Wrightslaw

At Wrightslaw, our goals are to help you gain the information and skills you need to navigate the changing world of special education.

Highlights: Criteria for remedial reading programs; requirements for research based programs; reading faqs; reading caselaw; IDEA 2004 - public meetings on proposed regs; Wrightslaw training on IDEA 2004 & Boot Camp in Hawaii; free pubs - learning to read, teaching children to read.

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Download this issue. All newsletters published in 2005

"My child has been in remedial reading this year. He made three months of progress in one year, so he actually fell further behind his peers."

"Can the school select one reading program and use that program with all children? What are the criteria for a remedial reading program?"

In What are the Criteria for Remedial Reading Programs?, Sue Heath answers this parent's questions. She defines the three reasons for reading failure, requirements for research based reading programs, six qualities of effective reading programs, and the price children pay when we do not teach them to read.

She also describes the federal model reading program (90 minutes of instruction a day, 5 days a week), frequent objective assessments, and provides questions you should ask about your child's reading program.

What are the Criteria for Remedial Reading Programs? includes links to articles and publications about stages of reading development, research based reading programs, trained teachers, and model reading programs. Read article.

Learn about research based instruction.

Sue Heath writes about creative advocacy strategies in her column, Doing Your Homework, which appears in The Special Ed Advocate and on Wrightslaw.com.

Did you know that fewer than 35 percent of fourth graders are proficient readers? Did you know that reading, math and science proficiency does not improve as children move through school? Did you know that academic skills actually drop between 4th and 12th grades?

Don't believe it? Take a look at the Graphs of Reading, Math & Science Proficiency, Grades K-12.

No Child Left Behind attempts to remedy these problems by requiring schools to use effective research-based reading remediation programs so all children are reading on grade level by the end of 3rd grade:

". . . reading programs for students in kindergarten through grade 3 that are based on scientifically based reading research, to ensure that every student can read at grade level or above no later than the end of grade 3."
(20 U.S.C.§ 6361)" (page 73, Wrightslaw: No Child Left Behind)

If you are a parent, teacher, administrator, decision-maker, or school board member, you need to learn the legal requirements for research based reading instruction. The resources, publications, and research on the Research Based Instruction page will help.

What Works in Teaching Children to Read?

What Works in Teaching Adolescents to Read?

How Can I Get a Trained Certified Reading Teacher?

Double-Dipping: Are Kids with Disabilities Barred from Title I Programs?

More Reading FAQs

Carter v. Florence County School District IV. Tuition reimbursement case; focuses on an appropriate program and IEP for Shannon Carter, a child with dyslexia.

Carter v. Florence County, U. S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit "Least restrictive environment" is not an "inclusion class" but is where the child learns.

The U. S. Dept of Education announced the schedule of public meetings to be held in 7 cities after the proposed IDEA regulations are published in June. When the regs are published, we will send an Alert to newsletter subscribers so you can download the proposed regulations.

You need to read the proposed regulations. The regulations will have a profound impact on how our children with disabilities are educated. If you want a regulation changed or think a regulation is not clear, you need to advise the Department of Education about the changes you want made and why.

Learn more about how to make public comments and express concerns in IDEA 2004: Regulations on Fast Track, Expected in Early June.

IDEA 2004: Schedule of Public Meetings

Parents, teachers and school officials are confused about IDEA 2004. These folks are emailing questions about how IDEA 2004 will affect the special education of children with disabilities.

We are working on a new Wrightslaw training program on IDEA 2004: What You Don't Know About IDEA 2004 Can Hurt You!

The first programs is likely to be held in late summer or early fall. After the details are confirmed, we will publish the schedule of IDEA 2004 training programs in The Special Ed Advocate newsletter and the Wrightslaw Conference & Training page.

Wrightslaw Boot Camp: Hilo Hawaii (July 29-31, 2005)

Pete and Pam Wright are coming to Hilo Hawaii July for two events.

Hilo, HI - July 29, 2005 - LDA Conference (Keynote Speakers & Presenters)

Hilo, HI - July 30-31, 2005 - Boot Camp

Wrightslaw Special Education Law and Advocacy Programs focus on four areas: special education laws including significant changes in IDEA 2004; how to use the bell curve to measure educational progress & regression; SMART IEPs; and advocacy tactics & strategies.

Schedule l Programs l Speakers l FAQs