Free Online Workshop! October 10th @ 7-8pm All Welcome
Written Submission is the Last Chance to Have Your Say on NYS Education Policy DUE BY: 15th October
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Get Ideas and Language for Your Testimony from Our Expert Panelists
Feedback/testimony for the NYS Education Department Task Force on Dyslexia and Dysgraphia is due by October 15th. This is your chance to demand science-based approaches to literacy instruction, screening, early intervention, implementation, and proper 1:1 remediation for students who were let down by our flawed education system. Our workshop will break down the problems that need solving and provide background information. We will review evidence-based programs, screening, and support at school and in our community. We will prepare participants with information to advocate for much-needed advances for individuals with dysgraphia and dyslexia, students at risk of dyslexia, and all general education students. Expert Panelists will Share Their Experience: *Ashara Baker, National Parents Union Director *Suzanne Schneider, Special Education Consultant *Kevin Pendergast ESQ. on due process reform |
Register for October 10th @ 7-8pm Workshop & Receive the Link
Literacy Advocates Talking Points:
1. Eliminate Ineffective Programs:
As of August 2024, 39 States and the District of Columbia have passed laws and policies on evidence-based reading practices in schools, and ten states have banned the 3-cueing in favor of instruction aligned with the science of reading.
New York State must join this effort by:
New York State must join this effort by:
- Banning the 3-cueing system (guessing words) as this is contrary to the science of reading
- Banning Fountas and Pinnell (F&P) as a progress monitoring tool. Even the publisher of F and P stated that these books should not be used to assess student progress. Assessing students using unscientific methods further confuses, delays, and corrupts an already broken system
- Banning iReady, Lexile, and STAR assessments as progress-monitoring tools as none of these assessments drill down for pure decoding ability and cannot measure progress or assess in any way.
2. Train Teachers
New York state must mandate training in the science of reading that includes:
- At least 60 hours of science-based reading training, including practicums/mentoring for classroom, special education, and reading teachers.
- Training in all aspects of dyslexia and dysgraphia for directors of special education departments, social workers, psychologists, and speech therapists.
- Mandated training for speech therapists in LIPS or NOW, as many students with dyslexia have speech issues. These programs not only help with speech, but they also help students with phonological awareness deficits.
- Guidelines for school psychologists and the IDEA explicitly state that they should test/screen students at risk of dyslexia UNLESS they are economically or environmentally disadvantaged. This criterion is biased against disadvantaged students and points to conflicts of interest within the American Psychiatric Association. See "Undisclosed Financial Conflicts of Interest in DSM-5-TR..." Many students are denied a dyslexia diagnosis and instead diagnosed with ADHD, with medication, and are not remediated for dyslexia.
3. Provide Instruction for Older Students
Many older students—in school or those who have graduated unable to read or who have dropped out—MUST be provided with evidence-based remediation so they may make meaningful progress.
In our information-based society, illiteracy is a human right. Low literacy skills hinder voting rights, equity, and healthcare.
New York State must remediate this inequity by:
In our information-based society, illiteracy is a human right. Low literacy skills hinder voting rights, equity, and healthcare.
New York State must remediate this inequity by:
- Emergency Chapter 853 Approval for private schools that have a track-record on remediating dyslexia/dysgraphia
- Providing reading, spelling, and cursive handwriting to high and middle school students deficient in these areas.
- Providing free science-based reading instruction in the community to adult students who have dropped out or graduated unable to read. See models like Literacy Nassau
4. Reform Framework for Due Process:
The State Review Officer (SRO) is a barrier to educational support for students with dyslexia and dysgraphia.
SRO is a middle layer of partiality toward NYSED that routinely undermines parental rights. A body that sides with districts (even those who have lost before a hearing officer) 85% of the time is not an impartial adjudicator. Furthermore, they serve to drain family funds so that they cannot afford to take the case to federal court and make the proceedings public.
The due process system is a social injustice as it is income-based, and families in poverty (the people who suffer most and are most at risk) do not receive justice. New York State must make this process equitable.
Mandate training and certification for Independent Hearing Officers:
- Emergency Chapter 853 Approval for private schools that have a track-record on remediating dyslexia/dysgraphia
SRO is a middle layer of partiality toward NYSED that routinely undermines parental rights. A body that sides with districts (even those who have lost before a hearing officer) 85% of the time is not an impartial adjudicator. Furthermore, they serve to drain family funds so that they cannot afford to take the case to federal court and make the proceedings public.
The due process system is a social injustice as it is income-based, and families in poverty (the people who suffer most and are most at risk) do not receive justice. New York State must make this process equitable.
Mandate training and certification for Independent Hearing Officers:
- Training in all aspects of special education law
- Emotional well-being (what untreated dyslexia/dysgraphia looks like)
- Education on symptoms of dyslexia and dysgraphia
- What is the science of reading, and how does this apply in public schools
- Education on the importance of literacy and how schools should ensure Free and Appropriate Public Education
5. Define Dyslexia in NYS Education Law:
The definition of dyslexia in New York State Education Law is a barrier to social and equitable justice.
Dyslexia’s currently obscure and undefined placement in State regulations ignores its immense prevalence in the population and its specific structured literacy remediation remedies. Dyslexia impacts up to 20% of the population, according to the American Psychiatric Association. New York should address this by updating the definition of dyslexia.
Dyslexia’s currently obscure and undefined placement in State regulations ignores its immense prevalence in the population and its specific structured literacy remediation remedies. Dyslexia impacts up to 20% of the population, according to the American Psychiatric Association. New York should address this by updating the definition of dyslexia.
