Parent Advocates 4 Struggling Students Inc. - "We are parents of struggling students. Our clients are parents of children whose academic results are not consistent with their potential. Often disappointed by an education system that seems to have low expectations and, disillusioned by the lack of accountability, our clients are seeking a roadmap to guide them in their advocacy journey." pass for kids, pass 4 kids, parent advocates 4 struggling students, parent advocate 4 struggling students, parent advocates for struggling students, parent advocate for struggling students, pass, pass kids, kids pass, pass 4, pass for, struggling student, struggling students, advocates 4, advocates for, advocate for advocate 4, 4 struggling students, for struggling students, 4 kids

Bradley is an energetic boy who was recommended for an educational assessment in grade 2. Time was of the essence so his parents sought a private assessment outside the school board. The school board’s Identification, Placement and Review Committee (IPRC) had formally “identified” Bradley late in grade 3 as Learning Disabled (LD) in the area of “Communication”, but he did not have an Individual Education Plan (IEP) put in place until the fall of grade 4. Now in grade 5, Bradley is a frustrated student who is failing in all areas of school, even recess. His teachers report that he is acting out and quite disruptive in class. His parents say that the IEP is not working.

Bradley’s parents turned to Parent Advocates 4 Struggling Students (PASS) for advice and guidance. PASS began by evaluating all of Bradley’s school documentation to date and learned that:

His IEP was behaviour-focused versus learning-focused which was one major reason his learning was falling further and further behind in every grade.
No learning strategies had been developed, with measurable goal setting, to help move Bradley’s learning forward.
No appropriate Learning Accommodations were in place to support Bradley’s learning needs.
He was discriminately labeled as ADHD by the system even though he had never been formally diagnosed. He was treated as though he could not learn because of his behaviours. No one, except his parents, considered his behaviours might be the by-product of his tremendous frustration at not being able to understand.

In short, he was not being taught the way he needed to learn. PASS guided Bradley’s parents back through the IPRC so they could change their son’s “placement” and subsequently rewrite his IEP. Once appropriate accommodations were put in place in the classroom to support his learning needs, Bradley began to see success daily. With each new success his negative behaviours lessened.

PASS then recommended that his parents take their 4 Step Advocacy Course to learn the four cornerstones of advocacy. This comprehensive course provided all the tools they needed to make the changes that Bradley will require at school this year and until he graduates.

Now, informed and armed with the right tools and a clear understanding of the school board terminology and processes, Bradley’s parents attend all school meetings with confidence and are navigating their son’s educational success on their own!