Fox Report Inaccurate: School Districts Can't Test

Fox has perpetuated the misunderstanding that it is illegal in California to give black kids an IQ test.  No, it is against state educational policy to give black kids an IQ test to determine why they are doing poorly in school.

Independent testing organization and individuals, such as psychologists, can give the test to whoever they want.  And remember, this policy came into place because bright black kids with LDs were being penalized--educated as if they were incapable of educational growth.  I can't give you a referral to a psychologist--beyond my area of expertise.  I know families who have used The Children's Health Council in Palo Alto,  and been very happy. 

Another company our family has used:

Morrissey-Compton Educational Center
2555 Park Boulevard, Palo Alto
650/322-5910
http://www.morrisseycompton.org (The website wasn't working today.)

  Parents Helping Parents is a goldmine of information.

Fox News SAN JOSE, Calif. — The United States may have come a long way in the fight against institutionalized racism but in California, black children are still being denied access to an important educational tool.

Pamela Lewis wanted to have her 6-year-old son Nicholas take a standardized IQ test  to determine if he qualifies for special education speech therapy. Officials at his school routinely provide the test to kids but as Lewis soon found out, not to children who are black, due to a statewide policy that goes back to 1979.

At that time, many black kids performed poorly on the IQ test and wound up in special education classes. A lawsuit claimed the test was biased and a judge agreed — banning public schools from giving the test to black children while allowing it for everyone else.

This is all about getting the school district to pay for your child's needs for specialized services so the child can participate in a regular classroom.  The best resources I know of are Wrightslaw,  SchwabLearning, and LDOnline  (The latter two will lead you to parents' groups for your child's issue, such as IDA for dyslexia and so on.)