My daughter has LD but doesn’t qualify for special education services. Although she has earned all passing grades, the school wants her to repeat her current grade because she failed the state’s standardized tests. Isn’t that discriminatory?

You may want to consult LD OnLine’s In Depth section on legal issues as well as the following sites for guidance on your daughter’s legal rights:

• Wrightslaw
• Parent Advocacy Resource Centers

Since your daughter has been identified with a learning disability but does not qualify for special education services, she sounds like she might be a good candidate for a 504 Plan. If you haven’t done so already, you may want to ask your daughter’s school to evaluate her to determine if she qualifies for services and accommodations under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, often referred to as a “504”:

• Protecting Students with Disabilities: Frequently Asked Questions about Section 504 and the Education of Children with Disabilities
• Section 504, ADA, and Public Schools

You should also consider requesting that your daughter receive another educational evaluation if her last evaluation was conducted more than one year ago. As students get older, the gap between their ability and achievement can widen, allowing them to qualify for special education services when they may not have before.

The following articles may give you some ideas of ways you can best advocate for your daughter’s academic needs:

• How Parents Can Be Advocates for Their Children
• Advocacy in Action: You Can Advocate for Your Child!
• Some Common Sense Steps to Resolving Disagreements Between Parents and Schools