four years ago, and it's been a struggle ever since. Some people are saying it's too late to change her now, which is incredibly frustrating. It's like the schools here won't bother with IEPs or 504s unless forced to by threats to the school board--something I only found out in the last couple months because a parent I work with had a kindergartner with an allergy to sunlight and the school kept putting off meeting for a 504 for her until my coworker threatened to go to the school board in JANUARY. They put it off that long.
I feel like it's not even worth fighting for at this point and like we should just wait until we get back to Ohio, which has MUCH better policies when it comes to these things, at least in our experience. It also has cheaper EVERYTHING, including tutoring and behavioral therapy, which she was getting before but which is now somehow no longer under our health insurance policy since we switched regions. They only want to pay for medicine for her.
Others have given you good resources to pursue, so I will defer to them on that front, but it is abundantly clear that if in fact your daughter's grades are due to ADHD and lack of accommodations, the ADHD is NOT being well controlled with medication. While I understand the hopelessness that comes with fighting a system and getting nowhere, I think you should consider the psychological effects of waiting until after your move to address things. It sounds like your daughter has already suffered through a lot. Middle school is hard enough as it is, but I've seen kids who could have otherwise been helped in terms of confidence, hope, and achievement (due to some form of LD that was not being appropriately addressed by the school or other professionals) give up completely on school due to repeated subjective failures. Not to mention the developing depression and anxiety disorders that can come along with that. At the very least, try to help your daughter understand what this is all about (i.e. a learning difference that should be getting accommodations and not that she's stupid or lazy). You are likely already trying to do that, but psychologically speaking, parents' frustrations and hopelessness can filter down to the kid. Letting her know she is worth fighting for can go a long way in the big scheme of things - even if you lose the battle you will help her see this is not her fault and model perserverence in the face of injustice and adversity.
It's certainly worth it to fight for an IEP or 504 now, when you move the documents will follow her, the new district will have to provide the same services right away. Contact the Parents Place of Maryland, The Parents' Place of Maryland: A center for families of children with special needs., that is the Parent Training and Information Center for MD and they can help you. You need to request an evaluation for eligibility for special education in writing, not verbally, and only accept an answer ool in writing, again not verbally.
In the meantime, talk to her teachers about some informal accommodations. Can she get a verbal reminder to hand the work in at the end of class? Can the teacher give a three minute warning before class ends, so she can start packing up and not be in a rush at the end of class? Can you scan homework and email it to the teachers so she doesn't have to remember to hand it in?
It's certainly worth it to fight for an IEP or 504 now, when you move the documents will follow her, the new district will have to provide the same services right away. Contact the Parents Place of Maryland, The Parents' Place of Maryland: A center for families of children with special needs., that is the Parent Training and Information Center for MD and they can help you. You need to request an evaluation for eligibility for special education in writing, not verbally, and only accept an answer ool in writing, again not verbally.
In the meantime, talk to her teachers about some informal accommodations. Can she get a verbal reminder to hand the work in at the end of class? Can the teacher give a three minute warning before class ends, so she can start packing up and not be in a rush at the end of class? Can you scan homework and email it to the teachers so she doesn't have to remember to hand it in?
The issue also with ADHD is not that the children don't understand the material, it's that they often can't complete the coursework or homework in time or remember to turn it in. While I don't teach anymore, I remember having kids without IEPs in my classroom who seemed to have ADHD. They clearly understood the material. In fact, many were quite bright, but their issues were just with what you would expect with ADHD. They would get distracted easily, couldn't sit still, etc. I didn't have a doubt about them learning the material, however.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
)
