Renay was working on the logistics of testing students for state testing. Testing schedules, even when they fit within the preferred existing framework, are still messy. And all the students know that this little change has made their regularly existing schedule unlike any other part of the year. Additionally, especially for students with disabilities, these questions are harder than perceiving their regular classwork.
This creates a unique situation: stressed adults and stressed students.
But testing does give a few other indicators—the end of the traditional academic calendar is on the way.
Why State Testing is Different Now
Before the pandemic, the switch to computer-based testing was “new”-ish. Just the process of getting students logged in and attempting tests was a whole process. Thanks to the Pandemic, there was a new focus on the tests, and the use of computer-based testing.
One of the things that was nice about computer-based testing, in the most ideal sense, was the computer would build a pathway for an individual student based on their answers. The computer based test ideally would also not ignore that a student might not have all the answers but have methods to answer.
But state testing is not enough for any one student and especially a student with a disability. There are other ways of understanding the ways students learn and grow. Day in and day out, what little wins have you seen?
- The student who now writes one letter of their name independently.
- The student who feels comfortable using a hundreds chart.
- The student who can follow the class routines.
- The student who now reads sentences.
- The student who can use a technical device without throwing it across the room.
- The student who will, after a sensory break, come and sit and join the rest of the class.
- The student who you thought would be in a different campus by this point in the year is communicating using different boards in the classroom.
The little wins are a significant part of the whole school year and are the strengths of working within special education. That these wins are not just because you are working with the students; these are the wins because the students are just ready. And they are always ready, even when the students are sincerely driving you nuts.
That these wins are not just because you are working with the students; these are the wins because the students are just ready.
ParaEducate
“Say the Word and I’ll be heard…”
It is also graduation season. The words that adults impart to graduating students. The same words need to be imparted to students with disabilities. That the questions we pursue are the parts of life that are worth living. It is not all about that next step, it is also about the celebration of those steps.
While we are at it: finding ways for students to connect to their community of school. It is not just about the students having peers, but students with disabilities recognizing the community of adults who are supporting their education.
On the heels of graduation season is retirement season. Celebrate your colleagues, even ones you might not have entirely gotten along with. They are a part of the journey. And yes, you had a journey with them. Allow the students to celebrate them too.
One more moment
Our attempt to return to a weekly blog was not quite as weekly as we had initially intended. ParaEducate will return for the 2026-2027 academic year in August.
Our mission remains the same, which is one of the more reliable parts of our progress. We provide materials, information, and strategies for working in special education inclusive settings for grades K to 12. We publish during the academic school year, sharing our findings at conferences, our books, and academic adaptations.
Do you have any comments about this month’s blog? Do you have a question for us? Would you like to have an opportunity to pilot some materials at your campus? Find ParaEducate online here, here, here, and on our website. ParaEducate is a company providing materials, information, and strategies for people working in special education inclusion settings for grades K-12. ParaEducate, the blog, is usually published once a month during the academic school year. ParaEducate shares its findings at conferences, through its books, and through its academic adaptations.
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