A Judson ISD parent addressed the board Wednesday to say the district denied calculator accommodations to students with IEPs or Section 504 plans during the district’s MAP Growth math assessment, while allowing text‑to‑speech on the reading test.
"For both the reading and math assessment, text to speech was provided as an accommodation. But for the math assessment, students with an IEP or Section 504 plan that included calculator use were denied that accommodation," Angela Flanagan told trustees during public comment. She said the district had justified the denial by calling MAP a universal screener, but told the board that in practice the district uses MAP results for student placement and that the scores are connected to the teacher incentive allotment.
Flanagan said she previously filed a grievance with the Texas Education Agency and the district had been found out of compliance with student accommodations. "When assessment carries this kind of weight, denying students their accommodation is not only unfair, it is unlawful," she said, and urged trustees to ensure students receive the accommodations in their IEPs and 504 plans on MAP and any other assessment that influences placement or compensation.
The board did not take immediate action during the meeting; the superintendent and staff had previously noted the district is subject to TEA rules and state data reporting. Flanagan asked the board to direct staff to review the assessed accommodations and correct any noncompliance.