Hello, HS Friends. I am here because I am curious about how high school will work for my special ed students. I have been told a few things from counselors, but would like your input.
I teach 12 sixth graders in a mild to moderate self-contained setting. They are all classified as learning disabled or LD with multiple disabilities. Many are also ELL on top of this. Still, they have shown progress and all have strengths that are difficult to assess in traditional ways. I see bright futures for all of them despite reading and math struggles.
Unfortunately, I'm not really sure how to get them there. Their big year will be 7th grade, because these are the grades and test scores that high schools look at. Our selective enrollment high schools are competitive and I just found out you can't even sit for the placement test unless you perform in the 50th percentile on state tests. Same for private schools and the neighborhood school's honors program and IB program.
Okay so fine....they go to the neighborhood SPED program. What kind of counseling will they get for life after high school? Are there colleges that accept students with learning disabilities? I sincerely don't know. I almost feel like they are in an even worse place than students with severe disabilities. At least those kids have life skills programs, group homes, etc. My kids are just stuck in the middle. Not high enough to qualify for anything, but not low enough to be cast off into life skills. They are all wonderful people with potential and I want to know what I can do to help people see that.
Some high schools require a combined stanine 5 to sit for exams...I think we can get a few there. They only need to achieve 50th percentile between both subjects...they could do 25th percentile and 25th percentile....But then what? What else can I do now?
Thanks!
