One in five students has a language-based learning disability, the most common of which is dyslexia. 37 states now have laws on dyslexia and more have legislation in the works. With so much focus on dyslexia, teachers must be knowledgeable about how to screen for, identify and support students with dyslexia.

This recorded webinar provides a foundation for addressing dyslexia in your district. Dr. Louisa Moats, President of Moats Associates Consulting, Inc., and Dr. Dale Webster, Chief Academic Officer for CORE, review:

• What dyslexia is and what it is not
• What causes difficulty learning to read and spell written words
• How to recognize the signs of dyslexia
• The principles of effective intervention and instruction for students with dyslexia using the multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS) framework

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Welcome to the Winter 2018 edition of the CORE Academic Quarterly newsletter!

Spring is in the air! We at CORE hope that your school year has gone well and the upcoming testing period and the end of the school year (fast approaching) will go smoothly.

In this issue of the Academic Quarterly, in the Reading Expert section, we clarify the differences between screening and evaluation of dyslexia.

In the Marvelous Mathematician, we continue our Part 1 article from the Fall 2017 edition of the Academic Quarterly to correlate the practices recommended in Visible Learning in Mathematics with the recommendations in the IES Practice Guide, Organizing Instruction and Study to Improve Student Learning.

In the Leadership Corner, we feature a new national literacy center that is full of resources for schools and families.

Happy reading!

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The 2017 Supreme Court Ruling on Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District RE-1 re-affirmed that special education can, and should, deliver more to students with disabilities. The way to achieve improved outcomes is with fewer but better IEP goals and progress monitoring. Unfortunately, IEP goals have become a procedural compliance process disconnected from intervention intensity that doesn’t lead to the kind of progress monitoring that has been shown to be among the most powerful tools in an educator’s toolbox.

During this one-hour webinar conducted by Dr. Mark Shinn you will learn:

• How the ruling is consistent with the Office of Special Education Program’s Results Driven Accountability (RDA) Initiative.
• How appropriately intensive, research-based intervention(s) driven by scientifically sound, easily measurable IEP goals reduce the achievement gap.
• How progress monitoring practices drive intervention intensity and effectiveness.
• Strategies to improve instruction and academic achievement for students with disabilities in your district.

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Unlike learning to speak, reading is not a natural process. Reading has to be taught. For many, learning to read is one of the most difficult cognitive tasks they will ever encounter, especially for those with dyslexia.

According to the International Dyslexia Association (IDA), dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is neurobiological in origin. It is characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. These difficulties typically result from a deficit in the phonological component of language that is often unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities and the provision of effective classroom instruction. Secondary consequences may include problems in reading comprehension and reduced reading experience that can impede growth of vocabulary and background knowledge.

Read the white paper by Dr. Dale Webster, Chief Academic Officer for CORE, to learn more about how to identify dyslexia and how early assessment and research-based instruction for prevention and intervention for reading difficulties can stop the struggle to learn to read for your students.

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Mastery-based learning provides a solid foundation for students to build and develop their knowledge at their own pace. Pajaro Valley Unified School District in California has made the move to a mastery-based, individualized learning and has seen improved student outcomes, particularly in the area of literacy.

In a recent webinar, Superintendent Dr. Michelle Rodriguez and Early Literacy Coordinator Lynda Pate shared:

• Key components of mastery-based, individualized learning
• District and Site systems needed to support significant change
• Critical steps to take an initiative from pilot to scale
• Milestones/checkpoints to monitor along the way to track intended impact

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