OPPOSE the subjective, biased and unsubstantiated new standards for eligibility
(1) The Guidance Document claims that cultural and linguistic differences may result in an impact of up to 35 standard score points but VDOE has FAILED to identify any study used as support to implement this subjective measure to determine student eligibility for services.
(2) The proposed language creates massive room for bias and subjectivity and creates a heightened hurdle for diverse students whose “cultural background, language skills, regional dialectal differences, family or cultural customs” could now be used as justification to deny services.
(3) The Guidance Document also encourages evaluators to consider whether "lack of high-quality instruction due to ongoing teacher vacancies, implementation of interventions not matched to student area(s) of need, or cultural mismatch for classroom activities or evaluation tasks" could have impacted test scores. Shockingly, evaluators are encouraged to subjectively consider school system failure to meet the needs of the student as an alternative explanation for substandard test performance and a reason to deny services.
(4) This eligibility guidance will clearly further disadvantage minority and marginalized students by encouraging an entirely subjective array of alternative explanations for the challenges students face.
Mern Horan / Arlington Public Schools Parent