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

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

2. Impact • NJ Reading First: 82 schools and 22,400 students • Intensive Early Literacy (Abbott Districts): 305 schools and 150,000 students

3. 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

4. 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). • Source: Learning Disabilities in ELL: Identifying the Issues,2005.

5. 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.

6. 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

7. 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:

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

9. Structure • 90 minute, uninterrupted block of time.120 minutes for Bilingual/ESL students. • 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.

10. 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)

11. 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)

12. 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

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

14. 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

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

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

21. 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

22. 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

23. 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.

24. 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.

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

26. 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

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

28. 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

29. Special Education Literacy Initiatives Contacts: • Fred Carrigg Special Assistant to the Commissioner for Literacy (609) 633 – 1726 • Peggy Thorpe O’Reilly Acting Manager, Program Development, Office of Special Education (609) 633 – 6430 • Linda Dold-Collins State Coordinator for Intensive Early Literacy (609) 633 – 0370