Special Education: To Test or Not?

Is it reasonable to expect a special education student to pass the same graduation test that is given to the average high school senior? This is the question being asked by many of those concerned who are part of the special education programs that exist throughout the United States. The relatively recent and much-maligned No Child Left Behind act has made the aforementioned standardized test a requisite if one wants to obtain a high school diploma. For some reason, the government did not take into account that they were putting an insurmountable obstacle in the way of those adolescents who suffer from either physical or mental disabilities. Instead, they chose to ignore the complexity of a situation that involves more than just the average student. There are, however, many who support this method of testing despite the rather obvious unfairness inherent in such a system.

The proponents of the NCLB maintain that forcing the special education students to pass the test in order to get a diploma will push them to higher levels. In an article from the Baltimore Sun, a woman claims that because her son had to take the exam, he made “years of progress in a short time.” She thinks that he simply needed the extra motivation. This same parent goes on to say that she does not “want someone handing VJ (her son) a diploma that means nothing” because he was given a special accommodation. Some people might be reading this and thinking: “This argument makes no sense.” I agree and here is why. As one would presume, the percentage of special education students that pass the exit exam is much lower than the national average. In fact, while “two-thirds or more of students are passing the tests, only about one-third of those in special education are doing so.” This fact probably does not surprise anyone. It is blatantly obvious that students enrolled in special education programs would not do as well on a standardized test as an average student. In a Times Daily story, a special education official alleged that “It's like saying we're going to put every child on a professional football team and expect them to perform at that level.” It is simply not fair to judge someone who has a disability with the same criteria as one is using for unaffected children.

Another argument against the test stems from the fact that special education students are now being taught a curriculum based on the exam. Therefore, they are not being instructed about the everyday interactions that they will need to take part in later in life. For these children, this could cause problems. The mother of a child with Asperger’s Syndrome, a type of autism, says that “Working a two- or three-step math problem won't help her. She needs to know how to pay a cashier and expect change back.” These children need to be taught how to function in society, not how to find the value of x in an algebra equation. It could be argued that life skills should be taught by the parents, but this assumes that they will l be around the house and available to instruct their offspring. What if both parents work? What if they are divorced? These children need to be instructed at school where they are assured of having a teacher who will be able to spend time with the students on a regular basis.

I fail to see how anyone could possibly view the current across-the-board testing system as anything but a poorly thought out quick fix for low graduation rates. Some states, such as Utah, are attempting to rectify the problem. In an article from the Salt Lake Tribune by Lisa Schencker, it was stated that “The Legislature . . . discussed a draft of a bill today that would exempt special education students with certain individualized education plans from having to take the Utah Basic Skills Competency Test (UBSCT) to graduate.” It is relieving to see that someone is taking a stand against this unfair testing policy. I previously mentioned the mother who did not want her son to get a diploma unless he took the test. I guess she did not want him to get any special treatment. After all, it is not like he is in a special education program.