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Myths Be Gone: Young Children Can Be Screened for Risks of Reading Difficulty

4/12/2018

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"There is also a distinct and fiery kind of resilience and fortitude that is born from such experiences. That is what I witnessed in the moments after Decoding Dyslexia MD’s bill was deemed dead—I saw a community ignited."
Observations on the Legislative Process
By Stacy Brocker, State Leader, Decoding Dyslexia MD, Howard County

George Orwell said, “Myths which are believed in tend to become true.” The philosophy many seem to subconsciously embrace is, “Myths which are believed in are true.” This may be why there was some resistance to HB 910, the Reading Screening & Interventions bill, during the recent Maryland General Assembly session. There are a myriad of myths surrounding struggling readers and dyslexia, and dyslexia advocates work tirelessly to dispel these myths and put reading research into the hands of policy makers and teachers.
Karleen Spitulnik confers with Dennis Teegardin, Delegate Luedtke's Legislative Director in the Gallery
House Votes YES on the Conference Report. It's 11:38 PM
DDMD's mobile office in the Capitol Building
Decoding Dyslexia Maryland advocates from l to r: Laura Schultz, Karleen Spitulnik, Stacy Brocker and her daughter Abi on April 9th. Waiting.
Delegate Glen Glass kindly gives Stacy and Abi a tour of the House floor, including behind the Chair's dais!
Conferring at Ram's Head Tavern
The right atmosphere for certain "bill death"
Commandeering a sign b/c it was so appropriate.
 Decoding Dyslexia Maryland (DDMD) is a grassroots organization of parents, teachers, students and community partners founded in early 2013.  Volunteers donate their time and resources to fight for every child’s right to read and are bolstered by the advocacy of students, teachers, psychologists, private school leaders and research scientists who care about reading and who are frustrated by education systems that use programs and practices that are not based on the science of reading (20 U.S. Code § 6368 - Definitions).

Currently, at least 38 states have one or more dyslexia laws while 19 states have comprehensive dyslexia laws. These comprehensive laws include mandates for early reading and dyslexia screening as well as intervention, structured literacy teacher training for both pre-service and inservice teachers, a definition of dyslexia, and accommodations for dyslexia. Only a handful of states do not have any requirements for addressing dyslexia:  Idaho, Maryland, Montana, Massachusetts and the Dakotas (https://improvingliteracy.org/state-of-dyslexia).

Decoding Dyslexia members pour over research about reading and dyslexia and often educate their local Boards of Education, Superintendents, administrators, and teachers meeting by meeting...by meeting. The numbers of students in need of support is growing. Research statistics show that dyslexia affects up to 17% of all students and many more struggle to learn to read in our public schools. Decoding Dyslexia is increasingly leading the charge to support parents in their efforts to learn about dyslexia, to gather research and data to support effective instruction, and to advocate for systemwide policy change for early screening and interventions that help all students.

On May 12, 2015, the Maryland General Assembly and Governor Larry Hogan enacted HB 278 to authorize a Task Force to Study the Implementation of a Dyslexia Education Program in Maryland. The Task Force was established in response to parent, teacher, and student testimony that reading difficulties and dyslexia were not adequately addressed by public schools in Maryland. This massive undertaking resulted in a 135 page in depth report that includes a remarkable amount of scientific data, expert testimony, and current practices from school districts and other states.

The report included six detailed recommendations that could be implemented and measured in a six year Reading and Dyslexia Pilot Program for Kindergarten, first and second grade students.  The Pilot included a summer reading institute for teachers and mentors and an itemized fiscal note. Unfortunately, at the close of the 2017 legislative session, the recommendations in the Task Force Report remained unaddressed.

This year, Decoding Dyslexia MD, to which I and my daughter proudly belong, focused its legislative efforts on accomplishing something the current public school system has not been able to do: Help all students learn to read by identifying their reading risk factors before they fall behind.  Armed with the knowledge that other Decoding Dyslexia chapters won battles to change their laws, and with the Maryland Dyslexia Task Force report in hand, Decoding Dyslexia MD got to work.

Joining with other statewide advocates for children, Decoding Dyslexia Maryland and the MD School Psychologists Association, supported HB 910 as a first step in the process to implement the Task Force recommendations.  Advocates partnered with Delegate Eric Luedtke and Senator Joan Carter Conway to introduce the The Reading Screening & Interventions Bill (HB 910/SB548).  After more than four subcommittee meetings, the House Ways and Means Committee unanimously approved HB 910 with amendments that addressed technical issues and concerns of local districts.  The House of Delegates passed the bill 135-1 and sent it to the Senate.

The Senate Education, Health and Environmental Affairs Committee amended HB 910 at the request of school districts, striking language that would have required schools to follow federal requirements to use reliable and valid screening tools.  The amendments also removed language that required screening instruments to quickly assess specific, developmentally appropriate foundational reading skills. These skills are identified in reading research as highly predictive of future reading development, including reading difficulties such as dyslexia.  The Senate version of HB 910 passed the full Senate 43-0 and differed significantly from the House version.

The journey came to a head this past Monday, April 9, 2018 on the last day session or sine die.  It was a hair-raising 15-hour day of back and forth. Joined by other members of Decoding Dyslexia MD and representatives for the Maryland State Education Association, Delegate Luedtke and advocates persisted through various blocks and hold ups. Finally, House and Senate Conferees signed off on compromise language and the House of Delegates immediately voted YES at 11:38 p.m. Celebrations were quelled, however, when it became clear that the Senate had not done the same, thus killing the bill.

Decoding Dyslexia MD’s Facebook and Twitter feeds were filled with concerned constituents listening live from their homes to the proceedings and following the updates. Various DDMD county chapters were conferencing with each other. There is a distinct kind of disappointment when a proposal that could help all children, including those with dyslexia, is so close to being available and then is silently killed with no explanation. Fortunately, there is also a distinct and fiery kind of resilience and fortitude that is born from such experiences. That is what I witnessed in the moments after Decoding Dyslexia MD’s bill was deemed dead—I saw a community ignited.

People who prefer to think like Barbra Streisand, “Myths are a waste of time...and prevent progression,” will be the people who finally dispel the myth that young children cannot be screened for reading difficulties and be provided early intervention.  Preventing reading failure by employing best practices for reading screening is backed by voluminous research.  DDMD’s 2019 bill will also be informed by the recent partnership between the National Center on Improving Literacy and St. Mary’s County Public Schools to create a “Beacon Site Screening Pilot” project.  

Decoding Dyslexia Maryland advocates look forward to a different result in 2019, and an energetic celebration as Maryland moves forward to support every student’s right to read.

About the Author:  Stacy Brocker is mom to five and her daughter Abi, who is in high school, has dyslexia.  Stacy is co-leader of the Howard County chapter of DDMD. If you would would like to learn more about a chapter near you, please visit our Local Chapters Page or Join DDMD today (it's free)!

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Why Do MD School Districts Need to Retrain Reading Teachers?  You'll be Surprised by the Answer

2/10/2018

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On February 8th in Annapolis, Decoding Dyslexia Maryland held a panel discussion entitled: "How to Fix the Reading Failure Model -- Solutions that Work" which included Megan Shay, Interim Executive Director, Academics for Baltimore County Public Schools and Nancy Scharff, an Instructional Consultant for Philadelphia's Read by 4th Campaign.  

Other panelists included members of Decoding Dyslexia Maryland:  Winifred Winston, Baltimore City, Liz Hembling, Baltimore County, Marla Migdal, Frederick County and Diana Gough, Prince George's County.  

All of the panelists spoke about the Big Problem in public schools:  The gap between undergraduate teacher preparation in foundational reading instruction and the critical need for teachers who can deliver explicit, direct instruction in the foundational elements of language and the science of reading.  Teachers are surprised when they enter the clasroomThis gap lies at the feet of teacher preparation programs across the country, including Maryland's teacher preparation programs.

To solve the teacher preparation gap, districts like Baltimore County are providing up to 60 hours of reading preparation to  teachers so all students can learn to read.  

​Decoding Dyslexia Maryland applauds Baltimore County for its investment in teachers because teachers make all the difference #soallCanRead.
​Decoding Dyslexia Maryland applauds Baltimore County for its investment in teachers because teachers make all the difference #soallCanRead
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How One Maryland School District Teaches Reading & Why It Matters

2/7/2018

4 Comments

 
Fixing the Reading Failure Model: Solutions that Work
 
My Name is Liz Hembling and I’m here to report on Baltimore County’s efforts to identify and provide early interventions for struggling readers and students with dyslexia:
 
When I started this journey, parents were fighting to even use the word dyslexia in Baltimore County Public Schools (BCPS). I am happy to report that so much has changed.
 
BCPS has a head of English Language Arts who you will hear from later today.  Her name is Megan Shay.  They also have a head of Special Education (Rebecca Rider.)  Those departments traditionally worked in silos.  Ms. Shay and Ms. Rider decided to join forces and work together to address the dyslexia and reading failure issue in the school system.  Together they developed a comprehensive plan to screen, identify, and remediate those children in early grades who have trouble with reading.
 
Ms. Rider and Shay decided to focus heavily on grades k-2.  They wanted all classroom teachers to have a basic understanding of structured literacy so they can identify kids who may be struggling in their classrooms. They trained 807 teachers in LETRS, a course designed by expert Louisa Moats, to accomplish this goal.
 
They are using Dibels to screen all children early. All kindergarteners are universally screened for reading failure using DIBELS in Fall, winter, and spring.  They will continue to screen in first grade if a problem is suspected.  The idea is that any child flagged with an issue could receive appropriate instruction without delay.
 
Shay and Rider also started an ambitious plan to train certain educators in Orton Gillingham.  They initially trained 61 teachers, and then expanded the program to 95 so that every elementary and middle school has an OG trained educator.  They plan to expand even further. The person who has been training their staff is none other than Fran Bowman. Fran is a fellow in the Academy of Orton Gillingham Practitioners and Educators and is considered one of the highly regarded experts in this field. The feedback from BCPS teachers who have taken her course is outstanding.  We are hearing reports from teachers who are now making more progress with their students in several months after receiving her course than they have in several years with the same student. 
 
This training has had an amazing impact on the students in our county.  I want to read you a letter from one mom so you have an idea of how these investments are impacting families in our schools:
 
LETTER FROM A MOM:  CHEYANNE’S PROGRESS LEARNING TO READ: THANK YOU BCPS
 
All through kindergarten, Cheyanne received special education and was pulled put for reading and math.  After a year she could only read 4 words: The, A, And, and She.
 
We practiced at home and wrote words to memorize them; but she wasn’t learning.  Cheyanne was severely behind all of the other kids in her class.  I was so upset. 
 
Fast forward to 1st grade.  At the first IEP meeting of the year, our case manager agreed that Cheyanne wasn’t making progress.  She suggested that we begin with an Orton Gillingham based approach to reading instruction.  I had never heard of OG, so after researching it I noticed it was to go-to approach for students with dyslexia. 
 
Cheyanne’s special education teacher invited me to observe a lesson.  I was crying tears of joy because I had never seen my 6 year old read a sentence on her own. They were very focused on each other, it was one on one, and fast moving.  Allowing me to watch was great because now I know how to help her at home.  Thank you Baltimore County.
 
In three months using Orton Gillingham methods, she has learned to read more words than she learned over the entire year on Kindergarten and the first few months of 1st grade.  Cheyanne can now read words like mat, mop, mob, and with.
 
I don’t know how else she would learn to read without this knowledgeable teacher.  I am grateful for her special educator – we finally have hope; we finally have something that works; we finally have identified dyslexia!  Structured literacy programs, like Orton Gillingham, saved my daughter’s life.
 
#soallcanREAD #rightnow
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Dyslexia Advocacy Day in Annapolis #soallcanREAD #rightnow

2/7/2018

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Act-Vocate for Dyslexia on Feb. 8 with Decoding Dyslexia Maryland!

12/22/2017

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Dyslexia Workshop Focuses on Maryland Law & Effective Instruction

11/21/2017

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On Sunday, November 19, parents and teachers listened to presentations at the Chelsea School to learn more about dyslexia.  The Next Steps for Dyslexia Networking Forum featured experts and informed parents who know the challenges of trying to “figure it out.”  Just as every learning difference has its unique elements, each family’s journey is also unique.  However, there are laws and resources that can help educators and families find the best path forward.  

The Next Steps Forum featured Attorney Nicole Joseph, with Nicole Joseph Law who provided attendees with an overview of special education law and rights under both the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and the Rehabilitation Act (Section 504).  Ms. Joseph covered the special education process including identifying a disability; school system and outside evaluations; developing IEPs; reviewing progress; and options when there is disagreement and also included specific advocacy strategies for students with learning disabilities like dyslexia.

The next presentation, by Laura Schultz, Parent and Decoding Dyslexia Maryland State Leader, provided an overview of the Maryland State Department of Education Technical Assistance Bulletin on Dyslexia, Dysgraphia and Dyscalculia. She provided information on how interested families and teachers can use this document to ensure that students are identified and receive instruction and accommodations for success in school.  See the Facts Sheets page for more resources for families and schools.

Amy Siracusano, Literacy Integration Specialist, Calvert County Public Schools explained to attendees exactly what early effective instruction should look like.  Ms. Sircusano is a firm believer in making sure teachers are trained using structured literacy to teach all students how to read using diagnostic and prescriptive approaches to teach foundational reading skills.

Laurie Moloney, CALT,  DCIDA President explained what effective instruction would look like for a student with dyslexia and said that the more severe the dyslexia, the more comprehensive and intensive the intervention typically must be. She provided an overview of the specific elements of instruction that can dramatically improve outcomes for severely dyslexic students who struggle even after receiving a targeted intervention, including those considered to be Orton-Gillingham-based. 

About the Presenters:
​
Nicole Joseph: Nicole provides legal representation for children with disabilities in the special education process from eligibility and IEP development through administrative hearings. She is also the proud parent of an amazing dyslexic child.

Amy Siracusano is a Literacy Integration Learning Specialist in Calvert County Public Schools and a teacher member of Decoding Dyslexia

Laurie is an academic language therapist in private practice serving moderately to severely dyslexic students.
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Research Helps Those with Dyslexia: By Reps. Smith, Westerman and Brownley

11/15/2017

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Dyslexia differs from other learning disabilities. These differences are highly specific and readily identifiable. In dyslexic readers, these neural systems function inefficiently – the signature of dyslexia. There may be other indicators, as well.
With early identification and timely intervention, affected individuals can live productive lives and accomplish great things. Even Nobel Prize-winning scientists, some of the greatest and most creative individuals, have overcome dyslexia. 
Dr. Sally Shaywitz, one of the nation’s leading authorities on dyslexia, told a hearing of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee, “The really good news is that science is there for those who are dyslexic. We have not a knowledge gap but an action gap.”

In order to close the action gap, we authored the Research Excellence and Advancements for Dyslexia Act – the READ Act. After winning unanimous Congressional support, the READ Act was signed into law in February 2016. The new law directs the National Science Foundation (NSF) to prioritize dyslexia research that supports action: “early identification of children and students with dyslexia, professional development for teachers and administrators of students with dyslexia, and curricula and educational tools needed for children with dyslexia.” 

Thirty states now mandate early dyslexia screening. More teachers and school administrators are receiving special training to recognize dyslexia and deliver individualized instruction and support for affected students. More schools are implementing proven new teaching methods and learning tools. These successes are encouraging. 

Nevertheless, millions of Americans with dyslexia remain undiagnosed and untreated. In thousands of public schools, children are not effectively screened. Even when a young student is identified as having dyslexia, many teachers do not have the training and learning support tools to deliver needed intensive reading skills intervention. 

Further, undiagnosed dyslexia leads to heart-breaking problems. More than eight million of our schoolchildren are affected, according to estimates. Children with undiagnosed and untreated dyslexia have reading struggles that make learning in every subject more difficult. They are more likely to drop out of high school and half as likely to go to college. 

As adults, individuals with untreated dyslexia face lifelong challenges and their reading difficulties are likely to be permanent. They have significantly lower lifetime earnings and much higher unemployment. They also experience higher rates of mental health issues and incarceration and lower life expectancy. Their children face substantial risks of the same problems. The accumulated costs of millions of cases of unfulfilled potential are an enormous burden and an ongoing tragedy that deserves our attention.

Last month, an NSF-supported conference about the READ Act brought together learning disability researchers from across the country. Information presented at the conference underscored the importance of timely, results-driven actions. Studies show that nearly three-quarters of children with dyslexia will attain their expected educational development if two practical actions are adopted in every school district: simple, standardized screening for reading difficulties among children in kindergarten and first grade, and explicit, comprehensive reading instruction for those who are identified as having dyslexia.

Changing the way we approach dyslexia will create opportunities for brighter, more productive futures for millions of young Americans. It also will help individuals follow in the footsteps of geniuses like Steve Jobs, the former CEO of Apple, who overcame dyslexia and achieved wonderful, helpful innovations for our country and humankind. 
​
The READ Act was authored by Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas), chairman of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee, and cosponsored by Rep. Julia Brownley (D-Calif.) and Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.). Chairman Smith and Rep. Brownley co-chair the bipartisan Congressional Dyslexia Caucus.
Chairman Lamar Smith leads a hearing on the Science of Dyslexia, US Congress Science, Space and Technology Committee, 2016
Then Rep. Bill Cassidy (now Senator) R-LA and Dyslexia Caucus Co-Chair, Rep. Julia Brownley, D-CA
National Science Foundation Symposium attendees from L-r: Dr. Eden, Kathy Stratton, Laura Schultz, Vicki Myers, Kristin Kane, Robbi Cooper and Deborah Lynam
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We Know How to Teach Reading -- So Why Aren't We?

10/26/2017

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Maryland student reading performance is subpar -- 60% of students read below grade level -- that is 6 out of 10 students.  93% of special education students read below grade level (9 out of 10 students) and these students are not only capable of learning to read, they also supposedly receive "specially designed instruction" to get them to grade level proficiency.

Many Maryland school districts acknowledge that they have a problem with reading and writing literacy and are making changes to inservice teacher training, curricula choices and program purchases for reading.  Other Maryland school districts deny there is a problem and continue to be happy with their students' poor reading performance and high rate of required college remedial reading coursework.
​
The Kirwan Commission -- an Effort to Change MD Education & Funding

Jeanne Brady Saum​ w/ Decoding Dyslexia MD waited her turn to speak at the 10/25 public meeting and was presenter 58/61. The microphone broke at speaker #56 but she persevered and spoke without a microphone at the end of a very long day.  Her remarks are included here to ensure that she is heard.  #saydyslexia #soallcanREAD
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Maryland Families Featured in National Documentary on Dyslexia, by APM Reports

9/18/2017

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Subscribe Educate Podcast
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"And I talked to a lot of these upper-class white families who were able to take their kids out and send them to private school. I couldn’t afford to do that. But those kids are doing well now, and they’re able to go to college. And we didn’t have the opportunity."  Pamela Guest, parent and Decoding Dyslexia MD State Leader in APM Report on Dyslexia

Pamela Guest, a state leader for Decoding Dyslexia Maryland, and her son Dayne, were recently featured in a documentary by APM Reports on dyslexia.  The documentary features an in depth podcast on dyslexia and the problems parents and students face in Maryland public schools.  Interviews are conducted with Baltimore County Public Schools officials and their responses to questions about dyslexia identification and interventions point to a change in efforts to help students with dyslexia in the school system.

"Rebecca Rider and Megan Shay are both relatively new to their positions. And they acknowledge the school system has a problem when it comes to kids with dyslexia. It’s something they say they’re beginning to fix. We need to do better."
Baltimore County Public Schools, excerpted from the full transcript

Please listen to the podcast, read the articles and watch the videos.  This is a very thorough evaluation of the problems and solutions that exist today.  If you have a comment on the podcast or article, APM reports would like to hear from you.  Links to all of the documentary parts are listed below.
​

APM Documentary on Dyslexia:  Links to Podcast, Videos & Resources

Hard to Read: How American Schools Fail Kids with Dyslexia
Full Transcript of Documentary
What is dyslexia? An interview with neuroscientist Guinevere Eden
Proven Techniques to Help Children with Dyslexia
A mother and her dyslexic daughter tell their story
Saying Dyslexia in Schools: An Interview with Michael Yudin
In Ohio, parents demand change for dyslexic kids
Cameron James: Letter about his son Joe
Further Reading on Dyslexia
Where to Get Help
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Kids w/ Dyslexia Not Getting What They Need in American Public Schools

4/4/2017

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.@EducatePodcast: Dyslexia in public school. "Teachers knew how to teach them but they didn't know how to teach me." https://t.co/Wse9oNLukd

— APM Reports (@apmreports) April 4, 2017
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