Intensive Early Literacy Focus: Provision of Services to Students with Disabilities

1. Intensive Early LiteracyFocus: Provision of Services to Students with Disabilities

2. Timelines • Fall 02 – NJ receives Reading First grant and NJDOE establishes Office of Reading First, Abbott Division establishes Office of Urban Literacy • Fall 02 – 03 Reading Initiatives achieve synergy (one message) • Fall 03 – Abbott Division publishes revised rules and regulations with Intensive Early Literacy requirements • Fall 03 - First literacy coaches arrive in schools

3. Timelines • Fall 03 – Literacy Assessment Teams begin to visit schools and to provide direct assistance • Spring 04 – Middle Grades Task Force reports out • Fall 04 – Full compliance with IEL for all Abbott Schools • Fall 04 – Literacy regulations expand through grade 8

4. Impact • NJ Reading First: 62 schools and 18,400 students • Intensive Early Literacy (Abbott Districts): 292 schools and 100,000 students

5. Abbott and SPED • Of the 313,164 students enrolled in Abbott schools, • 46,313 are classified as students with disabilities • 36,818 are categorized as limited English proficient (LEP) • Prek through 12th grade • Source: NJDOE October 15, 2003 enrollment

6. Bilingual SPED • The USDOE, Office of Special Education estimated (school year 2000-2001) that 9% of all children with disabilities are also LEP • In NJ Abbott districts that would mean that 4,168 classified students are also LEP (Fall 2003). Actual number is 2,364. • Source: Learning Disabilities in ELL: Identifying the Issues,2005.

7. Philosophy/Principles • SBRR (Scientifically Based Reading Research) and the five essentials of reading as per NRP and USDOE (NJ has 6) • Early Literacy Task Force Report • Preventing Reading Difficulties in Young Children, Snow, Catherine et al.

8. SBRR • Scientifically Based Reading Research has strict requirements including: • Random Trials – control and experimental groups based on quantitative analysis • Successful application in similar location/situation/population

9. IEL and SPED • Consistent with the expectations of Reading First and Intensive Early Literacy, all programs for students with disabilities, (inclusion, resource center, self-contained program) for LAL instruction must be organized and inclusive of the following basic principles:

10. Critical Elements • Motivation and Background Knowledge • Phonemic Awareness • Phonics • Vocabulary • Comprehension • Fluency • Writing

11. Structure • 90 minute, uninterrupted block of time. • Requires specific time to small group instruction during reading block. No Pull-outs. • First tier of interventions must take place in the general education classroom.

12. Exceptions to Structure • Must include a minimum of 90 minutes of uninterrupted literacy instruction unless specified in their IEPs • May include additional instructional time in order to increase progress in reading proficiency (should be stated in IEP)

13. Classroom Libraries • Must contain a minimum of 300 titles • Must contain reading material of varying • Genres • Levels • Instructional (for emergent readers, books that are: predictable, contain controlled vocabulary, and are decodable) • Core expectations (may be used by teacher for read alouds and/or available on tape for student’s independent use) • Independent (self selection, FVR, DEAR)

14. Curriculum • 6 Key areas that must be aligned • NJCCCS • Thematic organization • CRP (Comprehensive Reading Program) and other materials and supplies (e.g., classroom library) must be mapped • Strategies and Techniques • Assessment (benchmarks) • Compensatory and Supplemental programs

15. Curriculumspecific to SPED Must have access to the district-selected general education: • Comprehensive reading program • Materials and assessments • Specialized supplementary materials and supplies

16. Curriculum • Requires differentiated materials, strategies and techniques, and multiple entry points for special populations and requires native language and ESL reading as per state bilingual law • Requires use of appropriate software

17. Assessment and Testing • Assessment of Home Language and • English Language Proficiency Test

18. Levels of Assessment • Screening • NJCCCS Benchmarks • Diagnostic • Annual testing • (Nationally recognized normed or criterion referenced test) • State mandated assessments (NJASK3)

23. SPED Considerations Assessor(s) should: • Be knowledgeable of the students’ disabilities and testing accommodations based on IEPs • Consider student’s disability when selecting tool(s) used and administration schedule • For example, a student with auditory processing problems may have difficulty on tasks that require segmenting, blending, and manipulating sounds

24. SPED Considerations Assessor(s) should: • Adjust the frequency of assessment to determine the responsiveness of students with disabilities to instruction and to make needed changes in instructional practice

25. Compensatory and Supplemental Services • Interventions must be SBRR • Provision of supplemental services for children reading below grade level in accordance with NCLB and IEP • In-class co-teaching • Reading Recovery • After school • Summer, etc.

26. Interventions • Must occur before a student is classified • After classification, must be delineated in the IEP • i.e., “In-class” support instruction for reading/literacy assumes that the in-class support teacher will be present 90 minutes. If this is not needed, the IEP must specify the appropriate amount of time.

27. Provision of Services before referral Provision of Services to included students Core: Tier 1 Guided Reading Tier 2 Co-teaching with SpEd teacher Tier 3 Flexible Groups based on goal-specific, targeted instruction

28. Guided Reading Co-teacher ModelGrades 1-3 Learning Centers(Students rotate every 20-25 min.) Whole Class Area Co-teacher Guided Reading Student Group A Writing Center Student Group B Technology Center Student Group D Reading Center Co-teacher Guided Reading Student Group C

29. Professional Development • Must include the areas of: • SBRR and six components of Reading • Curriculum mapping • Approved strategies and techniques • Assessment

30. Professional Development Special Education Teachers: • Must be included in district training on Reading First and IEL • Must be given access to higher education training/classes provided to district staff • Must be involved in support activities provided by Literacy/Reading Coordinator and Literacy/Reading Coaches

31. Populations Served Impacts all populations including: General Education, English Language Learners and Special Education students

32. Additional Personnel • Reading First - Reading Coordinator and Literacy Coaches are required • Abbott – Literacy Coach at the school level is recommended and an allowable Abbott position and expense

33. New Jersey Reading Initiatives Contacts: • Fred Carrigg Special Assistant to the Commissioner for Urban Literacy (609) 633 – 1726 fred.carrigg@doe.state.nj.us • Mary Jane Kurabinski State Coordinator – Office of Urban Literacy (609) 633 – 0352 mary-jane.kurabinski@doe.state.nj.us