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SCHOOL DISTRICT
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ADVOCACY WORKSHOPS
We run free educational workshops for parents, teachers, and administrators. These range from unique workshops to support the science of reading and advocacy in a school district to subjects including:
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EDUCATIONAL ADVOCACY
Get a free advocacy consultation! We represent students at their school districts on a sliding scale basis and offer free consultations. We focus on student's immediate needs and ensure they receive the evidence-based services to which they are legally entitled. We aim to ensure a high-quality education by building skills that reduce barriers to learning. We advocate for school districts to meet student's academic, social and emotional needs.
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Can't Afford a Reading Tutor?
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IT'S POSSIBLE! a leadership plan for implementing quality reading instruction and ensuring literacy for all! |
OUR MISSION |
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Learning to read is like a vaccine against poverty. Unfortunately, thousands of students in New York State are taught to guess words instead of receiving proper, evidence-based reading instruction. As a result, over 52% of students who speak English as their first language read significantly below grade level, putting them at risk of dropping out or graduating with low literacy skills.
We advocate, raise awareness, educate, and legislate on the social and economic injustices stemming from non science of reading instruction, other educational barriers, and feasible solutions. We support students in crisis, including low-income families and those in foster care, to ensure they receive the services they are legally entitled to, including evidence-based instruction in reading and writing. We advocate for school reform and encourage districts to build capacity by implementing universal screening tools, multi-system support, data teams, evidence-based literacy instruction, and other essential services. Our goal is to ensure equitable access to education for all students. The science of reading approach reduces the number of students referred to the Committee on Special Education by enhancing service quality and lowering long-term costs. Our long term goal is to stop the school-to-prison pipeline by advocating for underprivileged students and using legal tools to reform underachieving public schools in New York. Furthermore, we organize literacy interventions for disadvantaged children, including children in foster care. One of our long term goals is to legislate for funding to provide online remediation for incarcerated youths, and adults. Studies indicate that 80% of youths brought before courts have weak literacy skills (National Assessment of Literacy, 2016). In addition, almost half of the population of incarcerated adults have dyslexia (Moody, 2000), and three out of four people on welfare cannot read (National Assessment of Literacy, 2016). Literacy is essential to becoming a full member of society. Children who do not learn to read and write well without remediation are destined to become socially and economically disenfranchised. Our programs ensure that children, youths, and young adults who struggle with literacy receive expert evaluations and science-based remediation that meets their specific needs. In addition, we progress monitor to ensure they reach their full potential and achieve reading and writing fluency. These basic skills will allow them to become literate, independent individuals who can successfully function within our society, further their education, and find meaningful careers. Make a donation: support a child in crisis. |
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Please review the report using the link below or by clicking the image, and share it with your school district's board of education, administrators, teachers, and families.
We must discuss the recommendations and how school districts can best implement them. The report's outline is a solid start, but let's push for increased oversight and accountability. Establishing a Center or Division for Dyslexia and Dysgraphia would help, but this would require adequate funding and setting up proper independent oversight. According to the Education Consumers Foundation (2019), illiteracy costs New York State more than $3.6 billion annually. Low literacy skills significantly contribute to poverty and disenfranchisement. Screening and remediating at-risk children, youth, and adults in the Information Age is a vital human right. Equitable access to education promotes social justice and increases resilience and quality of life for all New Yorkers. Let's Push to Implement the Recommendations and a Literacy Center with Independent Oversight in 2025! Please share this report! 
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Screening & Evaluations for
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| NYSAP, Evaluating for Dyslexia in Schools__1_.pdf |
| Evidence_based_scientifically_based__002_.pdf |
NYSED Meeting Needs of D&D (2024)
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Universal Screeners
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| approveduniversalscreeners.pdf |
NYSED Questions & Answers (2018)
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Guidance on Special Education Law (2018)
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Megan |
Thank you Megan!
Cairo-Durham Central, Greene County 3rd-Grade Students, 2019: 75 students Total reading below grade level: 65% At Basic Level: 37% Below Basic: 28% Calculated Dropouts: 7 Unprepared Graduates: 27 The annual cost to NY taxpayers for no trained teachers: $ 1,566,000
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Check out how many states have literacy laws. Explore the National Center on Improving Literacy:
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Do they guess at words instead of decoding them?
Do they struggle with spelling? Do they struggle with writing? Are they starting to dislike school? Are they falling behind? Did you know that for every year that passes, the hours needed for remediation doubles? We can help... |
Special Education Quality AssuranceTHIS IS WORTH A TRY- BUT WHAT THEY CAN DO IS LIMITED
Special Education Quality Assurance oversees preschool and school-age special education services through a quality assurance review process that emphasizes attainment of positive results for student with disabilities. Regional Associates, located in several quality assurance offices across New York State, coordinate the review process and also provide technical assistance to parents, school district personnel, and private providers.
CALL THE NUMBER FOR YOUR AREA
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VIEW TESTIMONY DOCUMENTS HERE
Make a DifferenceDonate to the Dyslexia Advocacy Action Group's year end campaign and give the gift of reading this year.
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Take Action on Literacy LawsA literacy law to screen and remediate incarcerated individuals needs your support.
Call Your Assembly and Senate Representatives. Ask them to sponsor A02062 / S00307 |
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GENEROUS 2021 TAX BENEFITS FOR CHARITABLE GIVINGIn 2020, Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Recovery (CARES) Act in order to protect citizens from the economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Among other things, the CARES Act allows people to include “above-the-line” charitable deductions up to $300 for those who do not itemize their tax expenses. This generous benefit has fortunately been extended through 2021 and made even better for those filing jointly. For individuals that don’t itemize, you can still deduct up to $300 for charitable contributions made in 2021, and for those filing jointly, you can now deduct up to $600 or $300 for each person. If you do itemize, you can’t claim the $300 deduction–but this year, there is a new provision just for you: you can now take a deduction for charitable contributions up to 100% of your adjusted gross income (up from 20-60% of AGI in prior years). Remember that these benefits only apply to gifts made in 2021 to qualified charitable organizations like Dyslexia Advocacy Action Group. You can check the status of a charity on the IRS.gov website. |
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We represent students in crisis to advocate for services that reduce barriers to receiving a free adequate public education
Support Us with a Donation
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