Too few scribes sent to Parkview for key literacy test: mother
'There are a lot of upset children there, there is a lot of crying,' parent council co-chair says
A Hamilton mother is angry after a dozen special needs students at her sons high school, she says, were forced to write the provincial Grade 10 literacy test on Thursdaywithout the help of a dedicated scribe, an accommodation afforded to them under their individual education plans.
Laurie Hazelton, co-chair of the parent council at Parkview Secondary, said the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board (HWDSB) sent too few educational assistants, leaving 12 of the 35 students who require a scribe to write the full-day test on their own.
There are a lot of upset children there,there is a lot of crying, said Hazelton, who volunteeredat Parkview a vocational school that serves roughly 220 students with special needs on test dayto monitor the halls and hand out snacks to kids who werewriting the test.
One boy wrote the test in 10minutes who doesnt have a scribe. Its supposed to take all day, she said. And the test is written,you cant change your answer.
Some scribes worked to aid two students at the same time, she said, addingParkviewprincipal PaulBeattiewas busy trying to help as well.
But reinforcements weren'tenough to make up for the shortage, said Hazelton. She's concernedthat several students will fail who wouldn't have otherwise.
"For me, this is kind of setting kids up for failure."
School didn't request more scribes: board
HWDSB spokeswoman Jackie Penman said the board sent 20 educational assistants to Parkview to assist with the test the samenumber the school wasallotted last year. However, the school didn'tmade a request for additional scribes this time around, she said.
At this point, Ill have to look into it, she told CBC Hamilton around noon on Thursday.
The Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT) consists of a reading and writing component, according to the Ministry of Educations website. The reading section asks test-takers to read a variety of selections and answer a listof questions about the passages. To complete the writing component, students must pen four pieces that differ in length.
They need to be given at least a fighting chance at writing this test that they need to write to graduate.Laurie Hazelton
Students are required to pass the exam to graduate high school, buttheresultsdon'tfactor into their report cardaverage.Children who fail the test, or miss it due to illness, can rewrite itat a later date.
But Hazelton said shes concerned the public board wont supply enough scribes infuture rounds of testing. Her son, Malcolm, may write the exam in 2015, she said.
They need to be given at least a fighting chance at writing this test that they need to write to graduate.
The ordealhas inflicted additional stress on the student body at Parkview, which is set to close in June despiteoutcry from the community. In the fall, moststudents from Parkview will attend schools in their respective neighbourhoods.
Hazelton expectsproblems will persists. The receiver schools, she said, wont be equipped to deal with the influx of special needs students.
If they cant provide the scribes this year, how are they going to provide them next year when they are in the new schools?
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