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Evaluation of Services Provided to Students with Dyslexia Boerne Independent School District

Stetson & Associates, Inc. 1

Evaluation of Services

Provided to Students with

Dyslexia

Boerne Independent School District December 2014



INTRODUCTION

HISTORY AND PURPOSE In Fall 2014, Stetson & Associates, Inc. was engaged to conduct a review of the services for students with dyslexia provided by the Boerne Independent School District (Boerne ISD). This report was developed with the active participation and input of Boerne ISD central office administrators, campus administrators, teachers, and parents of students with dyslexia. Boerne ISD is commended for taking positive steps to assure effective and equitable practices in its programs and schools.

DYSLEXIA IN TEXAS Texas has a long history of supporting the fundamental skill of reading. The first set of state guidelines related to serving students with dyslexia was published in 1986 in response to legislation passed by the Texas Legislature. State guidelines and procedures have been updated periodically with the most recent update occurring

in 2014. The current update reflects new legislation passed by the 82nd and 83rd

Texas Legislatures. Current statistics suggest approximately one in five children of school age across the United States has dyslexia. In the Boerne ISD, 376 school children (approximately 5% of the student population) receive services designed to address the challenges of dyslexia.

PROCEDURES GUIDING THE REVIEW This review of services included an examination of quantitative and qualitative data from a variety of sources. Six basic methodologies were selected, including:

1. Structured interviews and classroom observations on all campuses;

2. Structured interviews with key central office personnel;

3. Four focus group sessions of campus principals/assistant principals, parents of students with dyslexia, classroom teachers of students with dyslexia and dyslexia specialists;

4. A review of district-‐written information pertaining to students with dyslexia and a review of information provided by the Texas Education Agency concerning the legal requirements and the provision of services for students with dyslexia;

5. A survey of faculty member perceptions of the services provided to students with dyslexia; and,

6. A survey of parent perceptions of services for students with dyslexia.


Evaluation of Services Provided to Students with Dyslexia Boern e In dependent Sch o o l District

The data collection instruments and surveys are provided in Appendix A. The following is a brief description of the methodologies of this Boerne ISD review of services for students with dyslexia.

Structured Interviews and Classroom Observations. Visits were made to all nine campuses and 16 classrooms during the month of November 2014. Campus activities included interviews with campus principals and key teaching personnel, and structured observations in classrooms in which students with dyslexia receive services. On each elementary and each middle school campus, students with dyslexia were observed in a dyslexia intervention setting and in one or more general education classrooms. At each high school the campus administrator was interviewed. A dyslexia intervention class was observed at Boerne High School as well as a general education classroom which included students with dyslexia at Champions HS.

The classroom visits provided the opportunity for evaluators to observe the range of students served, and aspects of instructional delivery from the teacher’s perspective. The classroom observation tool developed by Stetson and Associates, Inc. for use in the Boerne ISD and several other client districts has been recognized in presentations at the state and national levels. Refer to Appendix A for copies of the materials used to collect data from the campus visits.

Interviews with Key Central Office Personnel. Gaining the perspectives and perceptions from key leaders was another component of the study, and contributed information pertaining to the district’s vision, the manner in which dyslexia services are organized and managed, and how these leaders view the quality and impact of services. Central office staff involved in this activity included the Superintendent of Boerne ISD, both Assistant Superintendents, the Director for Special Education and Section 504, and the District Coordinator for Reading.

Focus Groups. During the focus group process the evaluator posed the same two questions to a variety of respondent groups. The information was then analyzed to determine common themes and identify areas for further study throughout the evaluation process. It is important to note that comments received from focus group participants reflect their personal perceptions and/or experiences. They must be analyzed and interpreted carefully then verified with observable and/or quantifiable data.



In November 2014, four focus group sessions were held in Boerne ISD pertaining to services for students with dyslexia. Each session was approximately 90 minutes in duration and followed the same sequence. After an introduction of the focus group as a critical component of the review process, the participants were asked to respond to two questions:

The participants’ responses to these questions were recorded during the meeting and later analyzed and quantified. Refer to Appendix B for responses from each focus group session. The list of focus group sessions is found in Table 1.

TABLE 1. FOCUS GROUPS BY CATEGORY

CATEGORY NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS Parents 19 Campus principals/assistant principals 9 General education teachers 11 Dyslexia teachers 7

Written Information. The district provided written and published information pertaining to Boerne ISD dyslexia services. The Boerne ISD Dyslexia Program Information 2014 is the document required by TEA to explain how Boerne ISD implements state requirements and the manner in which students with dyslexia are identified, assessed and served within the district. Also, information provided by the Texas Education Agency pertaining to the legal requirements and other supportive resources was reviewed.

Faculty Surveys. The Faculty Survey contained 13 items developed collaboratively with the district. In addition, two open-‐ended items were also included as part of the survey. Those open-‐ended items were:

This survey was made available electronically to campus administrators, teachers, paraeducators and support staff in November, 2014. Staff were notified of the survey via email. The response rate for general education teachers was 36% and the

1. To improve the Dyslexia services in Boerne ISD, I would recommend:

2. The most positive factors of Boerne ISD’s Dyslexia services are:

1. What is working with regard to services for students with dyslexia in Boerne ISD?

2. What is not working with regard to services for students with dyslexia in Boerne ISD?



response rate for special education teachers was 72%. This is an excellent rate of return and provides a good basis for considering perceptions of the teaching staff in Boerne ISD. All completed survey responses to the published link were available only to Stetson & Associates, Inc. See Table 2 for demographics of completed faculty surveys by position. The results of this survey are reported throughout this document to support and expand key findings and critical issues.

TABLE 2. DEMOGRAPHICS OF FACULTY SURVEYS

RESPONDENT GROUP # OF COMPLETED SURVEYS Administrator 20 Counselor 9 Diagnostician/LSSP 2 Dyslexia Teacher 8 General Education Teacher 151 Paraprofessional 24 Reading Specialist 3 Related Services Provider 4 Special Education Teacher 38 Speech/language Pathologist 2 TOTAL 261

Refer to Appendix C for a summary of the results and disaggregated responses of the faculty survey, a summary by position of respondent, and comments that were received in response to the two open-‐ended questions.

Parent Survey. An online survey was made available to the 376 Boerne ISD parents of students receiving dyslexia services. Contact with parents was made through email, through a written communication sent home by the dyslexia specialists, and through a verbal announcement at two parent information sessions. The district received responses from 63 parents. This is a return rate of 17% of the parents of the students who are identified with dyslexia. This return rate indicates that the results of the parent survey represent the perceptions of 17% of families whose children are receiving services for dyslexia. Statistically, this is an acceptable rate of return to be considered as significant, however, in viewing the results the reader is reminded of the percentage of return.



The parent survey included 11 items and the same two open-‐ended items included in the faculty survey. The 11 items in the parent survey asked for perceptions related to:

• Satisfaction with the quality of services provided; • Knowledge of the processes including the range of services; • Perceptions of the skills of the teachers; and, • Opinions of parent relationships with the school, including the extent to

which parents feel supported by the principal and central office personnel.

Appendix D includes a summary of the parent survey results. These results will be referred to throughout the report as they expand understanding of each of the issues presented.

PROGRAM EVALUATION GOALS AND EVALUATION QUESTIONS In November 2014, Stetson & Associates, Inc. staff met with central office administrators, and discussed the areas to be explored in this review of services. The following list of goals was agreed to and serves as the focus for the remainder of this report.

1. Boerne ISD promotes an accurate and consistent understanding of dyslexia, including a common definition, vocabulary, and description of services across all campuses.

2. The Boerne ISD process for identifying students with dyslexia is appropriate, timely and consistent across all campuses.

3. Boerne ISD provides professional development that builds skills and capacity of principals and educators to serve students with dyslexia.

4. Supports for students with dyslexia in Boerne ISD are ongoing, continuous, and in practice throughout the student’s day.

5. Direct services for students with dyslexia in Boerne ISD are implemented with fidelity in a timely manner and result in student growth and mastery.

6. Educators in Boerne ISD embrace a philosophy of shared responsibility for all learners, including students with dyslexia.

7. Boerne ISD uses human and capital resources that promote efficiency, effective staffing, and financial management related to services for students with dyslexia.



ORGANIZATION OF THIS REPORT This report is organized around each of the seven goals listed above. Each section will begin with a brief description of the goal and describe quality indicators related to this goal. Findings based upon a review of available data will be described as they pertain to the goal. The final section of the report offers recommendations for continuous improvement.



G o a l 1 BISD PROMOTES AN ACCURATE AND CONSISTENT UNDERSTANDING OF DYSLEXIA, INCLUDING A COMMON DEFINITION, VOCABULARY, AND DESCRIPTION OF SERVICES ACROSS ALL CAMPUSES.

A common understanding of dyslexia includes a definition of the condition, characteristics seen in learners, how dyslexia is diagnosed, and what services are available to support such students. This common understanding is the foundation allowing the district to provide quality services, a smooth transition from campus to campus and level to level, and an equitable program for students.

FINDINGS There are three major findings concerning an accurate and consistent understanding of dyslexia.

These findings are expanded in the following discussion, and include supporting data and observations.

Increasing Understanding of Dyslexia. Information from faculty surveys, focus group responses, interviews, and observations indicate a perception the level of understanding of dyslexia related issues has increased. One question in the parent survey and three questions in the faculty survey addressed the issue of knowledge and understanding.

1. Boerne ISD has worked purposefully over recent years to increase understanding of dyslexia among faculty and parents.

2. The Boerne ISD School Board committee on 504/special education has sought teacher and parent input and promoted greater understanding of the range of programs available within the district, including curriculum and ongoing support. Despite the efforts of the central office staff and the Board committee, there is a significant percentage of staff and parents who report they are not knowledgeable of available services.

3. Boerne ISD has written and published guidelines for dyslexia that address definition, vocabulary, characteristics, identification process, and description of services. These written guidelines are in alignment with guidelines published by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) and serve as a point of reference for the schools and the community.



CHART 1. FACULTY AND PARENT KNOWLEDGE OF DYSLEXIA

While a large percentage of teachers (88%) report being knowledgeable of the characteristics of dyslexia, there is still a large number reporting more limited knowledge of district resources serving these students. The percentage of teachers (71%) is similar to the percentage of parents reporting limited knowledge of resources (69%). This is an area where the district may identify strategies in teacher training and communication with parents to improve the knowledge level.

Board Committee on 504/SPED. The Board Committee and the efforts over recent years to improve knowledge of dyslexia were cited positively in the parent focus group. Representative comments include:

• “We are way ahead of where we were 18 months ago.” • “The 504/SPED committee formed and is in its second year. It has put together a

huge packet of resources.” • “504/SPED committee has resulted in more teacher training”

Campus administrators also commented during interviews they believed steps had been taken during recent years to provide additional training to staff to refine the assessment process and to better communicate with parents.

% Agree

F13. The roles and responsibilities of service providers (reading specialist, dyslexia teacher) are

clearly defined. 73

F2. I am knowledgeable of the range of services available for students with dyslexia in Boerne ISD. 71

F1. I am knowledgeable of the learning characteristics of students with dyslexia.

Parent

Faculty 88

P3. I am knowledgeable of the range of services available for students with dyslexia.

69

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100



District Dyslexia Procedures 2014. The district guidelines for dyslexia provide clear and concise information relative to dyslexia and related disorders. This district resource is published online at the dyslexia tab on the district web site which is open to both faculty, parents and community.



G o a l 2 THE BOERNE ISD PROCESS FOR IDENTIFYING STUDENTS WITH DYSLEXIA IS APPROPRIATE, TIMELY, AND CONSISTENT ACROSS ALL CAMPUSES

Since the implementation of the first Dyslexia Guidelines by TEA in 1986, the state agency has emphasized their belief in the importance of reading.

“Reading is the fundamental skill upon which all formal education depends. Research now shows that a child who doesn’t learn the reading basics early is unlikely to learn them at all.” --(Louisa Moats, 1999, Currently included in TEA Dyslexia Handbook, 2014).

The State guidelines are designed to ensure attention is paid to students who fail to acquire reading skills in a timely manner. Having an appropriate, timely, and consistent process for addressing the issue is of great importance. To this end, the state has established the following requirements:

A screening process in kindergarten (K) through second grade with notification to parents of any students who are at risk of not reading on level at that point in time.

A system of interventions to support students identified as at-‐risk of not learning to read. These interventions should work to close the gap in reading skills for such identified students.

Students whose reading skills do not improve through these small group interventions should have additional follow-‐up, including gathering additional data and consideration of referral for a specific assessment for dyslexia.

Notification to and permission from parents of referral for dyslexia evaluation.

Response to parent request for dyslexia assessment in a timely manner.

Assessment process for dyslexia to use multiple measures of a student’s reading ability.

Personnel administering dyslexia assessments to be trained in the characteristics of dyslexia, in use of the assessment instruments used in the process, and in interpreting the results of the assessments.

The results of the assessments to be considered by a team of knowledgeable persons (either a 504 committee or an ARD committee), and a plan developed to address student needs.



Knowledge of characteristics of dyslexia is critical if this system is to work effectively. Teachers, administrators, campus intervention teams, and parents must all have sound understanding of how students learn to read, how dyslexia may impede this process, and how the intervention, referral and assessment process works.

FINDINGS There are three major findings relative to the process for identifying students for dyslexia.

Compliance with the TEA Requirements. The process currently in place in Boerne ISD is in compliance with the TEA requirements concerning screening, intervention, and assessment for dyslexia. The following chart indicates the manner in which Boerne ISD has implemented the state guidelines.

1. The Boerne ISD process as defined through the Boerne Dyslexia Procedures, 2014 meets the requirements as set by TEA. The published process does not include information concerning parent request for assessment. This information was included in training provided for campus staff, however this important statement was omitted from published procedures.

2. Almost one-‐third of teachers and parents reported they did not understand the identification process; therefore the identification process is often misunderstood.

3. District leadership in Boerne ISD has worked in recent years to increase understanding of the process.



TEA REQUIREMENT BOERNE ISD IMPLEMENTATION

Screening in grades K-2 for students who may be at risk of reading failure, and notification to parents when necessary.

Phonemic Awareness and Phonics Inventory (PAPI) and Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA) are given in grades K-2 with purpose of assessments; results reported to parents.

System of interventions to support students identified as at-risk of reading failure.

Response to intervention (RTI) process includes interventions in small groups by classroom teacher, and referral for additional small group interventions by the campus reading interventionist as needed.

Defined process for referring a student for additional assessment when progress is not shown through interventions.

Dyslexia/504 Referral Process Flow Chart defines the steps in the process with training provided to campus 504 designees on an annual basis.

Parents have the right to request assessment for dyslexia at any time in the process.

Information provided to campus staff through district developed overview of the State Dyslexia Handbook. Not specifically stated in the Boerne ISD Dyslexia Procedures 2014 Handbook.

Assessment process to consider multiple measures of a student’s reading ability. Academic skills, cognitive processes and additional areas as indicated by presenting concerns should all be assessed.

Campus dyslexia specialist conducts the assessments of all required areas. .

Assessments to be completed by trained personnel. Campus dyslexia specialists are well trained in understanding the characteristics of dyslexia, in the administration of all assessments, and in the interpretation of those assessments.

Diagnosis of dyslexia to be made by either a 504 or an ARD committee.

Dyslexia/504 Referral Process Flow Chart indicates the authority of the campus 504 team or the ARD team to consider the results of the evaluation, and to recommend a plan for addressing the student’s needs.

Boerne ISD currently has in place documentation that all requirements for the screening, assessment and identification of students with dyslexia are developed with training provided to appropriate campus staff. The district is encouraged to be aware that for a set of procedures to be fully implemented requires training in those procedures, and then ongoing follow-‐up to ensure that such procedures are consistently implemented across campuses in a manner as designed by the district.



Understanding of the Identification Process. Chart 2 reports the results of the faculty and parent surveys regarding an understanding of the identification process for dyslexia.

CHART 2: UNDERSTANDING OF THE IDENTIFICATION PROCESS FOR DYSLEXIA

Though outlined in the district’s dyslexia guidelines, the process for identifying students with dyslexia is not clearly understood by a significant (approximately one-‐ third) number of parents and faculty members who responded to the surveys. Confusion continues to be expressed over the characteristics of students with dyslexia. There is also a misunderstanding of the early identification process that offers targeted interventions prior to referral for assessment. This confusion is discussed in the following three points:

77

76

95

% Agree

P5. The planning team received adequate assessment data regarding the needs of my

child with dyslexia to enable us to make informed decisions regarding appropriate

services.

P4. I am knowledgeable of Boerne ISD's procedural requirements related to students

with dyslexia, including referral and identification.

69

F4. Boerne ISD educators receive adequate assessment data and other relevant

information regarding individual students with dyslexia to enable us to make informed

decisions regarding services.

Parents

Administrators

General Ed Teachers 60

F3. I am knowledgeable of the referral and identification process in Boerne ISD related

to students with dyslexia. 71

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100



1. One of the items on the Faculty survey addressed knowledge of the characteristics of dyslexia with 88% of respondents agreeing they were knowledgeable. However, in the open-‐ended comment section of the survey, 20 separate comments were made by teachers related to their perceived need for additional training in recognizing the characteristics of dyslexia. The focus group of dyslexia specialists also were of the opinion general education teachers needed additional training.

2. Administrators on each campus were interviewed individually during campus visits. On each campus an assistant principal or counselor was designated as the campus 504 coordinator. Each of these individuals was able to discuss the district process knowledgeably, and reported they had recently attended training concerning dyslexia characteristics and the process within Boerne ISD for identifying students with dyslexia. However, while 95% of the administrators responding to the survey reported they felt knowledgeable concerning the process, only 60% of these administrators felt that they received adequate assessment data to allow them to make informed decisions concerning individual students.

3. Timelines for evaluation were an issue identified by numerous parents in the parent focus group session as well as the parent survey. Neither the State nor Federal 504 regulations set a specific timeline for evaluating a student for dyslexia or 504 services. Both the State and Federal 504 guidelines suggest the timeline specified for Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) evaluations is appropriate to use as a standard. At least 10 parents wrote in the open ended question they were repeatedly denied either a dyslexia evaluation, not provided information on how to request an evaluation, or the evaluation took an unreasonably long time to complete and present to the 504 committee.

Based upon the available data the district is encouraged to consider what additional steps might be taken to support campus educators and parents in increasing their knowledge of dyslexia characteristics as well as the referral and identification process. Specific recommendations will be made in the closing section of this report.



Goal 3 BOERNE ISD PROVIDES PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT THAT BUILDS SKILLS AND CAPACITY OF ADMINISTRATORS AND EDUCATORS TO SERVE STUDENTS WITH DYSLEXIA

Building the capacity and skills of campus administrators and educators to successfully serve students with dyslexia is a significant challenge. Identifying the needs of administrators and teachers, offering a variety of professional development options, and monitoring implementation and change of practice requires the active involvement of both district-‐level, and campus-‐based leaders.

Professional development for any teacher providing instruction to students with dyslexia is also a new requirement specified in the TEA Dyslexia Handbook 2014. The law reads “The required CPE for educators who teach students with dyslexia must include training regarding new research and practices in educating students with dyslexia. The required training may be satisfied through an online course approved by Texas Education Agency staff. ” (TEC SS21.054b)

FINDINGS There are two findings relative to the provision of professional development regarding dyslexia.

Professional Development Provided by the District. During the period from January 2012 through August 2014 the district has provided eight separate professional development sessions related to identification and instruction of students with dyslexia. Campus dyslexia designees have also been charged with providing update training to educators on their campus. In interviews, several campus administrators described the training that they had offered on their campus which focused

1. The district has developed and made available professional development training to all educators within the school district. Currently such training has not been required for teachers providing instruction within their classrooms for students with dyslexia.

2. Despite the repeated provision of training for educators on the definition, characteristics, services and appropriate accommodations for students with disabilities, a significant percentage of administrators and teachers do not agree that they are skilled in strategies to support such students.



% Agree

P6. My child's teachers are skilled in applying classroom strategies to address the

needs of students with dyslexia.

F7. I am skilled in applying classroom strategies to address the needs of students with dyslexia, including accommodations

and scaffolding.

Parents

General Ed Teachers

Administrators

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90

specifically on understanding the characteristics of dyslexia and the district process for referral for services.

Confidence in Skills Needed to Instruct Students with Dyslexia. Information provided in the General Education teacher focus group, and the faculty survey indicates that while teachers feel confidence in understanding the characteristics of dyslexia (88% agreed), they are less confident in their skills (78% agreed) at providing appropriate instruction in the classroom. Thus, there is a gap between teachers’ conceptual understanding of the condition of dyslexia, and their perception of appropriate classroom strategies to support such students.

Parents expressed concern during the parent focus group that training for teachers working with students having dyslexia was not required by the district. Given the direction from the new State Dyslexia Handbook, the district is encouraged to consider a variety of ways to ensure this requirement is met. For example, small group or individual sessions can be led by the campus dyslexia specialist. The district may consider developing a standard presentation which can be used for this purpose. Each specialist may then adapt the presentation to meet the needs of specific teachers. As the law indicates, teachers may also complete an online training. The district may identify such training or create an online training with the support of the district technology department.

Chart 3 presents data from the Faculty Survey and the Parent Survey related to perception of skills needed to teach students with dyslexia.

CHART 3: PERCEPTIONS OF KNOWLEDGE OF SKILLS NEEDED TO TEACH STUDENTS WITH DYSLEXIA

61

78 75



Evaluators observing instruction in general education classrooms on each campus viewed numerous examples of instructional strategies that were differentiated and supportive of students with dyslexia. This topic will be expanded in the discussion of Goals 4 and 5. It is suggested that teachers may not realize that many of the best practice strategies being used for all students are also excellent supports for students with dyslexia. The district will be encouraged to identify those strategies to help teachers recognize and further implement as instructional supports.

Teachers responding to the faculty survey also suggested it would be helpful to have training offered related to supports for students with dyslexia that was specific to a particular subject. The subject that was identified most often was math. A number of parents in the parent survey indicated their student had difficulty in math. One way to achieve this focus on strategies to support students with dyslexia in specific subjects is to collaborate on curriculum training planned for teachers. Ensuring that all curriculum training includes suggestions for accommodating struggling learners would address the concerns of both groups.



Goal 4 SUPPORTS AND INSTRUCTIONAL PRACTICES FOR STUDENTS WITH DYSLEXIA ARE ONGOING, CONTINUOUS, AND IN PRACTICE THROUGHOUT THE STUDENT’S DAY.

GOAL 5 DIRECT SERVICES FOR STUDENTS WITH DYSLEXIA IN BOERNE ISD. ARE IMPLEMENTED WITH FIDELITY IN A TIMELY MANNER, AND RESULT IN STUDENT GROWTH AND MASTERY

Goal 4 addresses instruction for students with dyslexia and Goal 5 addresses direct intervention services. The discussion of these goals will be presented together. Both appropriate general education instruction and dyslexia intervention are part of the overall plan for serving these students. Best practice indicates intervention is most effective when closely linked to the general curriculum. Thus, our discussion of the goals will also be integrated.

Dyslexia is a disability that significantly impacts a student’s ability to engage and make progress in the grade level curriculum. These needs must be addressed in each subject throughout the day. Classroom teachers must implement practices and instructional strategies that engage and provide for the success of all students, including those identified with dyslexia. Campus and central office leaders must provide coaching, feedback, and technical assistance to support each teacher becoming more effective with all students. Professional development around the basics of dyslexia is important, however, equally important is the practice of integrating information in curriculum-‐based professional development as to how teachers can accommodate for the needs of students with reading challenges.



The range of services provided by Boerne ISD for students with disabilities includes the following:

FINDINGS There are five major findings relative to the provision of instruction.

1. Professional development related to the use of accommodations for students with dyslexia has been made available to all instructional staff. Attendance at this training has been left to the discretion of individual teachers.

2. Instructional practices in most classrooms in Boerne ISD are rich, activity based, and include many strategies that support the student with dyslexia.

3. The direct intervention program provided by dyslexia specialists on each campus is delivered with a high degree of fidelity and skill. Students attending these sessions are highly engaged, enthusiastic about the activities, and appear to be successful in the program.

4. A process has not been established for campus dyslexia specialists to collaborate regularly with classroom teachers on the needs of individual students. Thus, collaboration varies from campus to campus.

5. The use of technology to support students with dyslexia is not systematically or formally addressed, and this lack of formal or systematic use may be preventing some students with dyslexia from full access to the curriculum.

6. Dyslexia interventionists report the district has not agreed upon a systematic way to monitor progress of identified students in either the intervention program or in improving a student’s reading skills in the general classroom academic setting.

Dyslexia intervention classes of 45 minutes in duration four days each week. Classes are taught by a trained interventionist. Section 504 and/or IEP plans identify needed and appropriate accommodation plans for each identified student. General education teachers receive copies of these accommodation plans and have the opportunity to discuss them at annual 504 meetings. Dyslexia interventionists hold one day each week to provide for new evaluations, attendance at Section 504 meetings, review of student progress, and coordination and collaboration with general educators. This ensures these important activities occur without disruption of student intervention classes. Technology supports such as Bookshare and Kurzweil, among others, have been made available for students as the need is identified.



% Agree

P7. My child's teachers are skilled in integrating technology as an instructional support and/or accommodation to address

the needs of students with disabilities.

P6. My child's teachers are skilled in applying classroom strategies to address the

needs of students with dyslexia. F9. As a teacher, I receive adequate coaching

and support from my principals in meeting the needs of students with dyslexia.

F8. I am skilled in integrating technology into

the instructional program of my students who are identified with dyslexia.

F7. I am skilled in applying classroom strategies to address the needs of students with dyslexia, including accommodations

and scaffolding.

Parents

General Ed Teachers

Administrators

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90

CHART 4. PERCEPTIONS OF SKILLS AND SUPPORTS NEEDED BY TEACHERS

55

61

71

62

60 70

78 75

Professional Development. Over the past two years the Boerne ISD has made a purposeful effort to increase professional development around dyslexia with an emphasis in the training on classroom strategies and specific accommodations. However, as reported under Goal 2, only 78% of general education teachers and 75% of campus administrators report feeling confident in their ability to apply classroom strategies which support students with disabilities. This item included accommodations and scaffolds. While the campus dyslexia specialist is an excellent campus resource in this area, there is not currently a structure for making the most use of this resource in a systematic way.

Instructional Practices in General Education Classrooms. Though the faculty survey reveals a moderate to low level agreement regarding implementing strategies and accommodations for students with dyslexia, evaluators viewed rich instructional practices in classrooms that promote the success of students with dyslexia or other learning challenges. In most classes there was a high level of student engagement with students working in small groups. Evaluators saw the use of visual aids, manipulatives, peer supports, “think alouds” modeled by the teacher, graphic organizers, interactive notebooks, and project based learning. Many of these same



strategies are identified in the TEA Dyslexia Handbook 2014 as research based strategies which support students with dyslexia.

Despite these observed uses of differentiated instructional strategies, only 61% of parents agreed that “My child’s teachers are skilled in applying classroom strategies to address the needs of students with dyslexia.” Accommodations was a topic of concern during the parent focus group. Comments included:

“Teachers are not adhering to accommodations” “I was told not to put in too many accommodations” “There is resistance to accommodations in 504 meetings”

The open-‐ended question in the parent survey also produced 19 separate comments concerning accommodations. Some comments from both the faculty and parent survey reveal accommodations are not a well-‐understood topic.

An accommodation which was reported of concern to parents, teachers and administrators was that of oral testing. The district is no longer staffing “SAC labs” on all campuses and all groups viewed this with concern as the SAC lab was seen as a place where students could receive support through oral testing. However, since the state assessment process has moved to a system of electronically reading portions of the STAAR test aloud, it may be an opportunity for the district to explore a variety of technology solutions which will provide greater independence and benefit to students in the long run. Kurzweil is one tool that is available within the district already. Natural Reader is a free downloadable application which can be used to provide read aloud support for any text entered into the program.

Direct Intervention by Dyslexia Specialists. There are currently seven dyslexia specialists employed by Boerne ISD. Each elementary school has a primary specialist working full time on the campus. Three elementary schools have an itinerant teacher providing additional support due to the number of identified students.

• A parent stated that homework, participation in state assessment tests (STAAR) and making up uncompleted work were areas that could be eliminated through accommodations.

• Another parent was concerned that presenting the school with a list of requested accommodations which were used by another student in a different school met with resistance.

• Several faculty survey respondents spoke of concern with the number of accommodations identified for some students, and “wondered if this set up students for failure in the long term.”



Another therapist provides itinerant support at the four secondary schools. All dyslexia specialists appear to be well trained in the characteristics of dyslexia, the process of assessment for the disability, and in the research based components of effective intervention. The district has recently implemented a new direct instruction intervention, The Dyslexia Intervention Program (DIP); all specialists have received training in the program and meet monthly for additional training, planning and problem solving.

Observations were made of intervention classes on each campus in the district. The program clearly employs the characteristics identified by TEA as needed, and is delivered with great fidelity by each individual teacher. Sessions were well paced, provided immediate positive and/or corrective feedback, and were well received by all students observed. This group of teachers was uniformly skilled at engaging students, appeared to like and enjoy their students, and in interviews were very knowledgeable about dyslexia.

Comments from all of the focus groups and the open-‐ended items in parent and faculty surveys reveal the dyslexia specialists are well-‐respected and seen as excellent resources on their campuses. Many in the group were called out for praise by name in the survey responses. The district is to be commended for the careful hiring, professional development, and ongoing support that have contributed to the success of these teachers.

Collaboration in Support of Students with Dyslexia. The schedule for the dyslexia specialists indicates that four days each week are devoted to direct instruction of students. A fifth day is set aside to allow for dyslexia assessment of referred students, attendance at 504 meetings, on-‐going professional development, and collaboration with general educators in support of students. When questioned about collaborative support with general educators, individual dyslexia teachers cited their attendance at annual 504 meetings, and “touching base” periodically as examples of collaboration. One dyslexia teacher was co-‐teaching in general education several days each week with one grade level. She reported she found it very helpful in understanding the progress her students were making. Another dyslexia teacher reported she sought out spelling lists each week for her students, and worked those particular words into activities she carried out in her class.



The need for collaborative support of general educators working with students with dyslexia was identified in the faculty survey. Fifteen educators described ways the dyslexia specialist on their campus might support the efforts of general education teachers. This included professional development related to dyslexia, conferencing about accommodations for individual students, and co-‐teaching in the classroom to support students. Some of these ideas hold promise for improving services for students with disabilities. Certainly, the dyslexia specialists are an in-‐depth source of information on the subject of dyslexia in general, but also as it presents in individual students. Consideration may be given to creating an expectation and format for how such collaboration might occur.

Technology as an Instructional Accommodation and Support. The Region 10 Education Service Center (ESC) is the lead ESC in Texas for training and support for the state dyslexia initiative. Earlier in 2014 they published an excellent resource entitled, Technology Integration for Students with Dyslexia. This online resource was created in response to direction from the 82nd Legislative session to create a committee identifying technology supports for students with dyslexia, and a plan for how this technology could be best integrated into the classroom. This resource includes: 1) an overview of the benefits of integrating technology in the classroom, 2) a list and description of classroom technologies that are useful and practical, and 3) a methodology for providing the technologies to students with dyslexia. Many of the technologies, websites and tools identified are either free or at low cost to classrooms.

Observations of classrooms on all campuses indicated there was currently minimal use of technology resources to support students with dyslexia. Few references were made to technology solutions when campus leaders were interviewed. However, the superintendent of schools stated increasing available technology was a priority within the district. Parents who were aware of Bookshare were excited by the possibility, yet other parents stated that they had difficulty obtaining information on this support. When teachers were questioned about the use of technology a number responded that certain technology options had been offered to students but often students feared calling attention to themselves by opting for technology support. The faculty survey respondents indicated only 60% of teachers felt skilled in using technology as a support for students with dyslexia, and only 71% of administrators reported confidence in their own skills.



Technology is the path of both the present and the future world of business. Since dyslexia is a lifelong condition, it is reasonable that students who learn to use technology as an accommodation to support their performance will have learned a skill with potential to support their success in the world after high school. Currently, there is little interaction between the Dyslexia department and the district technology department. Collaboration and awareness of the needs of each department should be encouraged, and can only enhance the success of students.

Progress Monitoring. Quality intervention and sound classroom instruction are essential for progress for students with dyslexia. However, best practice would indicate progress needs to be measured and documented. Interviews with the district dyslexia coordinator and the campus dyslexia specialists indicate this is an area which still needs to be defined by the district.

Classroom progress measures include grades, performance on district or common assessments, and teacher observations. Such tools will measure how the student is performing on grade level student expectations (TEKS). However, we also need to measure improvement in the dyslexia characteristics which first impeded the student’s progress in the curriculum.

The dyslexia intervention program, DIP, includes a progress measure which assesses progress in that specific program. However, reading rate or fluency, as well as reading comprehension and spelling must also be assessed on a regular basis to monitor whether the program is producing changes in the student, as a reader and a learner. Currently, there is not agreement in the district on a format for such progress monitoring.



Goal 6 BOERNE ISD EDUCATORS EMBRACE A PHILOSOPHY OF SHARED RESPONSIBILITY FOR ALL LEARNERS, INCLUDING STUDENTS WITH DYSLEXIA

All students are general education students and should be considered full members of the grade-‐level and school where they attend. It follows that the responsibility for educating all students falls on all faculty, regardless of the student’s condition or diagnosis. Shared ownership for students with dyslexia is a prerequisite for student success. Dyslexia is a condition which manifests throughout the student’s day in all subjects, and addressing the needs of the student with dyslexia is the responsibility of all whom come in contact with him or her throughout the day.

FINDINGS There are three major findings relative to this goal.

1. A philosophy of shared ownership of students with dyslexia is reported and observed by the majority of educators in Boerne ISD.

2. Factors such as time for collaborative planning, having a traveling teacher at the secondary level, and teacher workload responsibilities impact shared ownership.

3. Parents of students with dyslexia report varying levels of satisfaction and support for their student and for themselves.

Philosophy of Shared Ownership. Parent and faculty survey responses indicate a sense of shared ownership is prevalent in Boerne ISD concerning students with disabilities.



CHART 5. PERCEPTIONS OF SHARED OWNERSHIP

Faculty had a higher level of agreement regarding shared ownership than parents of students with dyslexia. Interviews with central leaders and principals noted there is a strong level of responsibility and a sense of shared ownership for all learners, including students with dyslexia. The 504 team approach used in identifying and designing plans for students with disabilities at the campus level was described by campus leaders. During the tiered intervention process campus reading specialists provided small group reading instruction to students. Principals also spoke with pride in describing their campus dyslexia specialist and the quality they observed in the intervention provided to students.

Teachers and campus leaders note time for planning together and the workload of dyslexia specialists as issues that prevent greater collaboration and a sense of shared ownership.

Implementation Concerns. There is no doubt that the current DIP program is implemented with fidelity by highly trained and qualified teachers. During interviews with campus staff some issues were surfaced relative to implementation that must be considered.

% Agree

P8. Decisions regarding supports for students with dyslexia are student centered.

66

P2. My child's school faculty assumes shared responsibility for all learners,

including students with dyslexia.

71

F12. Decisions regarding supports for students with dyslexia are student centered. 90

100

Parents

General Ed Teachers

Administrators

F6. Our faculty assumes shared responsibility for all learners, including

students with dyslexia. 93 95

0 20 40 60 80 100 120



Scheduling of interventions is one of those issues. Every elementary school has their own dyslexia specialist. Each specialist creates their intervention schedule and attempts to pull students out of a “campus flex time” which is set aside for either intervention or enrichment, depending upon the need of the student. This works well for most students, however, due to scheduling conflicts or the number of students being served at a particular grade level, some students are pulled from an academic subject (science or social studies) to join a different grade level group. Teacher comments in the faculty survey and the general education teacher focus group indicate this is not ideal.

Several issues emerged from the secondary level. Since there is one teacher serving all four secondary schools support is perceived as sporadic by classroom teachers. Several secondary teachers expressed a need for additional training. Several other teachers expressed the opinion that additional support from a dyslexia specialist would assist them in better meeting the needs of students. A dyslexia intervention class at one high school was scheduled at student request for lunch time. The two students ate for 15 minutes and then spent 30 minutes with the dyslexia teacher. This was done so that the students did not give up an elective class.

Parent Satisfaction with Services. Parents, teachers and campus administrators all express appreciation for the improvement in dyslexia services they have observed over a short period of time. However, there is still a group of parents who are focused on the limited services available in the past, and continue to report that services are not of a quality nature.



% Agree

F10. Parents of students with dyslexia are welcome and valued partners in educational

decisions regarding their child.

F5. Our school provides quality services to students with dyslexia.

P11. I feel supported by the central office

staff in my efforts to assure that my child with dyslexia receives a quality education.

P10. I feel supported by my child's principal in my efforts to assure that he/she receives

quality services for dyslexia.

P9. As a parent of a child with dyslexia, I am a welcome and valued partner in educational

decisions regarding my child.

Parents

General Ed Teachers

Administrators

P1. My child's school provides quality services to my child with dyslexia.

0 20 40 60 80 100 120

CHART 6. PARENT AND TEACHER PERCEPTIONS OF PROGRAM QUALITY

100 100

84 85

63

72

79

66

One sign of a successful district is high stakeholder satisfaction, especially parent satisfaction. It is particularly important for districts to provide services parents value and stakeholders view as necessary and appropriate. Another indicator is the extent to which parents are involved in the educational process and decision making regarding their child. A third and related area is the extent to which parents feel valued and supported regarding their efforts to ensure services for their child.

Boerne ISD has over the past two years formed a committee which includes school board members to address issues related to Section 504 and special education. Boerne ISD has also commissioned this study to continue seeking input and recommendations designed to improve services to students with dyslexia. Both of these activities are to be recognized as they represent a sincere desire on the part of the district to meet a perceived need by their community. While there is clearly more work to be done to improve trust in the system of supports for students with dyslexia, it is also clear that a foundation has been laid for ongoing program improvement. The district is encouraged to continue to expand upon current efforts. The section of recommendations will make several suggestions for consideration.



Goal 7 BOERNE ISD UTILIZES HUMAN AND CAPITAL RESOURCES THAT PROMOTE EFFICIENCY AND EFFECTIVE STAFFING AND FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT RELATED TO SERVICES FOR STUDENTS WITH DYSLEXIA

Providing targeted services in a small group setting by highly skilled and qualified personnel taps into financial resources that must be perceived by the district as necessary and appropriate. Identifying students in a timely manner with appropriate assessment and intervention procedures requires staff with special skills. Ensuring that targeted interventions are implemented with fidelity and promote student success requires knowledgeable staff and time to monitor. Decisions regarding staffing and services for students with dyslexia must be determined with a student-‐centered decision making process; the roles and responsibilities of the service providers must be clearly defined and assigned based on identified needs for a campus. Leadership personnel is needed to support and monitor the services that should result in student success, parent satisfaction, and reflect efficient and effective financial management.

FINDINGS

1. The district coordinator for reading also serves as the coordinator for the dyslexia program. While this coordinator is highly knowledgeable in both areas, campus staff involved express a belief she has numerous responsibilities managing both programs

2. The decision to place a full time dyslexia teacher on each elementary campus seems necessary and appropriate.

3. The decision to increase dyslexia staff by a full time teacher in the 2014-‐ 15 school year is also necessary and appropriate. Yet administrators, general education teachers, and parents perceive that secondary school students with dyslexia would benefit from additional support.

Coordinator Support. One district professional serves as coordinator for both reading and dyslexia. The current coordinator has increased dyslexia staffing to campuses, rewritten district guidelines, provided training to faculty and parents, and served as a member of the Board Committee on Section 504/Special Education. The dyslexia teachers are unanimous in appreciation of the level of support they have received from central office. Boerne ISD is a small school district with nine schools and it is not uncommon for central office staff to serve in multiple leadership roles.



Campus Staffing Levels for Dyslexia Programming. The state requirement is that students identified with dyslexia must receive direct services when needed on their home campus. The district has met that requirement. It may be helpful to restructure assignments to provide additional support for students with dyslexia at the high school level.



RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSIONS There are 16 recommendations relative to the seven goals to support the continuous improvement of services for students with dyslexia in Boerne ISD. These recommendations are respectfully submitted for consideration by the district.

1. Continue with district efforts and focus to increase understanding of dyslexia. Provide information in written form published in a district and/or faculty and student handbook. Consider expanding the dyslexia webpage with additional information that is open to both faculty and community. The webpage currently includes information from the dyslexia handbook along with a description of the range of services available within the district. Include links to state and professional websites to make additional information available to the community. Listing good instructional strategies that are examples of differentiated instruction in specific subjects may be an appropriate support for teachers. Consider having the group of dyslexia specialists manage the website with one day each semester set aside for making needed updates.

2. Provide written guidelines regarding the referral and identification of students with dyslexia. Include any changes which have been highlighted in the new state Dyslexia Handbook. To avoid confusion, make sure written guidelines align with any presentation handouts used with staff and parents. Be sure all documents are dated to support staff and family understanding of the current process and requirements.

3. Monitor the assessment timelines from initial referral through the RTI process to formal referral for assessment and identification. Monitor the timelines from identification to initiation of the specialized program of services. This can be done through the ESPED system which the district uses for both special education and Section 504 paperwork. Consider assigning this monitoring task to the campus 504 designee with a brief online report to central office on a monthly basis.



4. In addition to the Board Committee on 504/Special Education, consider expanding ongoing community involvement and collaboration by creating a school-‐community working group to meet monthly. This meeting would be led by the district coordinator for dyslexia with support provided by the director of special education and Section 504. Monthly meetings may provide brief trainings on specific aspects of dyslexia and then consider how the district is addressing this area in their programming. Having a dyslexia specialist as a featured speaker would highlight their expertise. A brief part of the agenda would consider new ideas or initiatives that are proposed by a committee member. Many of these would need to be researched and brought back for discussion in a future meeting. Regularly seeking input from the community can be important in building trust and collaboration.

5. Continue to provide and deliver professional development for all faculty relative to characteristics of dyslexia and the description of services across the district. Provide simple resources and suggestions for faculty relative to strategies and accommodations for students with dyslexia. Consider providing teachers with professional development credit for accessing some of the online resources identified in the dyslexia handbook. Acknowledge what the faculty is presently doing to support students with dyslexia.

6. Work with other members of the curriculum department to ensure that any professional training provided related to curriculum includes a section regarding accommodations for students with learning challenges.

7. Address the faculty perception that they do not have the skills in applying strategies for students with dyslexia by identifying the specific skills necessary, and celebrating those strategies that they are implementing.

8. Provide focused professional development and technical assistance for teachers relative to supporting students with dyslexia in the classroom. Professional development may be direct, job-‐embedded, offered through individual or small group support or provided on an individual basis for teachers. The campus dyslexia specialist may deliver some of this training.



9. Develop a collaboration format for use by the campus dyslexia specialists. Work with the specialists to be clear that collaboration with classroom teachers is part of their job description and then spell out exactly what that might look like. Ask specialists to submit a brief weekly, bi-‐weekly, or monthly report detailing the collaborative support they have provided to specific teachers serving students with dyslexia. Work with principals so they understand the importance of collaborative support from the dyslexia specialists for individual teachers.

10. Ensure each faculty member who has a student with dyslexia in his/her classroom has sufficient information regarding the student. This includes the specific characteristics of the student and how his/her dyslexia impacts the ability to participate in the classroom. The entire faculty must be aware of any accommodations the student will need, including additional technology resources.

11. Provide ongoing support for campus administrators related to their role as dyslexia designee. If the district brings administrators in for a monthly administrative meeting, this is an excellent venue for doing brief sessions each month to provide additional information, and to assist them with problem solving on their campus related to serving students with disabilities. If they are to coach teachers, then we must address their level of knowledge and comfort with that role.

12. Address the use of technology to support students with dyslexia. Use the Dyslexia Work Group for input, and partner with the district technology department for resources and training support. Ensure that the document provided by the TEA, Integrating Technology in the Classroom for Students with Dyslexia, is available to all campuses. Placing a link on the dyslexia webpage will ensure both parents and faculty have access to this valuable resource.

13. Address the belief of some parents that the district attempts to avoid providing services including assessments and accommodations to students with dyslexia. One strategy will be to publish this report and hold a meeting in which parents are invited to review the report and participate in action planning with the district.



14. While the current program review identifies the district as currently in compliance with all state requirements, it is important to address negative parent perceptions concerning dyslexia services in the district. Consider establishing a process for conducting an annual self-‐audit of procedural and compliance areas. This can be done with a simple checklist which can be used by campus staff to review each 504 folder of all dyslexia students on the campus. The report will be sent to central office by a deadline date in June with a summary presented to the School Board.

15. Investigate and respond to concerns of parents regarding campus willingness to assess for dyslexia and willingness to consider a range of needed accommodations. Establish a process where parents are encouraged to bring their concerns to campus leadership and then to central office. The Boerne ISD Dyslexia Handbook begins with a statement of parent rights under Section 504. Post this on the website so the expectation that appropriate procedures are followed is clearly made.

16. Carefully monitor the staffing and scheduling of services for students with dyslexia, and continue to build the capacity of each school level to flexibly serve all students. Consider a review of students with dyslexia at the high school level in Spring 2015 during the annual 504 meeting update. Students may be grouped according to the level of need perceived by teachers and parents. A rubric is suggested to guide the conversation. Adjustment of the schedules of dyslexia specialists may be needed depending upon the outcome of this activity.



RESOURCES Dyslexia Handbook: Procedures Concerning Dyslexia and Related Disorders, July,

2014. Texas Education Agency publication.

Protecting Students with Disabilities: Frequently Asked Questions about Section 504 and

the Education of Children with Disabilities. December, 2013. www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/504faq.html.

Richards, David M. Dyslexia: The Revised handbook & What It Means For You. Presentation at October, 2014, TCASE Legal Conference.

Technology Integration for Students with Dsylexia.

www.region10.org/dyslexia/techplan

boerne dyslexia report final word...evaluation of services provided to students with dyslexia boerne...

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