Specific Learning Disability: Taking a closer look at the strengths and weaknesses approach

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Specific Learning Disability Taking a closer
look at the strengths and weaknesses approach

• COSA Seaside Conference,
• June 20, 2007
• Suzy Harris, ODE
• David Guardino, ODE
• Jim Hanson, OSPA

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Todays Objectives

• Overview of IDEA 2004 Regulations for SLD
• Oregon approved OARs for SLD
• Eligibility forms and parent notification
• Developing a process for SLD identification
  Things to consider
• A comprehensive approach to using strengths and
  weaknesses

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IDEA 2004 Fed Regs re SLD

• Added option of RTI
• Changed severe discrepancy to pattern of
  strengths and weaknesses
• Added progress monitoring component
• Observation before or during

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OAR 581-015-2170

• Added option of RTI based on district model
• Changed severe discrepancy to pattern of
  strengths and weaknesses
• Added progress monitoring component
• Observation before or during

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SLD Evaluation Components - Both

• Academic assessment (academic achievement toward
  Oregon grade level standards)
• Review of cumulative records, IEPs, teacher
  collected work samples
• Observation in learning environment (by qualified
  professional)
• Progress monitoring data
• instruction component
• assessment component

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SLD Evaluation Components RTI

• Documentation of
• Type, intensity, duration of interventions in
  accordance with districts RTI model
• Rate of progress during intervention
• Comparison
• Higher progress monitoring requirements

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SLD Evaluation Components PSW

• Must include assessment of students strengths
  weaknesses
• classroom performance academic achievement
• relative to age, Oregon grade-level standards or
  intellectual development

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SLD Evaluation Components Both (if needed)

• Developmental history
• Assessment of cognition, fine motor, perceptual
  motor, communication, social-emotional, memory
  (if student exhibits impairment in one or more of
  these areas)
• Medical statement
• Impact of disability on educational performance

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Eligibility Team

• Group of qualified professionals
• Parent
• Regular classroom teacher
• Person qualified to conduct individual diagnostic
  evaluations (school psych, SLP, or other
  qualified professional)

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Eligibility forms and parent notification

• Eligibility Form Combined RTI PSW
• Parent Notification
• Sample to use combine with district RTI
  information (for RTI only)
• Timing of notice

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Developing a process for SLD identification
Things to consider

• Determination process
• Steps and considerations
• Progress monitoring
• Documentation of frequent assessments of the
  students progress, to measure effectiveness of
  that instruction.
• A students progress should be documented by
  using an objective and systemic process
  administered at reasonable intervals

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Determining if a student has a specific learning
disability

• Like any other disability determination under
  IDEA, cant be based on any single criterion
  meaning a single test, assessment, observation,
  or report.
• An evaluation of a student suspected of having
  SLD must include a variety of assessment tools
  and strategies.
• Evaluation must include input from students
  parents and an observation of the students
  academic performance and behavior in the general
  education classroom.
• Once assessments and evaluation measures have
  been completed and parents have received copies
  of the evaluations and full explanations of the
  findings, eligibility group meets to make
  determination.

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Steps Schools Must Now Take to Determine If a
Student Has an SLD

• Step 1
• Determination of Underachievement
• Step 2
• Determination of Response to Interventions or a
  Pattern of Strengths and Weaknesses (or Both)
• Step 3
• Determination of Appropriate Instruction
• Step 4
• Determination of Influence of Other Factors

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Step 1 Determination of Underachievement

• Does the student fail to achieve adequately for
  his age in one or more of the following eight
  areas
• Oral expression
• Listening comprehension
• Written expression
• Basic reading skill
• Reading fluency skills
• Reading comprehension
• Mathematics calculation
• Mathematics problem solving
• Determination is based on mastery of grade-level
  content appropriate for the students age,
  including performance against the states
  academic content standards in reading and math.
• For a student who has been retained in a grade or
  is otherwise not in the grade typical for his
  age, achievement against the states grade-level
  academic standards for the students enrolled
  grade might be used to determine
  underachievement.

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Step 2 Determination of Response to
Interventions or a Pattern of Strengths and
Weaknesses (or Both)

• In determining a students response to
  interventions, ask
• Does the student fail to make sufficient progress
  in achievement considered adequate for his age
  (or enrolled grade-level standards) when provided
  with a series of scientific, research-based
  interventions?
• Documentation of progress is generally done using
  curriculum-based measurements (CBM).
• An intervention process generally takes place
  prior to referring a student for a complete
  evaluation.
• Determining why a student has not responded to
  research-based interventions requires a
  comprehensive evaluation.

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As an alternative or in addition to an RTI
approach, the following question may be asked

• Do the results of the students assessments and
  evaluations show a pattern of strengths and
  weaknesses in academic performance, achievement
  (or both), or intellectual development?
• Patterns of strengths and weaknesses refer to the
  examination of specific areas of cognitive
  abilities that have been shown by research to
  support specific areas of academic achievement,
  using norm-referenced tests. It does not refer to
  subtest scatter and Full Scale IQ is not used.
  Sometimes referred to as intra-individual
  differences or aptitude/achievement consistency.
• Recognition of a discrepancy between ability and
  achievement, previously required for SLD
  identification, could also be considered as part
  of this step, but this approach is not
  scientifically based.

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Step 3 Determination of Appropriate Instruction

• Prior to being suspected of having an SLD, school
  or district must provide documentation that the
  student has been provided appropriate instruction
  by qualified personnel.
• Appropriate instruction in reading must include
  explicit and systematic instruction in essential
  components of reading including
• phonemic awareness,
• phonics,
• vocabulary development,
• reading fluency, including oral reading skills,
  and
• reading comprehension strategies.

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Step 3 Continued

• The school or district should also provide
  data-based documentation of frequent assessments
  of the students progress, to measure
  effectiveness of that instruction.
• A students progress should be documented by
  using an objective and systemic process
  administered at reasonable intervals.
• Information such as teacher reports and
  teacher-made tests, while helpful, are not
  adequate for this determination.
• Data should be used to determine the
  effectiveness of a particular instructional
  strategy or program.

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Step 3 Continued

• If the group charged with determining whether a
  student has an SLD decides that this
  documentation is not adequate, a decision may be
  made to delay making a final determination and
  continue to collect additional information about
  the student.
• In order to extend the time by which the
  evaluation will be completed, parents must
  consent to the time extension.

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Step 4 Determination of Influence of Other
Factors

• Students whose lack of achievement can be
  attributed primarily to one of the following
  factors should not be determined to have an SLD.
• visual, hearing, or motor disability
• mental retardation
• emotional disturbance
• cultural factors
• environmental or economic disadvantage
• limited English proficiency
• Such students can be served in other disability
  categories of IDEA or through programs for
  at-risk or disadvantaged students, such as Title
  I of the No Child Left Behind Act.

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How New IDEA Provisions Affect Students Already
Determined to Have an SLD

• Congress and the U.S. Department of Education
  have sent a clear message to states and local
  school districts that it is time for a major
  shift in the approach used for determining SLD in
  school-aged children.
• At the same time, students who have been found
  eligible for special education using prior
  procedures should not be subjected to a new
  process as a condition of continuing special
  education services.
• States are urged to consider the effect of
  discontinuing special education and related
  services on students who have received such
  services and supports for many years and how the
  removal of such supports might impact the
  students educational progress, particularly in
  the final years of high school.

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Progress Monitoring Requirements

• The school or district should provide data-based
  documentation of frequent assessments of the
  students progress, to measure effectiveness of
  that instruction.
• A students progress should be documented by
  using an objective and systemic process
  administered at reasonable intervals
• Information such as teacher reports and
  teacher-made tests, while helpful, are not
  adequate for this determination.

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Curriculum-Based Measurement (CBM)

• Is the result of over 20 years of research
• Demonstrates strong reliability and validity
• Produces accurate, meaningful information about
  students academic levels and growth
• Can be used with all children to determine if
  they are benefiting from general instruction
• Can be used with failing children to enhance
  instructional programs
• Is sensitive to student improvement

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How To Do CBM

• Identify skills in the year-long curriculum
• Determine weight of skills in the curriculum
• Create 30 alternate test forms
• each test samples the entire years curriculum
• each test contains the same types of problems
• Give tests frequently
• Weekly/monthly
• Twice weekly for special education
• Review results
• Modify instruction as appropriate

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OSPA Conference on CBM Resources-October 12,
Seaside

• District-Generated Alternate Forms
• DIBELS Progress Monitoring
• Aimsweb
• Easy CBM
• Early numeracy CBM

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OSPA SLD Toolkit-www.ospaonline.com

• Observation Matrix Form
• Covers Big Ideas of reading and Concepts of Print
• Cross Referenced with Torgeson principles of
  effective instruction
• Class activity, student response, functional fit

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Possible methods and resources for performance on
state standards

• Examination of students score on state tests
• State Standards Matrix for reading, math and
  writing, K-3 available on www.ospaonline.com
  website
• Meant to be emailed among evaluation team members
  including general education teacher so they can
  put all of their results into an integrated team
  report
• Replaces narrative of academic results
• Links assessment to instruction
• Useful across the state when children change
  residence.

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Aptitude-Achievement Consistency

• After RtI and/or documentation of instruction and
  progress monitoring and rule out exclusionary
  factors
• Documentation of underachievement-norm referenced
  achievement test (Standard Score lt85, RPI lt75/90)
• Measure all cognitive abilities that research
  shows support the specific area of achievement at
  specific age of child
• At least one of those abilities must be below 85
  or 75/90 and have documented ecological
  correlates
• Cognitive abilities that dont relate are average
  or above otherwise normal ability profile

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Not Full Scale IQ

• Explosive growth of scientific knowledge about
  true processes that enable reading, math and
  writing
• Not outdated profile analysis based on a specific
  test
• Changes in last five years to all IQ tests
• Full Scale IQ explains only 10-20 of specific
  areas of achievement
• Specific cognitive abilities explain 50-70 of
  specific areas of achievement

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Early reading as an example

• Phonemic Awareness
• Verbal Reasoning/Vocabulary
• Rapid Automatic Naming
• Working Memory
• Processing Speed
• Associative Memory
• All inform content and delivery of instruction

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Developmental History

• These specific abilities are heritable
• Abilities show a predictable pattern of growth
  and decline across the life span
• Associated with achievement as well as
  occupational choice
• Common early developmental signs

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A comprehensive approach to using strengths and
weaknesses

• Technical Assistance
• Multidisciplinary Committee
• Regional Representatives
• Guidance to Teams
• Local Conferences
• State Conferences

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English Language Learners

• Response to Intervention
• Patterns of Strengths and Weaknesses
• Cultural and Language Acquisition
• Additional examination of specific patterns

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Reading is Rocket Science

• Reading and writing are among the most complex
  cognitive accomplishments for humans
• Qualified personnel
• Training on valid theories

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Discussion

• What is your district using?
• What works?
• What are the challenges?
• How can you improve your system if not ready to
  fully implement a RTI model?
• Where can you find support?