Can you get the reading recovery teacher to give you a report on your kids to present to the school? I can't believe they're blocking you on this
As for kids sitting out the NAPLAN tests, a friend of mine is a teacher, and he has said in the past that the NAPLAN results aren't worth anything, because the kids that teachers know will score low either don't do the test or the teacher doesn't submit it, to keep their levels high
If it was me, i would write out a list of questions/areas i am concerned about and ask them to respond in writing prior to your meeting. I would then take this to the meeting and use it as your basis for discussion. I am very avoidant of conflict, so this is probably the only way i would have the guts to do it. Also, it means you have written documentation you can use to take things further if required. They are also more likely to put the time and effort into responding as they know that you will be able to use it, rather than just blow you off with non-specific statement. Make sure your own questions are really specific, and take your time writing it. If you need to move the meeting, then do so, as its more important that you are prepared so you can actually get a resolution.
I would either email or give it to the teacher in a sealed envelope with a note saying something like "Dear x, Thanks for agreeing to a meeting with me regarding my children's progress. I am really pleased the principal is going to be joining us, as i would like to get a good understanding of how they are doing and what action we can take to ensure that they are doing the best they can. I have made a list of questions i would like to discuss in our meeting, i would really appreciate it if you could respond to these in writing prior to our meeting to make sure that i have everything clear in my head. I hope you don't mind this approach, i really want to make the most of this meeting and in the past i haven't come away with a good understanding or any clear outcomes."
Once you have your answers from them, get as many different opinions as you can. I am sure there are lots of teachers on here who could provide some advice, i would even consider speaking to another local schools principal about them to get their opinion.
I think it is frustrating too that when it is only such a small class, there should be absolutely no excuse for a child to fall through the cracks and teachers not realise that they aren't where they should be. My kids have constant assessment of their literacy skills and they are moved to different groups according to those results - and we're talking classes of 40+kids in Kindergarten and I think it's 65 for year 2. I do volunteer work in my DD2's kindergarten class for Literacy groups and what we have to do is take one of the groups, read their readers with them and do their sight words and then let the teachers know if any needed extra help etc. I did have a boy one day who really struggled with the book he had and when I told the teachers they said they would have to re-test him, so I just don't get why your school is so slack about it.
The only advice I would have is to try to put everything in writing where you can. Write an email to the class teachers and the principal outlining what your concerns are and why. Ask the teachers for written reports on the children's progress (not the 'normal' sort of school reports but in depth individual reposrts for YOUR children). Ask if they are meeting the state averages in their developmental areas. Perhaps contact the board of education and see what you or they (the Board) could do?
Is there some way you could get them independently assessed?
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