A Blog by Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and Dr. Howard Margolis

In our book, Reading Disabilities: Beating the Odds, we emphasize the importance of getting the proper evaluations and maximizing their effectiveness by requesting specific information. Below is an example of a request for a neuropsychological evaluation.  The basic concepts can be adapted to virtually any educational evaluation. For reading evaluations, chapters 4 and 5 of Reading Disabilities: Beating the Odds provide dozens of requests in the form of critical questions.

The Letter

As Wilson’s school records indicate, over the past decade his social, emotional, and academic progress has been poor. For example, his WISC IQ scores show he’s a highly intelligent 7^th grader, but his performances on recent State of NY reading and writing tests were abysmal.  He failed. His reading and writing competencies were those of a second grader. This lack of progress is corroborated by teacher observations, comments, report cards, and evaluations by the school’s reading and writing specialists.

As we had discussed at our last meeting (12/5/2011), a comprehensive and highly personalized neuropsychological evaluation is very important for improving Wilson’s social, emotional, and academic success. It needs to be administered and interpreted by a neuropsychologist who understands (a) schools, curriculum, and educational methodology; (b) how to evaluate the factors that impede and boost the social, emotional, and academic success of children with Wilson’s history; (c) how schools can effectively and efficiently remediate the neuropsychological factors that impede learning.

With respect to Wilson’s social, emotional, and academic success , we request that the neuropsychologist’s report tell us (a) what Wilson can do well; (b) what he has difficulty doing; (c) what is blocking his progress; (d) what he needs to learn; (e) what research-based interventions can eliminate the blocks to progress; (f) what research-based instructional practices will likely produce the solid success Wilson needs to make far more than a year’s progress in a year’s time; (g) the amount of daily or weekly time the school needs to provide each intervention or related service, so Wilson can make far more than a year’s progress in a year’s time; (h) the training teachers and staff need to help Wilson achieve far more than a year’s progress in a year’s time.

We recognize that Wilson’s IEP Team is responsible for writing his IEP’s goals and objectives and monitoring plan. To facilitate this progress and strengthen these IEP components, we request that the neuropsychological report suggest (a) measurable goals and objectives in all areas of need the evaluation identifies; (b) a monitoring plan that each week provides us with valid data on Wilson’s progress toward each suggested goal and objective; and (c) how to streamline and coordinate the different components of his program. We also request that the report suggest the training we need to support Wilson at home without assuming a primary teaching role.

As Wilson is half way through the academic year and his progress remains poor, we request to review the neuropsychological evaluation report by 2/13/2012 and have a meeting to discuss its implications and Wilson’s IEP by 2/20/12. This will increase Wilson’s chances of realizing success in the last third of the academic year.  We request to meet with the neuropsychologist before the evaluation.

If you have any disagreement with our requests, please contact me within the next two days. We fear time is running out, as each day Wilson is more discouraged about his lack of progress.

Sincerely,

Howard Margolis

A Mythical Parent

The Lesson

If you need information, ask for it.

Howard Margolis © Reading2008 & Beyond

A Blog by Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and Dr. Howard Margolis

Teachers at the Opportunity Charter School in New York City voted to unionize. Yes—that dirty, but often misunderstood word, unionize. The quotes below explain why they voted to unionize and explain why parents need to critically evaluate all schools and programs, including charter schools and suspect university programs for poor readers, like the Rutgers University Summer Reading Program.

As you evaluate schools and programs, look beyond the veneer. Remember the advertising for the infamous Yugo automobile. It hid mountains of problems. Today, the only people who seem happy with their Yugos use them as flowerpots. Like Yugo advertisements, some charters (and university programs) probably look far better than their reality. Also keep in mind that serious dissatisfaction causes unionization. After reading the quotes below, ask yourself: Would you want your child going here? If I’m going to send my child to a charter school, does it have a long track record of independently documented success, or just accolades from politicians and celebrities?

• Teachers Voted To Unionize. “In explaining their initial decision to unionize, Opportunity teachers said they felt that the school’s founding philosophy had changed and isolated their voices from school policy decisions.”
• A Company, Not A School Atmosphere. “‘The school has changed dramatically since I started. Now I feel like I work for a company, not a school,’” [said] … one of the school’s longest-tenured teachers.
• A Troubled History. “Opportunity Charter School has a short but troubled history. Founded …  in 2004 on a unique mission ^[4] to serve high rates of special education students and students with learning disabilities, the school struggled on performance reviews, prompting the [Department of Education] to  renew ^[5] its charter only on a shorted term. An investigation last year found aides physically abused students ^[6] in some instances of behavioral intervention.”

But wait—The Opportunity Charter School is just one school. You can believe all the good things that authorities like Secretary of Education Duncan say. Or can you?

• “Gary Rubinstein … carefully tracks the claims of miracle schools…. He shows that they continue to struggle despite the accolades of officials in search of a miracle…. [For example,] at Urban Prep, which Secretary Duncan singled out because 100 percent of its graduates were accepted to college, scores on state tests continued to be very low, well below those of Chicago district schools. Only 15 percent met … state assessment standards…. While 100 percent were accepted to college, zero percent were rated by the state as ‘college-ready.” (Diane Ravitch, Research Professor, New York University)

So, the question: Should you trust your child’s future to charter schools? And the answer: No. Be careful. Check everything. After you make a decision, keep monitoring your child’s progress.

Transparency: The author, Howard Margolis, graduated with a bachelor’s degree from a public university, worked in k-12 public schools and public universities for some 40 years, and has been a long-time union member. He believes that teacher unions are often the critical, positive force needed to improve education and help children. He also believes that charter schools, vouchers, and current testing policies are an ideological ruse to privatize education and distract the public from the real issues underlying poor school performance: poverty, economic immobility, and tax rates insufficient to sustain a compassionate, educated, innovative society.

References

Retrieved 11/27/2011, from http://gothamschools.org/2011/08/31/charter-school-teachers-clear-hurdle-in-pursuit-of-unionization/

The Opportunity Charter School

http://gothamschools.org/2009/10/19/a-school-has-a-year-to-prove-it-can-do-the-almost-impossible/

http://gothamschools.org/2010/02/16/city-ed-officials-recommend-renewal-for-opportunity-charter-school/

http://gothamschools.org/2010/05/19/manhattan-charter-school-accused-of-abusing-unruly-students/

Rutgers University Summer Reading Program

http://www.reading2008.com/blog/rutgers-university%e2%80%99s-summer-reading-program-unethical.htm

http://www.reading2008.com/blog/rutgers-universitys-summer-reading-program-an-unflattering-dearth.htm

http://www.reading2008.com/blog/can-10-hours-of-reading-instruction-work-miracles.htm

http://www.reading2008.com/blog/rutgers-universitys-summer-reading-program-critical-comments.htm

http://www.reading2008.com/blog/rutgers-university%e2%80%99s-10-hour-summer-reading-program-serious-concerns.htm

Urban Prep

Retrieved 12/15/2011, from http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/post/ravitch-miracle-schools-not-so-miraculous-after-all/2011/12/07/gIQAP565fO_blog.html.

Howard Margolis © Reading2008 & Beyond

howard@reading2008.com

www.reading2008.com

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 To Help Children: The Special Needs Talk Radio Network

The Special Needs Talk Radio network is dedicated to helping parents and teachers help children with special needs. For a description and schedule of its six shows, go to http://specialneedstalkradio.com.

Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and I host Maximizing Your Child’s Potential (Mondays, 9 PM – 9:30 PM EST, http://specialneedstalkradio.com/maximizing-your-childs-potential).

 Monday’s Radio Show

Public and Private School Programs: Pros and Cons

• When: Monday, 12/19/2011, 9 – 9:30 PM EST
• Where: http://specialneedstalkradio.com/maximizing-your-childs-potential
• Guest: Staci Greenwald, Esq., Special Education Attorney

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 Reading Disabilities: Beating the Odds

(www.reading2008.com)

PsychologyToday.com wrote that Reading Disabilities: Beating the Odds was one of the three “best books about education published in 2010. Recommend [it] to your friends.” On our blog, an English teacher and author wrote that Beating the Odds “is one of the best books, if not the best book on education published this year.”  A Thinking Person’s Guide to Autism called it “a great book.” A parent wrote, “Your Reading Disabilities book is by far the best resource I have found regarding the IEP and IDEA and providing understandable and concrete suggestions and implementation strategies.” Another wrote, your book is “fascinating and effective.” On Amazon, a professor of special education called it “a fantastic resource… well-written, practical… an essential guide.”

The KansasCityExaminer.com cited our blog as one of the ten best special needs blogs of 2010. The Coffee Klatch awarded it a Coffee Klatch emblem, signifying excellence.

We thank these and many other reviewers for their kind words. And we hope that our book and blog helps lots of children, parents, teachers, IEP Team members, and schools. It’s why we keep plugging away. – HM & GB

Description

Warns parents to look beyond the hype attributed to many charter schools. Give 2 recent examples.

Tags

Charter school, charter schools, charters, Dyslexia, dyslexic, dyslexics, Learning Disabilities, learning disability, Reading Disabilities, reading disability, reading problem, reading problems, struggling reader, Struggling Readers

A Blog by Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and Dr. Howard Margolis

Last week I visited a great school for children with reading disabilities: the Benchmark School in Media Pennsylvania. Benchmark’s founder, Dr. Irene Gaskins, and the Head of School, Dr. Robb Gaskins, asked me a question that I’ve been asked by dozens of parents of children with reading disabilities, one that I’ve given much thought to, especially in these stressful economic times when school budgets and family incomes are under continual attack. The question is simple, but the answer not:

If my child has severe reading problems and we can afford tutoring only once a week, will once help him?

Without knowing the emotional make-up of the specific child, his history, and the severity and nature of his difficulties, for him I cannot answer the question. However, in a general sense I can. The more quality tutoring a child gets each week, the more likely he is to progress. The two critical words are more and quality.

More. Most activities have a diminishing point of return. Some children will enjoy five hours of football practice a week, will tolerate eight, and resist twelve. Similarly, some will like and benefit from three hours of quality tutoring a week, tolerate four, and actively resist eight. For some, these hours are unrealistic. It depends upon the specific child—his passion to improve his reading, his ability to concentrate for sustained periods, any regrets he may feel about the good things he’s missing, such as playing basketball with friends.

Quality. If tutoring is tedious worksheet after tedious worksheet after tedious worksheet, robotic drill after robotic drill after robotic drill, one hour a week may backfire. But if the child thinks that tutoring is fun, that he’s being taught important things, that he’s making important progress, that his tutor is a good person whom he likes and respects, four hours of tutoring a week may not be tolerable—instead, it may be fun, it may be a something he looks forward to, it may be something he values greatly, it may be satisfying, and thus four hours may prove highly effective, especially if it motivates him to read a lot more by himself.

Money. So what should parents do when they identify a high-quality tutor they can afford for only an hour or so a week, but believe their child needs much more tutoring?

Suggestions. Our first suggestion is to ask the tutor to reduce her rates. Sometimes, quality tutors will do this. However, they too need to earn a living and may not be able to discount their rates dramatically. Thus, our second suggestion.

Ask a counselor at a local college to recommend several competent, trustworthy college students who are interested in tutoring your child for a reasonable hourly rate, one that’s a fraction of the tutor’s rate. With the tutor, interview the college students to identify a promising one. Then have the tutor instruct the student in what and how to teach your child and how to monitor progress. A central part of the tutor’s instruction should be demonstrating a few simple methods to use with the child. Ask the tutor not to overwhelm the student with too many methods. Teaching the student a little bit more every few weeks is better than too much at once.

Once the tutor has trained the student in how to work with your child, the student’s job becomes developing a positive relationship with him, following the tutor’s instructional plan, and monitoring progress. Every three to four weeks, the tutor should observe the instruction, analyze the monitoring information, and meet with you and the student to develop instructional plans for the next few weeks. If schedules prevent real-time observation or if real-time observation would upset tutoring, consider videoing occasional sessions for the tutor’s review.

If you choose the right tutor and the right college student, a student who can follow and positively add to the tutor’s directives, and whom your child likes and respects, your child may benefit considerably. Is this a guarantee? No. But if your child needs several hours of quality tutoring a week and doesn’t get it, his reading may deteriorate further, causing severe academic and emotional difficulties. This problem—costs versus your child’s needs—is frightening and emotionally-draining. Using a tutor as to train and supervise a trustworthy, intelligent college student may not be as good as having a quality tutor directly provide lots of tutoring, but it may solve the problem.

Of course, quality tutoring must be focused, must build your child’s confidence, and must strengthen his motivation to do lots of reading on his own. Chapters 4, 5, and 9 of Reading Disabilities: Beating the Odds can help with all three. Chapter 5, Using Reading Evaluations, may be especially helpful as quality tutoring begins with a high quality reading evaluation.

Other Suggestions. If you have other suggestions for tutoring, especially suggestions that have worked for you, please share them with our readers. Let’s help lots of children by giving parents lots of worthwhile ideas.

Howard Margolis © Reading2008 & Beyond

howard@reading2008.com

www.reading2008.com

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 To Help Children: The Special Needs Talk Radio Network

The Special Needs Talk Radio network (http://specialneedstalkradio.com/) is on the air. Each of its six shows is dedicated to improving the lives of children and youth with special needs and their families.

Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and I host Maximizing Your Child’s Potential (Mondays, 9 PM – 9:30 PM EST, http://specialneedstalkradio.com/maximizing-your-childs-potential).

  Monday’s Show (11/21/2011): Make Reading Evaluations Work

• When: Monday, November 21, 2011, 9 – 9:30 PM EST
• Where: http://specialneedstalkradio.com/maximizing-your-childs-potential
• Guest: Howard Margolis, Ed.D., Editor, Reading & Writing Quarterly: Overcoming Learning Difficulties

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 Reading Disabilities: Beating the Odds

(www.reading2008.com)

PsychologyToday.com wrote that Reading Disabilities: Beating the Odds was one of the three “best books about education published in 2010. Recommend [it] to your friends.” On our blog, an English teacher and author wrote that Beating the Odds “is one of the best books, if not the best book on education published this year.”  A Thinking Person’s Guide to Autism called it “a great book.” A parent wrote, “Your Reading Disabilities book is by far the best resource I have found regarding the IEP and IDEA and providing understandable and concrete suggestions and implementation strategies.” Another wrote, your book is “fascinating and effective.” On Amazon, a professor of special education called it “a fantastic resource… well-written, practical… an essential guide.”

The KansasCityExaminer.com cited our blog as one of the ten best special needs blogs of 2010. The Coffee Klatch awarded it a Coffee Klatch emblem, signifying excellence.

We thank these and many other reviewers for their kind words. And we hope that our book and blog helps lots of children, parents, teachers, IEP Team members, and schools. It’s why we keep plugging away. – HM & GB

A Blog by Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and Dr. Howard Margolis

Perhaps my last post was wrong. Perhaps I should trust charter schools. Perhaps they do perform miracles. Clearly, charters run by one of the nation’s largest charter companies performed miracles in St Louis, MO. Here are descriptions of their miracles from the October 30^th St. Louis Post-Dispatch:

• “When students first entered Imagine Academy [charter school] … four years ago, their school was already entangled in a complex series of real estate deals — ones that would divert dollars from their education.”
• “By … [the students] first summer break, their … building … had been sold three times, the final price nearly 10 times higher than the first. In the process, the company running the school — along with a small group of other players — cashed in.”
• “The performance on state standardized exams [of Imagine’s six St Louis schools] is worse than any school district in Missouri.”
• “Some [charter] classrooms … lacked … appropriate books, pencils, paper and other supplies…. [including] toilet paper, soap, paper towels.”
• “Nevertheless, [with public money] those schools are generating millions of dollars for Imagine and a Kansas City-based real estate investment company.”

The newspaper story suggests that the Imagine Schools performed only two miracles: Quickly depriving kids of a chance for a decent education and using public money to make many people rich. But who can logically argue with the sanctity of the profit motive and the invisible hand of the market? — Rhetorical question 1.

Are all charters like this? No. But clearly, many are. Newspapers in other states have published similar stories. So perhaps I was wrong. Perhaps charters can perform miracles. But miracles for whom?

Oh—after the reported damage to children went public, Missouri’s Education Commissioner called for the closing of the Imagine schools. When was this? Last week (11/8/2011), years after the real estate deals started. Where was the state’s oversight? — Rhetorical question 2.

With the money of Imagine‘s parent corporation, its lobbying power, and the public relations power of the charter movement, what’s the likelihood that if necessary Imagine’s parent company will re-open with a new name, a new corporate identity, and lots of kids seeking a better education. What’s the likelihood that kids in general and kids with reading disabilities and other learning disabilities will be hurt, hurt for life? — Rhetorical questions 3 and 4.

References

Retrieved 11/13/2011, from http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/education/article_dbf9b959-0c73-586c-97e7-6fca3a729b39.html.

Retrieved 11/13/2011, from http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/education/top-education-official-urges-closure-of-imagine-schools/article_16124459-91dc-5800-8fc4-e7fbfdd424e3.html#ixzz1dAJQT0Ub

Howard Margolis © Reading2008 & Beyond

howard@reading2008.com

www.reading2008.com

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 The Special Needs Talk Radio Network: It’s On the Air

The Special Needs Talk Radio network (http://specialneedstalkradio.com/) is on the air. Each of its six shows is dedicated to improving the lives of children and youth with special needs and their families.

Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and I host Maximizing Your Child’s Potential (Mondays, 9 PM – 9:30 PM EST, http://specialneedstalkradio.com/maximizing-your-childs-potential).

  Monday’s Show (11/14/2011): Writing

As many parents, teachers, and children know, learning to write is hard work, work that’s easier said than done. But it can also be fun, liberating, and enormously satisfying. It can unlock potential. This coming Monday, a motivating writing teacher, Jaclyn Pryzbylkowski (Voorhees NJ Middle School), will discuss How Writing Instruction Can Help Children Achieve Their Potential.

• When: Monday, November 14, 2011, 9 – 9:30 PM EST
• Where: http://specialneedstalkradio.com/maximizing-your-childs-potential

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 Reading Disabilities: Beating the Odds

(www.reading2008.com)

PsychologyToday.com wrote that Reading Disabilities: Beating the Odds was one of the three “best books about education published in 2010. Recommend [it] to your friends.” On our blog, an English teacher and author wrote that Beating the Odds “is one of the best books, if not the best book on education published this year.”  A Thinking Person’s Guide to Autism called it “a great book.” A parent wrote, “Your Reading Disabilities book is by far the best resource I have found regarding the IEP and IDEA and providing understandable and concrete suggestions and implementation strategies.” Another wrote, your book is “fascinating and effective.” On Amazon, a professor of special education called it “a fantastic resource… well-written, practical… an essential guide.”

The KansasCityExaminer.com cited our blog as one of the ten best special needs blogs of 2010. The Coffee Klatch awarded it a Coffee Klatch emblem, signifying excellence.

We thank these and many other reviewers for their kind words. And we hope that our book and blog helps lots of children, parents, teachers, IEP Team members, and schools. It’s why we keep plugging away. – HM & GB

A Blog by Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and Dr. Howard Margolis

Recently, Marion Brady offered thought-provoking insights on educational policy that deserve serious consideration, something that many Democrat and Republican politicians are loathe to do.

• Think there’s something wrong with a same-standards-and-tests-for-everybody approach to educating? Think a math whiz shouldn’t be held back just because he can’t write a good five-paragraph essay? Think a gifted writer shouldn’t be refused a diploma because she can’t solve a quadratic equation? …. If you think there’s something fundamentally, dangerously wrong with an educational reform effort that’s actually designed to standardize, designed to ignore human variation, designed to penalize individual differences, designed to produce a generation of clones …. [complain to] to your senators and representatives before they sell their vote to the publishing and testing corporations intent on getting an ever-bigger slice of that half-trillion dollars a year America spends on educating. (Brady, 2011)

But wait: Brady is wrong. Retention works. That’s why we do it over and over and over. If a kid fails, the only way to help him is to retain him in grade until he gets it right. It’s not punishment. It’s not harmful.

That’s what decades of research show. Right?

Wrong. The thrust of the valid research shows:

• The continued use of grade retention constitutes educational malpractice. It is the responsibility of educators to provide interventions that are effective in promoting academic success, yet research examining the effectiveness of retention reveals lower achievement, more behavior problems, and higher dropout rates among retained students. It is particularly disconcerting that a disproportionate number of students of ethnic minority and low income backgrounds are retained. Moreover, children’s experience of being held back is highly stressful; surveys indicate that by sixth grade, students report that only the loss of a parent and going blind is more stressful. (Jimerson, quoted in Hamson, 2009)
• The academic future of the students who were actually retained was poor. The academic performance of the Chicago third graders who were retained was similar to that of third graders who were not retained, retained sixth graders performed more poorly than their counterparts who were not retained, and retained eighth graders were far more likely to drop out and to do so at a younger age than students who were not retained. Furthermore, 78% of the students retained in eighth grade had dropped out by the time they turned 19…. These results mirror those of past retention studies that have reported that retained students either show declines in achievement over several years after retention or have academic outcomes that are no better after repeating a grade than those of low-achieving promoted students. In addition, students who have been retained have higher dropout rates than their promoted low-achieving peers. (Abbott  at al., 2010, p. 6)
• Failure to achieve grade-level expectations in reading is the primary reason students in the early grades are retained …. Research on grade retention clearly points to a connection between retention and dropout. … Grade retention was the most powerful predictor of later dropout, with retained students being 11 times more likely to drop out of school. (Reschly, 2010, p. 69).
• No other educational practice is as demonstrably harmful to students as the practice of grade retention (Florida Association of School Psychologists, post 2003, undated)

Makes me wonder about the knowledge and motivation of so many of our elected officials—Democrat and Republican. Unfortunately, it doesn’t make me wonder about the power of political contributions and paid lobbyists.

References

Abbott, M., Wills, H, Greenwood, C. R., Kamps, D., Heitzman-Powell, L., & Selig, J. (2010). The combined effects of grade retention and targeted small-group intervention on students’ literacy outcomes. Reading & Writing Quarterly: Overcoming Learning Difficulties, 26(1), 4-25.

Brady, M. (2011). Dogs: An unusual guide to school reform. From The Answer Sheet by Valerie Strauss, The Washington Post, Retrieved 8/29/2011, http://voices.washingtonpost.com/answer-sheet/guest-bloggers/dogs-an-unusual-guide-to-schoo.html.

Florida Association of School Psychologists (undated). Position Statement on Florida’s Third Grade Retention Mandate. Retrieved 10/8/2011, from http://www.fasp.org/PDF_Files/Public_Policy/PP3rdGrdRet.pdf.

Jimerson, S. R. Quoted in Haimson, L. (2009). Mayor Bloomberg Commits Educational Malpractice Once More. Retrieved 5/18/2010, from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/leonie-haimson/mayor-bloomberg-commits-e_b_257548.html.

Reschly, A. L. (2010). Reading and school completion: critical connections and matthew effects. Reading & Writing Quarterly: Overcoming Learning Difficulties, 26(1), 67 – 90.

Related Posts

http://www.reading2008.com/blog/learning-disabilities-the-tragedy-of-retention.htm

http://www.reading2008.com/blog/what-parents-must-know-about-reading-disabilities-part-ii-retenion.htm

Howard Margolis © Reading2008 & Beyond

howard@reading2008.com

www.reading2008.com

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The Special Needs Talk Radio Network: It’s On The Air

The new Special Needs Talk Radio network (http://specialneedstalkradio.com/) is on the air. Each of its six shows is dedicated to improving the lives of children and youth with special needs and their families.

Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and I host Maximizing Your Child’s Potential (Mondays, 9 PM – 9:30 PM EST, http://specialneedstalkradio.com/maximizing-your-childs-potential).

On Monday, October 10^th, our guest will be Dr. J. Richard Gentry, Educational Consultant. He’ll discuss Raising Confident Readers: Birth and Beyond.

Dr. Gentry earned his Elementary Education degree from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, and a Ph.D. in Reading Education from the University of Virginia in 1977. For sixteen years he taught Reading Education at Western Carolina University where he directed the Reading Center. He is well known for his research and writing in literacy education and is currently an independent researcher, author, and educational consultant.

Over the next few months, our guests will include:

• October 17^th —Dr. Tim Rasinski, Kent State University, Overcoming Problems of Reading Fluency
• October 24^th —Susan Orloff, OTR/L, Occupational Therapist, Learning Re-Enabled
• October 31^st —Dr. Nancy Padak, Kent State University, Helping Your Children Overcome Reading Problems
• Dr. Richard Boon, University of Georgia, Helping Teenagers Improve Their Reading
• Dr. Erica Lembke, University of Missouri, Monitoring Your Child’s Progress
• Dr. Patrick McCabe, Mercy College, Developing the Confidence of Struggling Learners
• Staci Greenwald, Special Education Attorney, The Pro’s and Con’s of Public and Private School Programs
• Dr. Annmarie Urso, State University of New York at Geneseo, How Response-To-Intervention ( RTI) Can Unlock Your Child’s Potential

If possible, look at the Special Needs Talk Radio’s website (http://specialneedstalkradio.com/). See how its many experts can help you help the children and youth you care about.

A Blog by Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and Dr. Howard Margolis

Parents often ask us for the names of experts to evaluate their children or help them develop Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). Often, these requests come from parts of the country with which we’re unfamiliar. In such situations, we generally make these suggestions:

• Check who teaches the relevant graduate courses at your local university. For example, if you want an expert to evaluate your child’s reading problems, check the university’s catalog and course schedule to see who teaches courses on the evaluation of reading problems. If you want an expert to evaluate your child’s problems with mathematics, check who teaches such courses. Call these experts (often professors) to get a sense of their personality, professionalism, values, availability, and fees. If they can’t offer their services, ask them for recommendations.
• Check if local universities have clinics that specialize in your child’s problem, such as a reading clinic, a learning disabilities clinic, a behavioral difficulties clinic, a counseling center.
• Review electronic databases of journal articles, such as EBSCO. Databases are often available through libraries. Search them for relevant terms, such as “reading disabilities + evaluation” if you’re seeking an expert to evaluate your child’s reading problems. Read several recent articles. Then call the authors of those you liked, even if they’re a thousand miles away. Briefly discuss their articles and your child’s difficulties; ask if they can recommend experts within 50-miles of your home. It’s a small world: After a few calls, you may get several names.
• Check book reviews on www.amazon.com and www.bn.com. If possible, read at least 10 reviews. Call the authors of the well-reviewed books. They may know experts near you.
• Ask parents of children with similar problems. Ask who they would recommend, would not recommend, and why. If they used the expert they’re recommending, and you think they would be willing, ask to see a copy of their expert’s report or the IEP she helped write. See if several people recommend the same expert.
• Ask your child’s doctors. If they make a recommendation, ask what experiences they had with the expert they’re recommending.

Once you have the names of experts, interview them. Assess their knowledge, openness, availability willingness to listen, and interest in helping. Ask about their fees. Ask to see samples of their reports or IEPs (with names omitted). Ask how they conduct evaluations or help to develop IEPs and how, if needed, they’ll follow up.

Before interviewing experts, learn what a quality evaluation or IEP should look like. For information on reading evaluations, read chapter 5 of Reading Disabilities: Beating the Odds (www.reading2008.com). For information on developing IEPs, read chapters 8 through 13.

Are these suggestions foolproof? No. But they can help you find experts who will make a positive difference in your child’s life.

If you have other ideas about finding experts, please put them in a comment on our blog. Your ideas may help our readers.

Howard Margolis © Reading2008 & Beyond

howard@reading2008.com

www.reading2008.com

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The Special Needs Talk Radio Network: It’s On The Air

The new Special Needs Talk Radio network (http://specialneedstalkradio.com/) is on the air. Each of its six shows is dedicated to improving the lives of children and youth with special needs and their families.

Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and I host Maximizing Your Child’s Potential (Mondays, 9 PM – 9:30 PM EST, http://specialneedstalkradio.com/maximizing-your-childs-potential).

Tonight, Monday, October 3^rd, our guest will be Dr. John Pellitteri of the City University of New York. Dr. Pellitteri will discuss, Strengthening Your Child’s Emotional Intelligence.

Over the next few months, our guests will include:

• October 10^th —Dr. J. Richard Gentry, Educational Consultant, Raising Confident Readers: Birth and Beyond
• October 17^th —Dr. Tim Rasinski, Kent State University, Overcoming Problems of Reading Fluency
• October 24^th —Susan Orloff, OTR/L, Occupational Therapist, Learning Re-Enabled
• October 31^st —Dr. Nancy Padak, Kent State University, Helping Your Children Overcome Reading Problems
• Dr. Richard Boon, University of Georgia, Helping Teenagers Improve Their Reading
• Dr. Erica Lembke, University of Missouri, Monitoring Your Child’s Progress
• Dr. Patrick McCabe, Mercy College, Developing the Confidence of Struggling Learners
• Staci Greenwald, Special Education Attorney, The Pro’s and Con’s of Public and Private School Programs
• Dr. Annmarie Urso, State University of New York at Geneseo, How Response-To-Intervention ( RTI) Can Unlock Your Child’s Potential

If possible, look at the Special Needs Talk Radio’s website (http://specialneedstalkradio.com/). See how its many experts can help you help the children and youth you care about.

A Blog by Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and Dr. Howard Margolis

On Saturday, The Columbus Dispatch (Ohio) reported:

The Upper Arlington school district failed several dyslexic students, and broke federal education laws, because it refused to test children for disabilities and help them learn to read, a state investigation found. District officials, however, deny the state’s findings.

…. According to the complaint, officials refused to acknowledge that students had dyslexia and put them in remedial reading classes that weren’t designed for those with the reading disability.

…. “We struggled through the system with our daughter for three years and had to become experts in order to prove to the district that our child, in fact, did have a learning disability,” Doug Shanks, one of the parents, said in an interview.

…. Problems with identifying dyslexic students are common in suburban districts, said Earl Oremus, headmaster at Marburn Academy, a Columbus private school that serves students with dyslexia and learning disorders. He said districts often try remedial reading programs that don’t help dyslexic students before acknowledging the disability. “The longer you wait to intervene, the more damage occurs to the child,” he said.

For the full newspaper story, go to http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2011/09/24/ua-schools-broke-law-on-testing-state-finds.html.

In this era of draconian budget cuts, invisible disabilities, like reading disabilities and other learning disabilities, may well be ignored. Eligibility and Individualized Education Program (IEP) teams may be overwhelmed by the increasing number of students they have to serve, the lack of reading specialists, depleted teaching staffs, inadequate budgets for staff-and-teacher-training, stresses created by larger classes, the retirements of many experienced teachers and administrators, administrative pressures, and a host of other forces. Thus, children with reading and other learning disabilities need knowledgeable parents to respectfully and persistently advocate for their needs. You can find a wealth of information on special education laws, problem solving, and advocacy strategies in chapter 7 through 13 of Reading Disabilities: Beating the Odds (www.reading2008.com,http://www.amazon.com/Reading-Disabilities-Beating-Howard-Margolis/dp/0615279007/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1287371499&sr=1-1).

Howard Margolis © Reading2008 & Beyond

howard@reading2008.com

www.reading2008.com

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The Special Needs Talk Radio Network: It’s On The Air

The new Special Needs Talk Radio network (http://specialneedstalkradio.com/ ) is on the air. Each of its six shows is dedicated to improving the lives of children and youth with special needs and their families.

Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and I host Maximizing Your Child’s Potential (Mondays, 9 PM – 9:30 PM EST, http://specialneedstalkradio.com/maximizing-your-childs-potential).

On Monday, September 26th, our guest will be Dr. Richard Selznick, Director of the Cooper University Hospital Learning Center. If your child struggles in school, if he’s a “shut-down” learner, Dr. Selznick will offer insight and practical tips for motivating and helping him.

Over the next few months, our guests will include:

• Dr. John Pellitteri, City University of New York, Strengthening Your Child’s Emotional Intelligence
• Dr. Tim Rasinski, Kent State University, Overcoming Problems of Reading Fluency
• Dr. Nancy Padak, Kent State University, Helping Your Children Overcome Reading Problems
• Dr. Richard Boon, University of Georgia, Helping Teenagers Improve Their Reading
• Dr. Erica Lembke, University of Missouri, Monitoring Your Child’s Progress
• Dr. Patrick McCabe, Mercy College, Developing the Confidence of Struggling Learners
• Staci Greenwald, Special Education Attorney, The Pro’s and Con’s of Public and Private School Programs
• Dr. J. Richard Gentry, Educational Consultant, Raising Confident Readers: Birth and Beyond
• Dr. Annmarie Urso, State University of New York at Geneseo, How Response-To-Intervention ( RTI) Can Unlock Your Child’s Potential

If possible, look at the Special Needs Talk Radio’s website (http://specialneedstalkradio.com/). See how its many experts can help you help the children and youth you care about.

From Reading & Other Learning Disabilities

A Blog by Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and Dr. Howard Margolis

Last night, Dr. Stephen Lange’s gave a great radio interview about helping children overcome sleep problems. It was chock-full of valuable, practical information.

To listen to or download it, go to http://www.blogtalkradio.com/specialneedstalkradio/2011/09/20/maximizing-your-childs-potential.

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The Special Needs Talk Radio Network: It’s On The Air

The new Special Needs Talk Radio network (http://specialneedstalkradio.com/ ) is on the air. Each of its six shows is dedicated to improving the lives of children and youth with special needs and their families.

Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and I host Maximizing Your Child’s Potential (Mondays, 9 PM – 9:30 PM EST, http://specialneedstalkradio.com/maximizing-your-childs-potential).

This coming Monday, September 26th, our guest will be Dr. Richard Selznick, Director of the Cooper University Hospital Learning Center. If your child struggles in school, if he’s a “shut-down” learner, Dr. Selznick will offer insight and practical tips for motivating and helping him.

Over the next few months, our guests will include:

• Dr. John Pellitteri, City University of New York, Strengthening Your Child’s Emotional Intelligence
• Dr. Tim Rasinski, Kent State University, Overcoming Problems of Reading Fluency
• Dr. Nancy Padak, Kent State University, Helping Your Children Overcome Reading Problems
• Dr. Richard Boon, University of Georgia, Helping Teenagers Improve Their Reading
• Dr. Erica Lembke, University of Missouri, Monitoring Your Child’s Progress
• Dr. Patrick McCabe, Mercy College, Developing the Confidence of Struggling Learners
• Staci Greenwald, Special Education Attorney, The Pro’s and Con’s of Public and Private School Programs
• Dr. J. Richard Gentry, Educational Consultant, Raising Confident Readers: Birth and Beyond
• Dr. Annmarie Urso, State University of New York at Geneseo, How Response-To-Intervention ( RTI) Can Unlock Your Child’s Potential

If possible, look at the Special Needs Talk Radio’s website (http://specialneedstalkradio.com/). See how its many experts can help you help the children and youth you care about.

• Listen to Maximizing Your Child’s Potential
• Mondays, 9 PM to 9:30 PM EST
• At http://specialneedstalkradio.com/maximizing-your-childs-potential

Monday, 9/19/2011,listen to Dr. Stephen M. Lange. Learn how to help your child overcome sleep problems, problems that can hurt him socially, emotionally, and academically. Click: http://specialneedstalkradio.com/maximizing-your-childs-potential.

A Blog by Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and Dr. Howard Margolis

Whatever your child’s academic achievement, he’s unlikely to get a quality college education unless you have limitless buckets of $100 bills. Why? Like public schools, public community colleges and universities are financially starving. Soaring tuition cannot compensate for decades of moribund state funding.  This will hurt your child and add to America’s soaring poverty. As Tamar Lewin wrote in the New York Times:

While tuition has risen at public and private institutions alike, the inequality between the two sectors has grown, as the public colleges’ increased tuition revenues have not been nearly enough to make up for their loss of state and local appropriations. …

‘If you’re trying to explain to a parent where the money’s going, it’s going into a big hole,’ Ms. Wellman said. ‘Tuition increases are making up for less than half, on average, of what institutions lost in state funds’ ….

Experts in higher education say it is difficult to imagine the nation’s returning to its former position of having the best-educated work force as long as the community colleges that educate the largest share of the population are the worst-financed sector.

The headline of Tamar Lewin’s other story helped to complete the picture: Student Loan Default Rates Rise Sharply in Past Year.

Because Abraham Lincoln saw the need for universal education and great public universities, he signed what his predecessor vetoed, the College Land Grant Act of 1862. As he had previously written:

Upon the subject of education, [I] … can only say that I view it as the most important subject which we as a people can be engaged in. (Burton)

Seeing how America has abandoned education—in all but bumper stickers, mindless political rhetoric, and draconian budget cuts—he would shudder at its disregard for its children and its future. Even during the carnage of the Civil War, he understood that without strong, ongoing investment in education, American and its people would suffer irreparably.

So here are  two questions for you: Will you take political action to rectify America’s abandonment of public education? If so, what action? Your child’s future may well depend on it.

Please feel free to comment on this post. We welcome disagreement that’s civil and factual.

References

Butron, V. (undated). Lincoln and the Founding of “Democracy Colleges.”  Retrieved 9/15/2011, from http://www.las.illinois.edu/news/lincoln/landgrant/

Lewin, T. (2011 September 14). Spending Inequity in Colleges Has Risen. Retrieved 9/15/2011, from http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/14/education/14delta.html?_r=1&ref=education

Lewin, T. (2011 September 13). Student Loan Default Rates Rise Sharply in Past Year. Retrieved 9/15/2011, from http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/13/education/13loans.html?ref=education.

Howard Margolis © Reading2008 & Beyond

Howard@reading2008.com

www.reading2008.com

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The Special Needs Talk Radio Network: It’s On The Air

The new Special Needs Talk Radio network (http://specialneedstalkradio.com/ ) is on the air. Each of its six shows is dedicated to improving the lives of children and youth with special needs and their families.

Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and I host Maximizing Your Child’s Potential (Mondays, 9 PM – 9:30 PM EST, http://specialneedstalkradio.com/maximizing-your-childs-potential).

This coming Monday, September 19^th, our guest will be Dr. Steven Lange, Child and Adolescent Psychologist. He’ll discuss how to solve a problem that schools and learning experts often ignore, but shouldn’t, a problem that can hurt learning, hurt potential, hurt families. He’ll discuss Helping Children Overcome Sleep Problems.

Over the next few months, our guests will include:

• Dr. Richard Selznick, Cooper University Hospital, Helping the Shut-Down Learner
• Dr. John Pellitteri, City University of New York, Strengthening Your Child’s Emotional Intelligence
• Dr. Tim Rasinski, Kent State University, Overcoming Problems of Reading Fluency
• Dr. Nancy Padak, Kent State University, Helping Your Children Overcome Reading Problems
• Dr. Richard Boon, University of Georgia, Helping Teenagers Improve Their Reading
• Dr. Erica Lembke, University of Missouri, Monitoring Your Child’s Progress
• Dr. Patrick McCabe, Mercy College, Developing the Confidence of Struggling Learners
• Staci Greenwald, Special Education Attorney, The Pro’s and Con’s of Public and Private School Programs
• Dr. J. Richard Gentry, Educational Consultant, Raising Confident Readers: Birth and Beyond

If possible, look at the Special Needs Talk Radio’s website (http://specialneedstalkradio.com/). See how its lineup of experts can help you help the children and youth you care about.