[SENco-forum] 4th percentile tosh

Exactly Sharon! Hear Hear! I see this so very very often. Keep making these vital points -- Brendan King  

-----Original Message-----
From: SEN at tringham.net
To: senco-forum at lists.becta.org.uk
Sent: Thu, 26 Apr 2007 7.47AM
Subject: RE: [SENco-forum] 4th percentile tosh

Sometimes it is not the ambiguousness of EP reports, or the fact that some
LEA EP reports are economical with the truth under LEA direction, but
sometimes that the school cannot understand the scores or comments in the
report any more than the parents can.  Without understanding there is no
point in having the report other than as 'evidence' in later battles.

I have sent a perfectly clear EP report stating High IQ, coupled with a
evidence of both dyscalculia/dyslexia, and communication from Professor Tim
Miles explaining the significance of Bangor Test scores only to have the
school congratulate itself on getting a high IQ student and then refusing to
support her as they had plenty more who are far worse off.  Now in GCSE year
the math teacher is surprised to find her student is struggling and equally
surprised to find they have SpLD!  Dual exceptionalities students can only
get so far without support, and that might be further than the 'average'
student is no excuse.

What is the point of percentile or standard or raw scores at all if they
only exist as a point or 'range' to get a student to before leaving them to
their own devices? If a student cannot learn the way the teacher teaches
there comes a point where all will 'fail'.  Should any one point be more
acceptable than another?

Sharon

-----Original Message-----
From: senco-forum-bounces at lists.becta.org.uk
[mailto:senco-forum-bounces at lists.becta.org.uk]On Behalf Of kngbrndn at aol.com
Sent: 26 April 2007 01:05
To: Mmilesep at aol.com; senco-forum at lists.becta.org.uk
Subject: Re: [senco-forum] 4th percentile tosh

OK Martin -- I got the percentile score wong there. A typo or tiredness or
both. Thanks for pointing it out. But (humbly) I contend I do know what I'm
talking about generally in this area -- however I should have double checked
my posting before sending. Also, I am very capable of error, by getting
dated by lack of direct practice on a regular basis -- and you will be much
more of an authority than myself in respect of statistical analyisis.

But that does not, in any way, undermine the 'credibility' the substance of
what I said, which was the most important aspect. That there are serious
problems of very many parents not getting thourough and unambiguous
assessments, for their SEN child from their LA, without having to commission
their own independent asessements. This is my all to common experience and
was the real (if slightly digressing) point I was making in my posting. The
Education Select Committe Report called for a seperation of LA statutory
assessment from provision duties, as it found that the present operation of
SEN was 'unfit for purpose' so I'm not alone in my experience.

Regretfully -- Eddie is not my 'buddie' as we've never met -- nor do we
directly communicate about any matters raised on the forum! And we have no
joint axes to grind in any way. Any comments from him as to aptness of what
I may state on this forum (or otherwise) are the same as from any one else,
just a comment of agreement or disagreement as to what someone else has
said. Starngely you are not the first person to collectively imply
critiscism of Eddie and myself -- but such generalisation of critiscims has
absolutely no validity or relevence.

When I make general critiscism of EP practice in LAs, this is not a
criticism of the profession as a whole, or EPs as individuals. I meet many
very excellent EPs in private and LA practice, and read some excellent
reports. EPs are vital professionals, and I had the pleasure of meeting an
excellent principle LA EP (Head of an LA service) yesterday at a very
crucial meeting with a parent.

I believe EP roles in supporting children and schools should be strengthened
and expanded considerably, with the EP role, within the statutory assessment
process, 'distanced' considerably from LA control. The constant 'cuts' in EP
services that happened in my area -- when I was a teacher -- frutrated me
intensly.

But I have stated the problem that I find, as a fact not a general anecdotal
smear, as it is very important to SEN children and their parents in terms of
the assessment process. Unfortunatly the LA EP has become a 'Gatekeeeper'
for LAs in limiting spending on SEN, and it was not a role that the EP
profession sought. It is a fault of the legislation and needs to be
rectified -- as the Select Committe is seeking to persuade Government so to
do.

I always read your advice and comments, and value them Martin, and I hope to
be able to continue to do so.

Cheers Brendan King

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