Case
Twice Exceptional Student

Ms. Thomas has a student who is Austic and Gifted in Math and Science. He does well during his formative Assessments throughout the week. When it comes to his summative assessments he is failing every time. Ms. Thomas teaches a reading class and this student is struggling. He does his homework. He completes his classwork, but is consistently failing his test. She is concerned about this ability to take the standardized test at the end of the year. What should she do?

Posted on: 10/18/14 | Views: 897
Solution #1
This student should have accommodations in place and it is likely they are not being used. Refer to his IEP for instructional and testing accommodations. Also, review his reading level and the level at which the tests are written. He may have a "read passages" accommodation and might not be receiving it. Try alternative assessments such as portfolios and assessments involving rubrics.
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Solution #2
Ms. Thomas should speak with either the school psychologist of the counselor to determine if he may qualify for testing accommodations. He may perform better if he were to be tested in small group or with extended time. Even if he does not receive modifications for classroom assessments he may still qualify for accommodations on the standardized tests.
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Solution #3
This may be a case of test anxiety, which can be worked on with coaching sessions. If the child does not have an IEP, but has an official diagnosis of Autism, I would consider a 504. This could offer accommodations such as small group testing, extended time, and frequent breaks.
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Solution #4
It is important for Ms. Thomas to report this observation to the school ESE specialist. She will be able to determine if the student has test anxiety and maybe need extra time on summative assessments.
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