All special education teachers in the district have been participating in training focused on specialized and designed instruction in literacy with the goals of 1)improving reading and written language performance for students with disabilities; 2)increase the instructional and diagnostic skills of teachers, and 3)increase the ability of teachers to match and implement instruction for students based on their needs, monitor the progress, and alter variables as needed.
The district has seen significant improvements in student achievement results on the Iowa Assessments based on this work. The critical components to the success of the literacy project include:
- Dedication of staff to improve instruction for special education students
- Professional development for educators in specifically designed instruction for students with reading difficulties
- Collaborative teaming work
- Decisions about instruction interventions based on diagnostic data gathering and analysis
- Training and implementation of researched-based materials
- Coaching and team teaching with AEA, Department of Education partners, and lead teachers.
The district plans to continue with the full implementation of this work during the 2013-14 school year.
