WVa: 18 percent of students in state public schools have been flagged as disabled and in need of special instruction

[Guest guest]

The 18% is close to the 1 in 6 figure recently offered by major medical

journal. The epidemic perceived by educators includes far more than

autism and is consistent not only with environmental degradations that

impair CNS development but also with the CDC's 1999 findings of a strong

association between thimerosal and a range of traits, including ADD,

ADHD, sleep disorders, unspecified developmental delays, and autism.

The CDC used two large HMOs for the 1999 analysis and, to the best of my

belief and knowledge, the CDC's 1999 methodology did not evaluate for

declining average-IQ, low-end " mid-range " reading or math skills. The

question arises, since thimerosal induces from ADD to autism, would

there be a thimerosal effect upon other measures of CNS function?

" Boyer said that 18 percent of students in state public schools have

been flagged as disabled and in need of special instruction. "

Law Wrong for Special Ed, Official Says

2004-11-12

ton Gazette, The

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BECKLEY - West Virginia special education students have better math and

reading scores than some counterparts in surrounding states.

But they're " nothing to be happy about, " said Dr. Lynn Boyer of the

state Board of Education.

On Wednesday, Boyer told state board members that of the 24,300 students

who took the WESTEST, 32 percent scored proficient reading marks.

An average of 28 percent received acceptable scores in math.

Students in the third through eighth grade, and in the 10th, with

learning disabilities ranging from behavior disorders to speech and

language impairments to those who were deaf and blind, took the test.

State students' scores fell in the middle of those from seven states and

Washington, D.C. South Carolina special education students scored the

lowest average, at 16.5 percent proficiency in reading and 16 percent in

math.

North Carolina ranked the highest with 53.5 percent reading proficiency

marks and 64 percent in math.

Boyer said that 18 percent of students in state public schools have been

flagged as disabled and in need of special instruction.

Despite a decline in 2003-04 school enrollment, the number of special

education students has increased, she said.

" There's something wrong out there somewhere, " said board member Lowell

. " If there are strategies we can implement, then we ought to be

doing that. "

State education officials have been criticizing inflexible No Child Left

Behind standards they say keep special education students from achieving

at their own pace.

Because this group of students is also required to take tests at

grade-level, low test scores have kept entire schools from making

adequate yearly progress.

About six months ago, state officials worked with the U.S. Department of

Education officials to come up with an alternate test to give to special

education students, said Steve Paine, deputy state superintendent.

" As we began to proceed, they changed their position, " he said. " I don't

exactly know why. "

An option for accounting for these students is greatly needed, Paine

said. Declining scores are a problem around the country, he said.

" We're trying to meet the needs of one child at a time, " Paine said.

" This one-size-fits-all mentality of No Child Left Behind doesn't work

for special education. "

On Wednesday, state board members also learned that all but two of 55

county school districts meet full approval of state standards.

Both Lincoln and McDowell counties weren't approved because they have

been taken over by the state, said Kenna Seal, director of the Office of

Education Performance Audits, a state agency that monitors West Virginia

schools.

Based on WESTEST scores, attendance, participation and graduation rates,

579 schools were given full accreditation by the state board.

Twenty-nine schools, including three in Kanawha and two in Putnam

counties, received exemplary status.

These schools had attendance rates of about 94 percent, a dropout rate

of less than 3.6 percent and high writing assessment scores along with

high standardized test scores.

One hundred twenty-nine schools were marked with conditional or

temporary status due to missing adequate yearly progress standards for

two years in a row.

A total of five schools in Kanawha, Lincoln and Hardy counties were

listed as seriously impaired.

Six schools in Kanawha, Cabell, Ritchie and Berkeley counties also had

graduation rates below 80 percent.

Seal said that setting standards was " a shot in the dark " this year

since it was the first full year that No Child Left Behind was in

effect. It was also the first year the state used the WESTEST in schools.

Seal said the exemplary status for schools was set too high. It's nearly

impossible for most schools to score in the highest 10 percent in both

math and reading, he said.

" A lot of schools would have made it if it were for one and not the

other, " he said.

To contact staff writer Chandra Broadwater, use e-mail or call 348-5194.

*

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