Yesterday, I did a little ranting on this website about the problems with assessment. I shared the anxiety I feel as a parent, and my fear that the āsystemā will let my son down. In the middle of my posting I went as far as to say, āWhatās the point?ā
Well, I went to work todayā¦and in the midst of struggling with how to work with a few particular kidsā¦I went on a massive search for a great tool. What kind of tool you may askā¦an assessment tool of course! As I was talking to other professionals about how to accurately measure a studentās abilitiesā¦a light bulb went off. Oh yeah! Thatās the point! I knew that.
As a parent, I want to protect my son in bubble wrap and allow everyone to see him through my eyes. I see the good, the badā¦and sometimes ugly, but I see it through rose-colored glasses. I canāt help it because he is my son. But I have to remember that, he only has one mom, and everybody else has to learn about him in their own wayā¦through their own assessment.
My assessment of Eddie has come from knowing him his entire life. Itās been taught through āincidentalā learningā¦or from simply spending so much time with him. I know him innately. That can make me feel like everyone else should to, which is unfair.
Assessments do serve a purpose, and itās a pretty important one. As a teacher of the visually impaired, I use assessment tools of some kind almost every day. That being said, I’m careful to revisit them regularly as needed. I try not to label any student too specifically, and remember that they are always an individual.
However, without a starting point, Iām left with nothing. I canāt simply walk into a room and know what level of braille a student is at, or what vision they are using, or what kind of nemeth (braille math) they should be taught. I have to assess them to find those facts. If thatās true for me, then it is true for all educators.
So, Iām not exactly retracting my post from yesterday, but I am refining it. Even though Iām worried about the assessment process, I have to give the system a chance. Iām more prone to being optimistic, and I need to let that side of me ring true here as well.
The thing to remember is that there are safeguards (literally called that) within the special education process. Theyāre present for a reason, and can be called upon as needed. Many of us have multiple copies provided annually by the school. Itās usually laughable when I get handed a new oneā¦but Iām getting them for a reason.
FamilyConnect also has a good article about assessments: http://www.familyconnect.org/parentsite.asp?SectionID=72&TopicID=369. Itās a good overview if youāre new to the processā¦and a good reminder for those of us that arenāt.
So, when you find yourself freaking out as a parentā¦which is where I was this weekend, remember that you might feel better tomorrow. Or, like me, youāll have a revelation and remember that there is a point to most assessments. Because of that, Iām choosing to trust in the process, while asking many, many, questions along the way.