> It is especially rough for students with special needs who are often held to the same standards. This is an issue with the law. A student that is behind for

> It is especially rough for students with special needs who are often held to the same standards. This is an issue with the law. A student that is behind for any reason be it disability, language barrier, etc, that is in a mainstream classroom must be provided with grade level instruction and materials. If they have an individualized education plan (IEP) they'll also typically get individualized instruction from supplemental sources and/or their teachers. If they are just behind it's really up to the teacher to present the student with materials that they can handle and to find ways to help the kids close the gap. The best teachers will do this all the time, decent teachers will do it some, and crappy teachers won't do it at all. You can probably imagine that schools will be comprised of all three types. As far as grading and evaluation goes the teachers don't have a choice but to hold all the kids to the grade level standards, again due to the legal issues.