The Parent as Advocate

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The Parent as Advocate

• Peter W. D. Wright, Esq.
• Pamela Darr Wright, MA, MSW
• http//www.wrightslaw.com

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Overview

• Know Child Organize File
• Understand Test Scores the Bell Curve
• Learn How to Write IEPs
• Prove Your Case Use Letters to the Stranger
  Other Documents
• Learn How to Deal with School System Hone
  Negotiation Skills

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The List of Documents

• Use a word processor to make a chronological list
  of ALL documents
• Date Description Comments
• 10/6/99 Psych. Eval Scores dropped
• 11/9/99 Educ. Eval No progress
• 1/15/00 Eligibility Change to ED
• 2/1/00 IEP In ED class

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Use Evaluations to Measure Educational Progress

• Learn What tests subtests measure
• Learn The Bell Curve
• Learn Standard Scores
• Learn Percentile ranks
• Learn To Chart Test Scores

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The Bell Curve

• -2SD -1SD mean 1SD 2SD
• 70 85 100 115 130
• 2 16 50 84 98

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The Bell Curve

• Learn What tests really measure
• Learn Composite scores, subtest scores
• Learn Standard scores (SS), percentile ranks
  (PR), grade equivalent (GE) scores, age
  equivalent (AE) scores
• Learn Measure educational progress
• Learn When does apparent gain mean loss
  (regression)?

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How to Chart Test Scores Over Time

• Find repeated educational achievement tests
• Examples
• Woodcock Johnson Tests
• Kaufmann (KTEA)
• Wide Range Achievement Tests (WRAT)
• Standardized Group Batteries
• Compare scores measure change in percentile ranks

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Woodcock Johnson ScoresStandard Scores

• 1/90 5/91 10/92
  6/95
• Reading 97 94 90 78
• Writing 87 92 91 84
• Math 115 105 97 95
• Mean 100 100 100 100

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Woodcock Johnson Scores Percentile Ranks

• 1/90 5/91 10/92
  6/95
• Reading 42 34 25 7
• Writing 19 30 27 16
• Math 84 63 42 37
• Mean 50 50 50 50

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Woodcock JohnsonStandard Scores - Bar Graphs
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Woodcock Johnson - Bar Graphs Percentile Ranks
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Woodcock Johnson Reading Scores as Percentile
Ranks
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Woodcock Johnson Writing Scores as Percentile
Ranks
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Woodcock Johnson Math Scores as Percentile Ranks
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3 Dimensional Bar of W-J Rank Scores
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3 Dimensional Line of W-J Rank Scores
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IEPs with Measurable Goals Objectives

• Example 1 Typing/Keyboarding
• By June 15 2001, Johnny will type a passage of
  text at a rate of 35 words per minute with not
  more than 5 errors on a 5 minute timed test.
• Example 2 Decoding Skills
• By June 15 2001, Johnny will improve letter-word
  identification skills from the 10th percentile
  level to the 25th percentile level, as measured
  by the WJ letter-word subtest.

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Summary

• Learn about the facts and law
• Organize your childs file
• Use the Bell Curve to chart test scores
• Develop a theme that generates empathy and desire
  to help

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The End

• Peter W. D. Wright, Esq.
• Pamela Darr Wright, LCSW
• Site http//www.wrightslaw.com
• Email webmaster_at_wrightslaw.com