National Council Of Teachers Of English

Wilson, Faggella-Luby, & Wei (2013) present a cogent plan for Tier 3 Response to Intervention (RTI) for secondary students with reading disabilities, content, and pedagogy planning tools, content instruction, and instructional method implementation. Both research application lacks concerning Tier 3 RTI in high schools (Wilson et. al). RTI is curriculum that addresses the learning needs of all students that also includes screening and monitoring progress. Continuing, Wilson et. al define Tier 1 RTI, core curriculum for all students serving the needs of 80% of students, Tier 2 RTI, small group instructional intervention, serving the needs of 15% of students, and Tier 3 RTI, an intense one to one intervention for students who continue to struggle beyond Tiers 1 and 2, serving 5% of students. Wilson et al. provides information the reader needs to understand in the article without clutter, expressing their writing with economy (Zinsser, 2013). The article is unified in theme, gives enough information without giving too much, and follows a clear progression (Zinsser). “More simple, than complex” (Henson, 1999, p. 58), Wilson et. al’s article is an example of good writing.

If a student is both an English language learner and has a learning disability, their educational needs become inherently more complex. However, through research on the needs of English language learners with disabilities, on various case laws, and by participating in lectures on the topics of English language learners and students with learning disabilities, I have come to a clearer understanding of these unique needs as well as the processes necessary to identify, evaluate, and work with these students. Prior to the 1960s, both English language learners and students with disabilities were often segregated from their peers, given inadequate instruction, and inappropriately assessed (Ortiz, Woika, 2013). This began to change when, with the holding of Brown vs. board of Education (1954), a principle for equal educational opportunities for all students was brought to fruition (Yell, 1998). After this decision, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act in 1964 prohibited the discrimination of people on the basis of race, color, or national origin in the operation of federally assisted programs. Further, to

Common Core State Standards define expectations for students in four strands under English Language Arts: reading, writing, speaking and listening, and language. The goal is that all students will demonstrate mastery in these areas as they become college or career ready. Further, the Common Core highlights the capacities of the literate individual. In the world of special education, too many students in high school struggle with literacy. There are Intensive Reading Clinic courses available to students with mild to moderate disabilities in Long Beach Unified School district. Of the various curriculums used in these classes, the LindaMood Bell Visualizing and Verbalizing program has gotten positive feedback from students and teachers.

Is there any ability grouping or tracking in literacy? If so, please describe how it affects your class.

When students with learning disabilities decided to go to College, high school teachers and administators are excited and ready to help that student transtition to College. Why don’t Colleges help with the transition? At TMCC they do their best to help, but at other Colleges they don’t. Three ways Colleges can help include making sure students understand their right, testing students knowledge in knowing their academic strengths and ask students who took a Collge course to expalin how they felt about it.

The need for basic literacy skills is vital in order for our nation to continue to operate successfully. With approximately 5 million students, graduating below the National Standard for Literacy and unable to read, we must take a look at the curriculum and teaching techniques to assess whether the current systems need to be revised to better assure ALL students are successful. (Adolescent Literacy: A Policy Research Belief p. 1) The issue begins first with the definition of “Literacy”, and the fact that there are several aspects of literacy which are not currently included in the curriculum. Another issue is the “old” standards which are in place do not support the level of diversity which is now seen in many school systems. Then

For a first generation college student with a disability increases the difficulties. Despite that students with impairments in college are increasing, the successfulness in finishing their degree has not equated their fellow classmates. This is especially true for students with mental impairments. (Shepler 37)

Reading and writing is crucial for increasing achievement among people of all ethnicities. For many young kids, books are their primary source of learning how to read and write besides the parameter of the classroom. However, there is a significant decrease in the literacy rate found in African-American communities. There is a need for stronger literacy education for this particular group of the population. A huge problem associated with that can be attributed the failure of the public school system to effectively educate the youth. According to the 2009 NAEP data, only 33 percent of 4th graders and 32 percent of 8th graders in the U.S performed at or above proficiency in reading on national tests. These results are very discouraging, in the African-American community, but the results are even worse because only 16 percent of African American 4th graders and 14 percent of African American 8th graders performed at or above the grade proficiency level in 2009.

In the article “Over the Brink of the Millennium”, the author discussed language-based learning disabilities. While I did learn a lot about the disorder, I was familiar with how the disorder causes problems attention, memory, comprehension, literacy, writing, and spelling, to name a few. Persons with language-based learning disabilities often struggle with school, fear reading, and writing. I knew some of the symptoms and signs of someone with a language-based learning disability.

You can hear the frustration in Susan’s voice. Because learning disabilities are not visible to the common observer, family, teachers and peers often do not understand the challenges faced by individuals with learning disabilities. The University of Wisconsin-Madison notes in College Students with Learning Disabilities (2012), those individuals with learning disabilities often have to prove their disability is "real". Susan can organize and communicate her thoughts in a one-on-one conversation but she finds it difficult to organize and articulate her ideas in writing. Susan explains that writing was her most challenging academic area in high school. She confides that she is worried that she will not be able to keep up with the course workload and is worried about failing her freshman English course but she is determined to make her first year a successful one.

At Brockton High School in Brockton, Massachusetts, the school put forth an initiative to integrate literacy-related instructional strategies across all content areas. This school-wide instructional goal has attributed to the overall boost to student achievement. The leadership team at Brockton High School recognized that changing the school culture would require the adults on campus to re-evaluate curriculum and instructional strategies.`Moreover, changing the mindset of school requires an examination of data to determine the area of need. The leadership at Brockton recognized that the greatest gaps in student achievement stem from the lack of literacy skills. With the use of content-specific information, literacy skills such as reading, writing,

Although remedial education is necessary, it is costly. Some estimates place the cost to students and state at around 2.3 billion each year. The stigma associated with remedial coursework pervades. Additionally, many students feel trapped in a remedial web that takes time and money away from their academic and career goals. Drawing on work by Boylan and Saxon that includes multi-state data, Adams et. al. (2014) points out that up to 40% of students who take remedial courses do not complete them or remediation within a year. Recent data from the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) found that in addition to cost of remedial education "is the fact that remedial students are more likely to drop out of college without a degree …” and that “[l]ess than 50 percent of re¬medial students complete their recommended remedial courses…Less than 25 percent of remedial students at community colleges earn a certificate or degree within eight years” (para.

Despite the best undertakings of remedial specialists and educators to construct the workforce over the span of late years, lacks are

Students with disabilities are at a higher at-risk for dropping out of high school at a greater rate than typically developing peers (Pyle & Wexler, 2012). Students with identified disabilities are required to a free and appropriate public education (FAPE) according to law, and these students have unique needs that general education curriculum cannot meet on its own. However, there is abundant research that discusses various literacy interventions and strategies that can be effective. These interventions can be used in a school setting by any certified teacher (regular education or special education). This literature review will discuss some of the various reading and writing strategies as well as best practices for literacy in order to ensure students with disabilities are given the best chance for success. By providing timely interventions, monitoring progress, and analyzing data, it can be possible to increase achievement for those students with identified disabilities.

Learning to read is one of the most foundational skills needed for educational success. As children learn to read they develop the ability to decode, interpret, and store information from what they are reading. Reading comprehension allows a child to gain meaning from text and decoding allows a child to process sounds into words. Reading is vital to educational success because it allows a student to learn new information and build upon their prior knowledge. Students who attain reading skills are more likely to achieve academic success while students who have reading difficulties are likely to struggle academically and fall behind their peers. Reading difficulties have been prominent within the US for years. For example, the most recent National Assessment of Educational Progress statistics shows that only about 33% of fourth graders are at or above proficient at reading (National Center for Educational Statistics, 2011). Studies show that the cause of reading difficulties is based primarily on genes, environment, and instructional experience (Vellutino, Fletcher, Snowling, Scanlon, 2004). Students with a language learning disorder have difficulty comprehending spoken and written language thus making it difficult to learn new information. Children with reading disabilities are more likely to struggle during elementary school years as students are asked to think about what they read more critically. Speech language pathologists and teachers can help