Articles about reading, research based instruction, creative advocacy strategies, NCLB and school reform
Sue Heath writes Doing Your Homework, a series of articles about reading, research based instruction, school improvement, and creative advocacy strategies.
Are Any Schools Using Research to Improve Reading? Jimmy Kilpatrick, publisher
of EducationNews, asks: "Do you
know of any school in the nation that has adopted
and used successfully the NIH research in reading?" Sue Heath explains how
things are changing and why. Mom
Needs Help: Child Can't Read -
"My son cannot read. The teachers and principal at his school are wonderful.
They want my son to have an aide during the day. The school board will not approve
this. As a single mother of three children and a college student myself, I feel
like I am being ignored." Research-Based
Reading Instruction - Are there experts in this field? Is there
a way to find tutors for children with reading problems and independent evaluators?
Is there an organization that can answer questions that educators, school board
members, and parents have about effective reading instruction? -- Yes to all these
questions. What
Are the Criteria for Remedial Reading Programs? This article defines three
reasons for reading failure, six qualities of effective reading programs, requirements
for research based reading programs - and the price children pay when we do not
teach them to read. Sue also describes the federal model reading program (90 minutes
of instruction, 5 days a week) with frequent objective assessments, and provides
you with questions you should ask about your child's reading program. How
Can I File a Section 504 Complaint? - A parent is distressed when his child
is dismissed from a sports team. Sue offers a plan to deal with the immediate
crisis, provides information about how to get an appropriate 504 Plan - and to
ensure that the school implements the plan. Why
You Should Request a "Paraprofessional," Not an "Aide" - It's
time to stop using the term "aide" - and time to stop writing "aides"
into IEPs. The No Child Left Behind Act provides the federal definition of "paraprofessional.
Using
Flyers to Educate Others (includes huge list of informational flyers) - Many
organizations publish information about disabilities, resources, and advocacy
opportunities in the form of flyers. Look over this collection. You'll flyers
that will be useful to your community. An
Interview with Suzanne Heath: About Parents, Laws and NCLB - This article,
by Michael Shaughnessy of EducationNews.org, is a compilation of questions and
answers by Suzanne Heath, Research Editor for Wrightslaw.com. A
Parent's Guide to No Child Left Behind - No Child Left
Behind is a comprehensive plan to reform schools, change school culture, empower
parents, and improve education for all children. NCLB applies to all children
who attend public schools - kids with disabilities, kids with behavior problems,
and other kids who have often been written off - minorities, immigrants, and English
as Second Language (ESL) youngsters.
Retention & High-Stakes Testing Exit
Exams Can Be Optional If You Plan Ahead - Describes a simple strategy that
allows students who complete high school coursework but do not pass the state
exit exam to graduate with a high school diploma - with or without a graduation
ceremony. 10
Strategies to Fight Mandatory Retention Policies - Since High
Stakes! Can the School Use a Single Test to Retain My Child? was published,
many people have written about Florida's "mandatory retention policy"
that third graders who do not pass the FCAT must be retained. So far, no one has
been able to provide anything in the law that backs this up. Answers
to Questions about Accommodations on High-Stakes Tests - If the IEP
or 504 plan calls for these accommodations in other school situations, they may
be called for on a state test where the score is reported for accountability under
NCLB. However,
if . . . " High-Stakes!
Can the School Use a Single Test to Retain My Child? - "Florida's
high stakes test is the FCAT. If a child does not pass with a certain percentile,
the child is retained. This year, the rules are being applied to students with
disabilities. My son has PDD. He he is more likely to have an off day, not pass
the test, and have to repeat his current grade. What can I do? States
Send Millions Back to Feds! Lack of Federal Funds? Not Really. Sue
Heath of Hollis, New Hampshire, is the research editor for Wrightslaw.
In
addition to writing about creative advocacy strategies in Doing
Your Homework, Sue is co-author of Wrightslaw:
No Child Left Behind (ISBN: 1-892320-12-6) published by
Harbor House Law Press. Copyright
© 2002-2006 by Suzanne Heath.
Preventing
Reading Difficulties and Reading Failure: Early Intervention and Prevention
- Sue responds to a teacher's request for information about research on teaching
children; includes a comprehensive list of free publications, articles, research
- and a free video.
Genes
& Dyslexia: A Simple Test to Identify Dyslexic Children at Birth is Less Than
One Year Away - The ease with which we can learn to read is governed by our
biological make-up. A genetic test for dyslexia should be available within a year
or less. Pediatricians will be able to accurately identify children with dyslexia
at birth.
How Can I Get a Trained Certified Reading Teacher? "I want my daughter
to receive instruction from a certified, trained instructor who can bring her
up to grade level. What can I do?"
Getting
Help for Children with Reading Problems - You have to ensure that your
child learns to read, with or without help from the school. If you wait until
you convince the school, you will miss the window of opportunity your son has
to learn to read fluently.
Reading
Recovery & IEP Problems - Unless you have an independent evaluation that
tells you that Reading Recovery is appropriate for your child, do not invest time
in the program just because it is available, or just to see if it will work.
Teaching
a Child to Read: Special Ed or Reading First? - Is my son prohibited from
being in Reading First because he's in special ed?
How
to Organize a Successful Parent Group - In response
to a parent's request for advice, Sue explains how to develop a communication
network, build a simple website, publicize events, team up with other groups,
and more. "The key to success is to empower others
by providing quality information."
Child's
Test Scores Dropping, School Doesn't Care - What Can I Do? - Although
it is normal to feel angry and frustrated when your child needs help, this won't
help your son in the long run. If you focus on who is to blame, you are likely
to burn out before you . . ."
Your
Child's IEP & Progress in the General Curriculum - Your child's
IEP should be based on information from current evaluations (present levels of
educational performance) and your state's curriculum and standards .
Making
the Transition from School to Work - Parents need to start
thinking about transition to adulthood when their children are toddlers. Schools
do not need to address this issue until the child is 16.
Model
Section 504 Plans - You can download excellent model
504 plans and health plans from the American
Diabetes Association site. These forms can be modified to cover other medical
problems. Tip: Consult with your child's pediatrician
to make sure the plan is complete and covers all your child's health needs.
Child
Has Health Problems, School Reports Him Truant - Sue Heath explains, "You
need to take steps to document that your child's absences were due to illness.
You also need to prevent this from happening again. Here is your
plan . . .". This
article includes links to sample Section 504 and medical plans.
What
Can I Ask the School to Do? - Advice for parents who have questions about
what they can ask the school to do and how to prepare for meetings. Learn about
IEPs, research-based reading programs, retention, and other thorny issues.
What
Can One Person Do? (Do YOU have a free hour?)
- Realistically, what can one person do? Isn't it expensive and time consuming
to make any changes? Don't you have to know a lot before you can teach others?
Don't you need a base to start from? I don't think so . . .
No
Child Left Behind
Do Legal Definitions in NCLB Apply to General Ed Programs? - Suggestions
about how to frame the debate in your community. Do you want your school board
to provide an education that does not meet national and state minimum standards?
Answering
Questions about Support for NCLB - Up
until now, schools continued to get federal money, whether they taught kids or
not. Now we are requiring results in exchange for the money. As a taxpayer and
a parent, that makes sense to me.
NCLB,
School Choice and Tutoring - Children who attend schools that do not
make Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) may be able to transfer to better performing
schools or receive free tutoring and other supplemental services. Parents need
to plan ahead to make this happen.
NCLB:
Measuring Annual Yearly Progress - Confused about AYP? You aren't alone.
In this article, you'll learn how AYP is calculated and how progress is measured
toward the goal of teaching all children to read at grade level by 2014.
NCLB: How Will
Kids Be Tested in NCLB? A psychologist writes: "I have
a question about NCLB. As I read it, all kids need to be on grade level as measured
by the statewide assessments. As a psychologist, I don't get it.
School
Choice and Supplemental Educational Services - If you do your homework
and plan ahead, you can take advantage of opportunities in No Child Left Behind
when they arise.
Something
Fairly Amazing Happened on December 9 - NCLB - "Several critical
elements in title I as amended by the NCLB Act ensure that schools are held accountable
for educational results, so that the best education possible is provided to each
and every student (emphasis added).” (Federal Register December 9, 2003)
What Teachers,
Principals & School Administrators Need to Know About NCLB - The No Child
Left Behind Act affects virtually every person employed in the public school system.
Retention! Special
Ed Teacher Needs Ammunition - Retention is not an educationally sound practice
for any student, regardless of whether or not they have a disability.
Op-Ed
States Sit on 5.7 Billion in Federal Education Funds - How Does Your State Rank?
Response to "NCLB Weapons of Public Education Destruction"
To Top
Sue is also webmaster for the New Hampshire
Branch of the International Dyslexia Association and membership chair
of the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates
(COPAA).
As a member of the Wrightslaw
Speakers Bureau, Sue speaks to groups of parents, advocates, and educators
about No Child Left Behind,
reading,
research-based instruction
and strategies for using federal education standards to advocate for children
and to improve public schools. Sue
Heath's schedule & bio
Local
Parents Learn About New Law (Hampton Union)
