Dyslexia in Colorado: A Tale of Two Districts

 

Comprehensive District Reform:

In the Pueblo School District (District 60), they changed the way they taught reading, and achievement shot up.  Over in Durango (District 9R, LaPlata County), they used to deny that dyslexia exists.

Lindamood-Bell:

When PSD 60 began this journey their student test scores were among the lowest in the state. However, by refocusing their efforts, which included the Lindamood-Bell® partnership, PSD 60 now ranks second amongst the largest urban districts in Colorado in Adequate Yearly Progress (98%). A significant percentage of students are also exiting the special education rolls.

Durango:

The only thing that counted in our superintendent's eyes, was that "We have never been found guilty in a court of law, only in the court of public opinion" -- i.e. because nobody had the money to sue the school district to prove that they failed to provide FAPE (Free Appropriate Public Education) -- the school district must be doing things right. Despite the 9th grade special education CSAP results showing 69% were not proficient or above in reading. 93% were not proficient or above in writing. 97% were not proficient or above in math, our administration and school board chose to believe otherwise that what they were doing was good.

In Durango, special education services are provided by a regional consortium, San Juan Board of Cooperative Services.

Durango Parents Demand Better Services for Dyslexic Students

  Parents, teachers and administrators packed the Durango School District 9-R board room Tuesday [April 1,2006] for a sometimes emotional work session on how the district helps children struggling with academics.

It followed criticism from some parents that 9-R wasn't doing enough to help their dyslexic children. The parents have charged that 9-R teachers lack the training of some private tutors.

Superintendent Mary Barter said in an interview that parents should not feel they have to seek extra tutoring for their children. "Parents should not do it because they feel we aren't successful with what we're doing," she said. "It should be to augment what we're doing."

The district presented nothing less than an all-out case that it can help dyslexic students and others struggling with reading. A computer presentation detailed 9-R's programs, special-education law and student performance statistics.

Some of the discussion centered on how well prepared teachers are to help students with dyslexia

Chad MacCluskey, an Escalante Middle School special-education teacher, said that despite his education, "nothing taught me how to teach reading."

A district official said 9-R could consider further professional development.  We do have some holes in some of our teachers' backgrounds," said Donna Deeds, director of elementary student achievement.

Susan Schaldach, a 9-R special-education teacher for 26 years who now works at Miller Middle School, said the "vast majority of resource teachers in this district have been well-trained."My very first day on the job, I felt prepared to teach kids with reading disabilities," she said in an interview.

Well, what's the verdict, Ms. Schaldach?  How many of your students left your classroom reading at grade level or above?  It doesn't matter how you feel, it matters what you accomplished.

One parent said that despite the range of experts 9-R employs to deal with learning problems - including speech pathologists, audiologists and teachers trained in research-based reading programs - her child still fell through the cracks.

The parent, Shari Strauss, said her dyslexic son has struggled with reading after he was identified in first grade, but nothing helped. Only when Melissa Vance at Sunnyside Elementary School secured a grant for a new reading program did Strauss' son show improvement, Strauss said.

Joyce Bilgrave, a local reading expert, challenged the district to segregate dyslexic students. She said they learn better in their own classes with specialized instruction.

Barter said in an interview that dyslexic students can benefit from small-group instruction but also must interact in general classrooms. She said Bilgrave should meet with her to discuss her ideas.

[snip]
he district employs 35 special-education teachers, 19 reading teachers and 37 aides. Human Resources Director Michael Brennan said those employees cost the district about $2.6 million.

Some 473 9-R students, or more than 10 percent, receive special-education services. They performed well above average compared to other special-ed students in 2005 state assessments.

"Special Ed" is a catchall--

District failed to meet AYP in 2004-2005

  The Colorado Department of Education released the scores to the public last Tuesday. Local scores indicate  that the percentage of district students who scored proficient or advanced improved          “significantly” from the previous year.        

“Our teachers, students and families deserve congratulations for their hard work,” said  Superintendent Mary Barter. “The majority of our students already perform at a high level, so every   percentage point of improvement indicates the degree to which our teachers attend to each and every one of    their students’ learning needs.”        

However, the district will not know if it meets “Adequate Yearly Progress” under No Child Left  Behind until later this month. Last year, 9-R failed to meet adequate yearly progress and was placed on           “improvement” status, because it missed targets for high school special education students and  numerous reading and math scores.        

Regardless, the district is crediting this year’s high scores to a shift in philosophy and the use of  data to improve instruction and student learning.        

                               

Comments

[Mrs. Bog]

Bog Jr. has been in sped since k'garden when they id-ed him with a specific learning disability in reading and writing.

I remember his reg. ed 4th grade teacher lamenting, 'why don't they teach him to READ?' (she was speaking of the sped dept.)

We had Bog Jr. tested outside the system. They suggested phonics and the sped teacher, while reviewing the report said, 'Oh, yeah, I should probably bring in some phonics for him.'

argh!

So after realizing that sped had done nothing much all those years from k-4 I taught myself phonics (I was of the Dick and Jane, look and say, generation) and taught him myself. (The sped staff had a 100% turnover the next year and then Bog Jr. was off to middle school.)

Bog Jr. finally became an 'okay' reader in 7th grade.

He is in regular ed and we were doing okay. We have hit a glitch this quarter with deconstructing literature. So Mom is back on the case (having to reread The Pearl -what a depressing book!) and Bog Jr. and I are back in the trenches. :-)

[Bruce Eisner]

I like this blog a lot

[Mrs. Bog]

Goooooood morning!
We just bought Sparks notes for The Pearl as I found out Bog Jr. was not answering the daily questions in LA. They were reading To Kill a Mockingbird. I also found that Wikipedia has summaries of books online. I looked up The Pearl and decided the overwhelming depressing aspect of the book is why I gave over no braincells to remembering it!
We tried Dragon when Bog Jr. was in fourth grade and the computer could not understand his childish voice. He is a fine typist now, due to being a computer programming geek though I bet Dragon would do a better job with spelling than he does....

He just took our state's Pass or Don't Graduate test. His class '08 is the first class held to the standards. We find out mid June if he passes. They have four chances to pass in this state. I REALLY hope we don't have to deal with this test carnival. Bog Jr. says he is pretty sure he passed. He accepted no accommodations with it, not that there were that many available for him - they kept changing the rules along the way and never communicated them to us. :-)