1. Adolescent Literacy and Students with Learning Disabilities: Highlights
A Report from the National Joint Committee on Learning Disabilities (NJCLD, June 2008)
Froma P. Roth

2. Froma P. Roth, NJCLD Adolescent Literacy Symposium June 5. 09
Our Purpose
To advocate for effective reading and writing instruction for struggling older students (grades 4-12), particularly those with LD.
Froma P. Roth, NJCLD Adolescent Literacy Symposium June 5. 09

3. Froma P. Roth, NJCLD Adolescent Literacy Symposium June 5. 09
Impetus
The overall picture of adolescent literacy in the U.S. is less than promising, and is even more discouraging for older students with LD.
Froma P. Roth, NJCLD Adolescent Literacy Symposium June 5. 09

4. Froma P. Roth, NJCLD Adolescent Literacy Symposium June 5. 09
What We Know
Significant numbers of adolescents, especially those with LD, do not read and/or write at levels needed to meet 21st century demands.
►21% score 5 or more grades below in reading than grade level peers (National Longitudinal Transition Study II, 2003).
The 25 fastest growing professions have greater than average literacy demands VERSUS
The fastest declining professions have lower than average literacy demands.
Froma P. Roth, NJCLD Adolescent Literacy Symposium June 5. 09

5. Froma P. Roth, NJCLD Adolescent Literacy Symposium June 5. 09
Further…
Emphasis on early reading and writing for young children alone is insufficient; a similar investment must be made in literacy instruction for older students.
Evidence shows that intensive, high-quality literacy instruction can help struggling adolescents acquire the skills needed to succeed in secondary settings and beyond.
Froma P. Roth, NJCLD Adolescent Literacy Symposium June 5. 09

6. Consequences of Adolescent Literacy Problems
Inadequately prepared for academic challenges in middle thru post-secondary settings.
Higher H.S. school drop-out rates than general population (31% vs. 9.4%, U.S. DOE, 2007).
Markedly lower % attend 4-year postsecondary programs.
Poor literacy skills: Strongly correlated with high rates of poverty, unemployment; and low rates of workplace success and satisfaction.
Profound socio-emotional risks for these individuals and for society.
Froma P. Roth, NJCLD Adolescent Literacy Symposium June 5. 09

7. Froma P. Roth, NJCLD Adolescent Literacy Symposium June 5. 09
Contributing Factors
1. Persistent oral language deficits (R & E) often become more pronounced as academic and behavioral demands increase (4th grade transition) and continue to escalate.
►Language: Basic and Higher-Order phonological, semantic and syntactic,
and pragmatic processing.
Froma P. Roth, NJCLD Adolescent Literacy Symposium June 5. 09

8. And increased demands for:
2. Content-specific knowledge
3. Organization and retrieval of information
4. Metacognition and executive functioning
5. Degree of abstractness and level of
integration in & across content areas
6. Motivation
7. Independent performance
(These challenges are often magnified for ELL students)
Froma P. Roth, NJCLD Adolescent Literacy Symposium June 5. 09

9. Organizational Challenges
CURRENT REALITY
For the adolescent with LD, the opportunity for intervention decreases markedly when the student exits the public school system.
Froma P. Roth, NJCLD Adolescent Literacy Symposium June 5. 09

10. Froma P. Roth, NJCLD Adolescent Literacy Symposium June 5. 09
Implications
►Assessment
►Instruction
►Professional Development
Froma P. Roth, NJCLD Adolescent Literacy Symposium June 5. 09

11. ASSESSMENT At Middle & Secondary Levels
►Results tied directly to appropriate instructional planning, whether or not a student meets eligibility criteria for special education services.
►Response to Intervention (RTI) approach may provide data for both instructional planning and eligibility decisions.
►Team-based, comprehensive: Collection of multiple forms of information.
Froma P. Roth, NJCLD Adolescent Literacy Symposium June 5. 09

12. Froma P. Roth, NJCLD Adolescent Literacy Symposium June 5. 09
►Conducted by professionals with expertise in adolescent learning
→Responsive to the student with late-emerging problems
→Sensitive to linguistic and cultural factors
Froma P. Roth, NJCLD Adolescent Literacy Symposium June 5. 09

13. Froma P. Roth, NJCLD Adolescent Literacy Symposium June 5. 09
►Yield clear, specific and meaningful rxs. teachers and others can use to inform:
→ Instructional planning for accommodations and behavioral supports
→Type and intensity of remediation/intervention
→Directly address transition planning
►Accommodations and modifications should be viewed as complementary, not a substitute for remedial instruction/intervention.
Froma P. Roth, NJCLD Adolescent Literacy Symposium June 5. 09

14. INSTRUCTION At Middle and Secondary Levels
►Literacy instruction requires a continuum of services…differentiated according to the individual & varying needs of each student.
►The principle of universal design addresses this need: use of inclusive strategies that benefit a broad range of learner characteristics & abilities.
►Infusion of high-quality, research-informed literacy instruction throughout the secondary grades.
Froma P. Roth, NJCLD Adolescent Literacy Symposium June 5. 09

15. Froma P. Roth, NJCLD Adolescent Literacy Symposium June 5. 09
►Students who continue to struggle need targeted instruction at differentiated levels of intensity to address specific difficulties.
►Some students, particularly those with LD, require sustained and intensive combinations of classroom instruction, remediation, and accommodations that are individualized, explicit, and relevant.
Froma P. Roth, NJCLD Adolescent Literacy Symposium June 5. 09

16. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
CURRENT REALITY
Professional development (PD) likely requires systemic change and restructuring
“paradigm shift”
Froma P. Roth, NJCLD Adolescent Literacy Symposium June 5. 09

17. Sustained PD Change Requires…
Shared Responsibility for Literacy Skill Development
PD Aligned with Needs of Educators
PD Related to Adult Learning
Creating and Supporting Organizational Culture
Froma P. Roth, NJCLD Adolescent Literacy Symposium June 5. 09

18. Shared Responsibility of Educational Community
►While special educators and other specialists are primarily responsible for remediation, both general and special education teachers must be accountable for the development of literacy skills need for the acquisition of critical content area knowledge.
Froma P. Roth, NJCLD Adolescent Literacy Symposium June 5. 09

19. Aligning PD with Educator Needs
Teacher preparation programs: Explicit teaching about the science of reading and writing.
Ongoing PD that is differentiated according to expertise, experience, and responsibilities.
Professionals responsible for assessment, diagnosis, or delivery of remediation must have a thorough understanding of language, reading, and writing development and disabilities as well as evidence-informed practices.
Froma P. Roth, NJCLD Adolescent Literacy Symposium June 5. 09

20. PD Related to Adult Learning
Research suggests that collaborative models of PD are most effective in creating and sustaining change in teacher practices and attitudes (e.g., mentoring, coaching, team teaching).
Froma P. Roth, NJCLD Adolescent Literacy Symposium June 5. 09

21. Creating and Supporting Organizational Culture
Educational leaders must establish and value a culture that supports application of professional learning to practice.
Otherwise, PD efforts will not be implemented with fidelity, sustainability, and commitment on the part of educators.
Froma P. Roth, NJCLD Adolescent Literacy Symposium June 5. 09

22. Froma P. Roth, NJCLD Adolescent Literacy Symposium June 5. 09
Recommendations
Research
Instructional approaches (which, and which combinations yield what degrees and rates of change in literacy acquisition)
Use of RTI and other approaches for the purposes of identification, instructional planning, and progress monitoring of older students
Universal design methodologies to print and digital literacy demands
Froma P. Roth, NJCLD Adolescent Literacy Symposium June 5. 09

23. Froma P. Roth, NJCLD Adolescent Literacy Symposium June 5. 09
Assessment
Comprehensive diagnostic process that directly informs instruction and provides for ongoing progress monitoring
Froma P. Roth, NJCLD Adolescent Literacy Symposium June 5. 09

24. Professional Development Current science, best practices
Differentiated based on professional roles and responsibilities
Froma P. Roth, NJCLD Adolescent Literacy Symposium June 5. 09

25. “TRANSITION” COMMENTS
Froma P. Roth, NJCLD Adolescent Literacy Symposium June 5. 09