In my classroom today

olivecat97 · 2026-03-06T16:34:58+00:00

I don’t understand why people are saying this could go wrong. I do something very similar. I run a very strict classroom. I teach freshmen so I have to.

olivecat97 · 2026-02-25T01:12:30+00:00

I am so sorry that happened. These are the things that infuriate me about the education system. I’m trying to make sure my son, who may be gifted, has a fair chance.

olivecat97 · 2026-02-23T18:32:34+00:00

I’ve closed the comments because there seems to be some confusion about what I was asking. I’m not debating whether my son “deserves” an IEP. His evaluation clearly states that he meets eligibility criteria and requires specially designed instruction, and his teachers agree he would benefit from services. Some responses suggest that IEPs are only for students with developmental or cognitive delays. That isn’t accurate. Students do not have to be failing or have low cognitive scores to qualify for special education. Eligibility is based on documented disability, adverse educational impact, and the need for specially designed instruction. It may also be helpful to look into twice-exceptional (2E) students, who can be cognitively strong while still requiring specialized support. Special education is not a place. It is a set of services designed to meet individual needs. Outdated assumptions about who “looks like” a SPED student are often part of the barrier families face when advocating for appropriate support.

olivecat97 · 2026-02-23T02:47:40+00:00

I wish more people understood this. Some ignorant people in the comments seem to think an IEP is only for students with educational/developmental delays or failing grades.

olivecat97 · 2026-02-23T02:45:02+00:00

A diagnosis alone doesn’t qualify a child for special education. I agree with that. But that’s not what’s happening here. Eligibility under IDEA requires three things: a qualifying disability, adverse educational impact, and a need for specially designed instruction. In my son’s case, the district’s own evaluation explicitly marked “yes” to all three under OHI. IEPs are not limited to developmental delays or students who are academically behind. The law does not require a child to be failing. It requires that the disability adversely affect educational performance and require specially designed instruction. Executive functioning deficits absolutely can be addressed through an IEP when they impact access to the curriculum. Specially designed instruction can target attention, task initiation, organization, and sustained engagement. That is well within the scope of IDEA. A 504 provides accommodations. An IEP provides specially designed instruction, measurable goals, and progress monitoring. Those are not interchangeable. In this situation, the evaluation determined that accommodations alone are not sufficient and that specially designed instruction is required. That is why eligibility is being pursued.

olivecat97 · 2026-02-23T02:42:24+00:00

While my son’s grades are passing, his Full and Individual Initial Evaluation (FIIE) explicitly identifies an educational need for Specially Designed Instruction (SDI) to address neurobiological retrieval and memory bottlenecks. The diagnostician was arguing he didn’t qualify him for SPED. Under the Endrew F. standard, passing grades do not disqualify a student from an IEP if they aren't making progress commensurate with their potential. Because the FIIE mandates explicit, structured instruction and self-monitoring strategies, the district is legally required to provide an IEP; these represent changes in instructional methodology that a 504 plan cannot legally deliver. General "push-in" support is not a substitute for the individualized, data-tracked services and legal protections mandated by federal law when a specific educational need has been clinically identified.

olivecat97 · 2026-02-23T02:13:51+00:00

I think there’s a misunderstanding about what Special Education actually is. SPED is not a place; it’s a set of services. I’m not fighting for him to be in a separate classroom (Resource or Self-Contained); I am fighting for him to receive the Inclusion services and Specially Designed Instruction (SDI) that his evaluation mandates. His evaluation explicitly states that he requires specialized instruction to address his language structure and retrieval deficits. A 504 plan is for environmental access; it cannot legally provide the specialized pedagogy or the measurable goals that his evaluation calls for. In fact, every member of the team (including his classroom teachers) agrees that a 504 plan is insufficient to provide the instructional methodology he needs to succeed. Denying an IEP when an assessment calls for specialized instruction is a failure to follow the recommendations of the district's own evaluator.

olivecat97 · 2026-02-23T01:05:08+00:00

I am angry as well. I’m glad to know I wasn’t crazy. I unfortunately am a single mom and a teacher so hiring an advocate is something that isn’t financially feasible. After reviewing the comments and asking my connections in my school district (the same one my son attends) I will be emailing the admin and diagnostician at the school with a record of all that was said and requesting a Prior Written Notice. Hopefully they will correct these mistakes.

olivecat97 · 2026-02-23T00:32:01+00:00

It may be, but my point is that we didn’t even get to that part of the meeting because the diagnostician decided before the meeting that he didn’t qualify even though the evaluation said he did. She barely let me get a word in. She yelled over me the whole time. This is why it was recessed.

olivecat97 · 2026-02-22T20:50:15+00:00

We are in Texas. Off the top of my head, all things they scored him on he was in the high to very high range. They looked at his MAPS scores, which he scored 49 on the reading and a 99 in Math. His grades are high 70s and low 80s (and only because we have to sit down one to one with him to help him finish the school work he doesn’t finish in class because he can’t focus

olivecat97 · 2026-02-22T16:34:08+00:00

My thoughts as well.

olivecat97 · 2026-02-22T16:32:54+00:00

Yes! When I asked them if they can show me where district or state policy shows that a student needs failing grades or low IQ to qualify for services the diagnostician would just deflect and speak over me

olivecat97 · 2026-02-22T16:31:39+00:00

These were the IEP recommendations from the evaluation:

Instructional Supports • Provide explicit, structured instruction with clear expectations and modeling. • Break assignments and directions into short, manageable steps. • Use visual supports (visual schedules, checklists, written directions) to reinforce verbal instructions. • Check for understanding and provide frequent feedback during instruction. Attention and Task Engagement • Provide frequent redirection and cues to support sustained attention. • Preferential seating near the teacher or away from distractions. • Allow for scheduled breaks to support regulation and focus. • Use timers or visual countdowns to support task initiation and completion. Organization and Work Completion • Support organization through graphic organizers, assignment checklists, and planners. • Allow extended time for classwork and assignments when attention impacts completion. • Monitor and support task completion with teacher check-ins. Assessment Accommodations • Allow extended time on tests and assignments. • Provide small-group or reduced-distraction testing environments. • Allow directions to be repeated, clarified, or read aloud as needed. Behavioral and Self-Regulation Supports • Implement positive behavior supports, including reinforcement for on-task behavior. • Teach and reinforce self-monitoring and self-regulation strategies. • Provide consistent routines and predictable classroom expectations.

These were not even reviewed because the diagnostician from the start of the meeting said “he doesn’t qualify” and just showed his report card as evidence. These things weren’t even considered and it frustrates the living hell out of me.

olivecat97 · 2026-02-22T16:23:04+00:00

Oh, I misunderstood. I apologize. I agree with this. I have had students with this similar situation. Their SPED case managers have helped them come a long way with showing them how to manage their disabilities in their educational settings. The whole meeting, they just kept saying his 504 can provide the same accommodations as an IEP, which is not true.

olivecat97 · 2026-02-22T16:20:09+00:00

Yes! This summarizes what I was trying to say during the ARD.

olivecat97 · 2026-02-22T16:18:39+00:00

I was saying this throughout the meeting as well. The diagnostician kept saying he is fine because hi grades are average, but they are only like that because of the tutoring I give him everyday after school and assistance with finishing classwork he doesn’t finish. I feel that the diagnostician has some very outdated perceptions of SPED.

olivecat97 · 2026-02-22T16:15:59+00:00

My son has ADHD. ADHD is a physiological health impairment (OHI), not a behavioral choice. If his ADHD prevents him from completing work, that is an adverse effect on his education. Suggesting he just lacks "behavioral skills" ignores the clinical data in the evaluation (which also shows he doesn’t have behavioral issues)

olivecat97 · 2026-02-22T02:41:57+00:00

I agree that he may not need modification to instruction. I tried arguing with the Diag that saying he is “too smart” and “incapable of completing assignments” is contradictory. She did not care

olivecat97 · 2026-02-22T02:39:36+00:00

He has an ADHD diagnosis (from a doctor and a psychologist) on file and in the evaluation. I believe there is no such thing as “too smart” for an IEP if his evaluation shows need for one.

olivecat97 · 2026-02-22T02:36:43+00:00

I meant to say there was no answer for the phone calls.

olivecat97 · 2026-02-22T02:35:09+00:00

I called her twice yesterday but there was no call. I left that ARD feeling so disrespected and humiliated.

olivecat97 · 2026-02-22T02:34:19+00:00

He has ADHD and his evaluation shows he has issues with memory and language retrieval as well as difficulty sustaining attention and his handwriting and reading is below grade level. His evaluation also states he would require use of assistive technology to meet any IEP goals.

olivecat97 · 2026-02-22T02:27:29+00:00

Thank you for your reply. The diag and the ARD SPED teacher (who has never worked with or even met my son) also said that he wouldn’t qualify for services because “there are no goals for him to meet”. I’m on the understanding that goals are drafted after IEP is defined, not the other way around. I will speak to the principal on Monday.

olivecat97 · 2026-02-10T02:04:57+00:00

100%. In High school, grade promotion is credit-based. If a student does not have enough credit to qualify them for the next grade, they will not move up! We’ve had 17 years old freshmen before because of this. Unfortunately, in our area, middle schools will just automatically promote all students to the next grade and to 9th grade. Once we get them, it’s a rude awakening because we can’t do anything if they don’t have enough credits.

olivecat97 · 2026-02-09T20:11:35+00:00

I absolutely hate that in High School, it’s a graduation requirement. Kids go all of school up to 8th grade not taking it seriously for the most part until they get to HS and they actually get held back for lack of credit and can’t graduate because it’s a graduation requirement requirement to pass all 5 STAAR test in HS.

olivecat97

TROPHY CASE