August 2, 2005
Iowa Department of Education Retracts Remediation Threat
A Tama County family submitted their year-end test scores and were surprised to receive a reply from the state Department of Education informing them they must put their second grade daughter on a remediation plan or enroll her in a school. While their daughter had done well on the standardized test in general, her score on the social studies subtest was below the 30th percentile.
However, parents are not required to evaluate their children on social studies until the child enters the 6th grade. Since their daughter was only in the second grade, her low social studies score would not require remediation.
HSLDA attorney Scott Woodruff called the School Improvement Consultant who had authored the letter and explained the problem. She immediately acknowledged her error and agreed to follow up with the family.
To avoid these types of problems HSLDA recommends that scores on subtests that relate to subjects that are not required to be tested should be redacted (blotted out). Math, language arts and reading must be evaluated in grades 1 through 5. Beginning in grade 6, science and social studies must also be evaluated.
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