READING FIRST MISSION

Less Than 5 Percent of Students Referred to

Special Education in 2004-05

Alice Furry

Marvi Hagopian

In the United States, 44 percent of fourth grade

students are at “below basic” levels; only 2 to 5 percent of

total number of students should legitimately be

classified as having severe, intrinsically-based learning

disorders.

Sixty to 80 percent of students in special education are likely

to be suffering from consequences of

inappropriate teaching, low standards, and/or disadvantageous

environmental consequences.

THE CHALLENGE FOR READING FIRST

Reduce the Number of Referrals to Special

Education

What Research Tells Us:

Reading disabilities affect at least 10 million children in the USMost reading disabilities reflect a persistent deficit rather than a developmental lagApproximately 74 percent of the children who are reading disabled in the third grade will remain disabled in the ninth grade

Distinguishing between disabled readers with and without an IQ achievement discrepancy is an invalid measurementChildren with and without reading discrepancies show similar information processing, genetic, and neurophysiologic profiles

What Research Says About Students with Reading Delays:

80 percent of students who fall behind in reading by the end of first grade are still significantly behind in fourth grade, despite current conventional intervention practices

Of the students with reading delays, 80 percent have primary weakness in phonological/phonemic awareness, phonics and work study, and oral fluency

Based on research published in multiple sources and conducted by the National Institute for Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), the US Department of Education, and the US Department of Special Education.

The primary message of the No Child Left Behind is URGENCY -

Leave No Child Behind!

Teachers must determine at the earliest possible moment when a

student is beginning to fall behind, and at the same time, know how

to intervene to prevent that student from falling further

behind.

It is now known that students do not outgrow

reading problems!

Assessment and systematic, explicit, accelerated, and

focused intervention efforts early in the school career of a

child/student can make a huge difference.

Be it Resolved:

Definition of a Student At-Risk of Falling Behind

A student who the classroom teacher identifies as behind his or her peers as indicated by observations and progress monitoring assessmentsA student who has problems with:

Spoken languageSeparating phonemesMatching sounds to letters and spellingsSpellingDecodingWord substitution when reading, etc.

See Overcoming Dyslexia by Sally Shaywitz, M.D.

Evidence Gathering and Confirming a Student At-Risk

Initial EvidenceKindergarten Monitoring Log and Assessments

Grades 1-3, 6-8 Week Skills Assessments in the range of 0-3 scores in repeated succession [especially for oral fluency and comprehension subtests]

Confirmed EvidenceResults from State Approved Screening/Diagnostic Assessments

Screening Assessments have predictive validity and are used to determine which

students are likely to experience reading difficulty

and need additional prevention/intervention

instruction.

Diagnostic Assessments offer reliable, stable, and

consistent evidence as to which beginning reading

technical skills are mastered or not mastered and how

much instructional prevention/intervention is

most likely needed.

State-approved Supplemental Intervention Materials and Comprehensive Stand-alone Intervention Programs State Board approved list release dates:

November 10, 2004

January 13, 2005

March 10, 2005

May 12, 2005

The State Board list will be based upon recommendations of the Department of Education and the Reading First, California Technical Assistance Center. Criteria will include ratings on:

if it is research-basedif it is aligned to adopted reading/language arts programif it is aligned to California English/Language Arts Content Standards

List of eligible intervention materials and programs must have been previously evaluated by either the Western or Eastern Reading First Technical Assistance Centers. See web sites:

WRFTAChttp://reading.uoregon.edu/curricula/or_rfc_review_si.php

ERFTAChttp://www.fcrr.org/FCRRReports/contents.htm

Special Education ReferralReduction Program

Application Guidance

(see Application -- Sample)

1. Program Goals and Intents:

Our district is committed to the Special Education Referral Reduction goal of the Reading First (RF) program and intends to implement a plan of early identification and accelerated and focused prevention/intervention instruction.

2. Program Assignments and Responsibilities:

The plan allocates the necessary time and staff to oversee the implementation of this program at each of our RF schools.

3. RF Site Participation:

All participating RF school sites are included in this program.

4. Screening and Assessment:

Our district will select approved screening and diagnostic assessments to identify students for participation in this program.

5. Monitoring Responsibilities:

Our district has designated and approved the monitoring responsibilities of all staff involved in the program.

6. Reporting:

At the end of the year our district will submit required reports to the California Department of Education (CDE):

2004-05: the number of special education referrals by grade level2004-05: the number of referrals placed in special education

7. Full Core Program Implementation:

Our district will fully implement the state and district adopted reading/language arts instructional program as designed and analyze its effectiveness for each student prior to placement in a multi-tiered program that includes a supplemental prevention/intervention program.

8. Research-Based Supplemental Programs:

Our district will only use research-based supplemental prevention/intervention programs after all efforts of full implementation of the adopted program have been exhausted.

9. Supplemental Materials:

All supplemental materials used in our intervention program will be research-based and selected from the approved list provided by the State.

10. Budget = Difference between grant rate of $6,500 and $8,000 per RF teacher

The LEA will be asked to submit a revised program budget no later than three months after receiving the grant award amendment for this program.

Application should be:

Single-spaced

At least 11-point font size

One-inch margins all around

For Assistance:

Check with your Reading First Regional Technical Assistance Center Director

Questions