(11) Some Facts & Strategies to Help You Understand & Become More Effective Advocates – It Does Not ‘Just Happen’

By George Scott * 281-818-7872

Project Director, Academic Equity Advocates * ghscott2050@aol.com

What are the fundamentals that parents need to understand if they make the commitment to be more aggressive, proactive advocates for their children in the public education system?

1. Credible knowledge of their child’s genuine academic grade-level strengths and weaknesses – particularly in English Language/Reading and Math.
2. Resources and support to develop a plan of interaction that would guide any communications between them and their children’s educational instructors or professional support employees as the need indicates.
3. A personal resolve to be positive, sincere, and respectful in interactions with your children’s educational leaders BUT not intimidated by the process itself or by an initial lack of cooperation or support.

In the next four columns that follow this one, AEA will provide specific support that we can provide to parents that accept the challenge.

They are just summarized below. The next columns will provide more details.

1. DIAGNOSTIC SCREENING TESTS in both English Language skills and mathematics primarily focused upon evaluating the academic preparation on credible grade-level standards in the 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th grades. Parents with 9th grade students who are struggling academically are encouraged to use these assessments for diagnostic use. These tests were written by highly qualified professionals. Whether ELA or math, when your child takes these screening tests, you will have credible analysis of academic strengths and weaknesses.
   • English Language – Mechanics, Usage, & Grammar:
     • The full screening test was developed by a classroom teacher with more than 25 years of experience ranging from at-risk Title 1 students to advanced Gifted and Talented students in junior high and 9th grade. There are 11 sections including100 questions on the test which evaluated a student’s skills in a wide range of skills including capitalization, punctuation, run-on sentences, and much more. Teachers throughout Texas and the United States have found many of these lessons to be very valuable in their own classrooms. Parents can now access them. The screening assessment is affiliated with Junior High ELA Resources which markets itself on a national professional website.
   • Mathematics: Testing Fundamental Grade-Level Skills at 5th through 8th Grades.
     • The specific grade level math skills included on this diagnostic test were published in the book The Educated Child whose authors were former Secretary of Education William J. Bennett, former Fordham Foundation president Chester E. Finn, and John T. Cribb. The authors defined specific math objectives by grade level from 5th to 8th grade that a student should master at those respected grades.
     • AEA commissioned a PhD statistician from Duke University to develop specific screening questions based upon the precise specifications outlined in the book for 6th through 8th graders. AEA also commissioned an experienced classroom teacher of mathematics to review the tests from the perspective of a classroom teacher. Further, that teacher developed the same testing approach to add a 5th grade test to the mix.
     • AEA believes that makes this testing battery helpful to parents is that the authors of the test were advised the goal was to assess credible skills and given the following directives in developing actual questions:
       1. Answers must be calculated by students without the use of a calculator, and,
       2. Minimize true-false and multiple-choice questions,
2. ACTUAL JUNIOR HIGH ELA instructional lessons, practices, quizzes on a full range of English Language grammar & usage and effective reading skills and comprehension. AEA is in affiliation with an experienced English classroom teacher and also with Junior High ELA Resources, which are nationally marketed and now available to you. Lessons are available on an individual basis but are also ‘bundled’ for more cost effectiveness. The lessons can be used for at least two key purposes:
   • Screening and Diagnostics:
   • Effective Home-Based Tutoring & Effective Instruction
     • All of the instructional lessons are currently available on a website which AEA can direct you.
3. PERSONAL CONSULTATION:
   • Should the need arise that you believe you need help in your home-support efforts on behalf of your child, AEA can refer you to certified public educators in whom we have significant confidence. In fact, these individuals are mostly retired and not accountable to the current system.