SPI scores?

[charliegirl]

Lillian, I just received a copy of my son's 5th grade scores for the state mandated math test in NY.

My son scored 8 points below the minimum of the target range in the Number Sense and Operations Strand
His SPI: 50
SPI Target Range:58 - 72

Students understand numbers, multiple ways of representing numbers, relationships among numbers, and number systems. They also understand meanings of operations and procedures, and how they relate to one another. They compute accurately and make reasonable estimates.

Bear in mind that they drilled for this test for weeks before they took it.

He did very well, above target range in all the rest.

Algebra Strand: 99 SPI target range:53 - 69

Geometry Strand: 83 target range: 47 - 58

Measurement Strand: 71 target range: 51 - 63

Statistics and probability Strand: 99 target range: 46 - 62

His total scale score is 671. 650 is the minimum for meeting standard

Every year when he takes a standardized test his grade in that one area of math is a bit lower than than the year before. On both evaluations he scored 1 1/2 years below grade level on that one area of math. He was getting extra help from the resource room teacher because he went to the man and asked if he could help him even though the school said he didn't qualify. Bless that man, he did take him in during recess and other free time to work with him. It backfired because it kept my son from getting so low he qualified for sped, but it did help my son, so I have to appreciate that he did it. Unfortunately it only helped him maintain and not progress.


What does this tell you?

Since he is strong in the other areas, should I believe the school when they tell me there is nothing to be concerned about? I see it as a learning disability that is going to really kick him in the butt if nothing is done to address it. He is in 6th grade and having even more trouble now. I don't want to see him finally reach the magic 2 years behind standard that most schools seem to be looking for when he is in 7th or 8th grade.

[lillian]

I don't know this test because I don't live in the state that gives it, so all I can do is kind of guess what this portion is, according to the description provided. It sounds like math computation. Do you know if the section was timed? If so, then it also is fluency. With ADHD and dysgraphia (your son has both, right?), you would expect fluency to be low. With computations, if he has some memory deficits as part of his ADHD, this may be low, as well. The rest of his scores are fine, and a few of the scores are really excellent, so I wouldn't worry about an LD in math, at this point. I might address it through ADHD, in the sense of memory and timed tests. Again, though, I'm not certain exactly what is being tested on this. Do you have a sample booklet close by?

[charliegirl]

They don't send sample booklets home. Everything is done in school. They really focus on preparing them for weeks, but other than homework assignments, I have no idea what was on any of it and I didn't keep anything from the prep.

I could type out the description of each of the other strands if that would help.

I don't think I'll have time to do it until this evening though.

I'm the one saying I think my son has dysgraphia. The school will only admit to him having a very mild form of ADHD (which needs meds but not interventions, which to me is backwards thinking).

I just don't know what to think. I see him struggle and just don't know. I tried to take him for an outside evaluation but the only psych in our area with enough expertise in diagnosing is so expensive, it would be a struggle to pay for the initial consultation, and I have no idea how I would ever pay for the testing.

Insurance is out of the question. If we could afford insurance, I would just use what we would be paying as a premium to pay for the testing.

[lillian]

So, the school has evaluated him? If so, when was the last evaluation?

[charliegirl]

Last year. It was almost identical to the one they did 2 years before. After he had the first one, the psych informed me that he was smart enough to graduate without any help from the school. Immediately after that he and many people from the school started telling me the only way I could help my son was to medicate him and that he would be lucky to graduate if I didn't. They stopped when I pointed out that prescribing without a license is illegal in NY State.

I was getting the "there is nothing wrong" message and at the same time "you have to medicate or you kid will fail" message. I can't trust a thing they tell me. It goes according to what they want me to hear to get me off their cases.

They tried to retain him in 4th grade because they didn't think he could pass 5th even though he had passed 4th. They said 5th was so grueling he was sure to fail. He made it to 6th and was hanging on but barely.

Oh, the first time he was evaluated, the psych actually put in the report that he wasn't sure whether my son wouldn't or couldn't, so he decided he just didn't want to take that one portion of the math test, in spite of the fact that I had told him my son was doing his best because he thought the testing was to determine whether or not he was retarded, and he wanted to prove he wasn't retarded.

I'm homeschooling now. Can you point me in the direction I should go if it is ADHD causing this? I want to strengthen him in that area before I throw him back into the public school system.

It looks to me like the area he is so poor in is really an important building block for the rest. That is seriously going to handicap him in high school.

[lillian]

"He was smart enough to graduate without any help from the school"? So, they didn't say whether or not he had an LD? A child can have an LD and not qualify for SPED. Do you know how to do the discrepancy formula? You take the FSIQ, GIA, or GAI (depending on the test) and look at it in comparison to the achievement scores on the achievement test. According to the state you live in, there must be one-to-three (15-to-30 points) standard deviations between the achievement scores and the FSIQ, GAI, or GIA. Though states are moving away from this method for recognizing LD's, it was still in effect when your son was tested. Can you look at his tests and see if there is a discrepancy? For math, you want to look at matematical reasoning and mathematical calculations, which are two separate LD areas under IDEA. For writing, you want to look at written expression.

[charliegirl]

His FSIQ came out to be 101, so the discrepency was minimal. If they had taken that one portion out of the equation and figured his IQ without it, he would have scored significantly higher. They don't consider subtest scatter and that is where you really see the difference.

They refused to consider that he had scored so high in everything else that this showed a significant discrepancy between what he was doing in everything else and what he was doing in that one area of math.

He was in 3rd grade yet grade level wise, he scored at a grade level of 1.6 or something l ike that in that portion and at grade level in the rest of the math. One other at grade level and the rest varied between 5th and 7th. I think he did have one that was higher but I can't remember.

I did ask someone at Schwab about it at the time and they said he may have a NVLD but would need further testing. I have seen him struggle so with math this year and he does seem to have a lot of dyscalculia symptoms, but from the test I just got the results on, it doesn't look like thats it.

I just really need an idea as to what I should be doing to help him "get" this portion.

Yes, he did say he had ADHD tendancies and that he would give me the paperwork so I could get the dr to give an official dx so I could medicate. Then he told me my kid was smart enough to graduate without needing any special help.

[lillian]

If he has NVLD, this could be the cause of some of the difficulties you are seeing with the writing and math. From how you are describing the test, they must have given him the WISC-IV. Was the PRI considerably lower than the VCI? If you want to post his IQ and achievement scores here, I'll look at them, or you can PM them to me. Seeing the scores will help with trying to come up with interventions to help him.

[charliegirl]

I'll find them and pm you the scores.