In the Name of Fairness, Special Needs Students Struggle Through Testing

Next week, students across New York will take the standardized tests in English, followed a week later by the tests in math. The exams are difficult for most children, with results showing that the large majority of students are not meeting grade-level standards. 

The numbers are worse for students with disabilities. Statewide, just a tiny fraction of students passed the tests: about 5 percent received high enough scores to be considered on grade level in English; about 9 percent did in math.

Many educators and disability rights advocates have said that the standardized tests offer frustration and stress, rather than opportunity, for special needs students. In fact, they may do a better job testing students' disabilities than abilities, said Richard Lavoie, a special educator based in Boston.

"These kids through no fault or choice of their own have significant difficulties, and the problem with the approach that the government’s taking is they act as if the disability’s going to go away," said Lavoie. 

Students who have trouble processing language have to do an inordinate amount of work before even getting to the point of being able to answer a question, a point echoed by Annie Gallagher, a special education teacher at P.S. 164 Caesar Rodney.

"I just feel that the current assessments don’t really get at assessing my students' skills -- and they are able to meet a lot of the Common Core standards," she said.

Her students have been practicing for the tests by going over sample passages from last year's fifth grade English tests. The samples can be read here.

Gallagher pointed out a vocabulary question that asked students to choose the correct meaning of the word "collide" using context clues in a paragraph about BMX biking. But the question also offered the Latin root of the word, which was excessive and threw off her students.

"That’s a really good example of a question where, whether it was intentional or not," said Gallagher, "it added extra information that for my students confused them as far as what they were supposed to be looking for.”

State education officials have said that each test question is meticulously crafted to measure skills laid out in the Common Core learning standards. They said questions are reviewed to make sure they are fair for all students, regardless of disability, gender or ethnicity.