Elestine Smittick
Literacy, K–6
Special Education Professional Learning Services
Improve Instruction and Academic Achievement for Students with Disabilities
Across the nation, wide achievement gaps persist between students with disabilities and those without. Many special education teachers are not adequately prepared to teach reading and math. Until they are, the gap between general education and special education students will remain. CORE works with special education teachers and paraprofessionals to build their instructional skills so that they have the same expertise in evidence-based reading and math practices as general education teachers.
Our on-site, job-embedded professional learning provides:
- Personalized training in the science of how to teach math and reading, particularly to students with learning difficulties, including dyslexia
- Instruction on integrating high-leverage practices (HLPs) into instruction
- Assistance identifying and implementing evidence-based curricula, appropriate materials and assessments
- Coaching, including modeling lessons, analyzing data, reviewing IEPs, and setting goals for robust student outcomes
- Guidance to establish processes to reduce the over-identification of students in need of special education services and the over-representation of English learners and children of color
Need assistance to evaluate and improve your systems, policies and procedures to better support students with disabilities?
CORE and our partner Pivot work with districts to evaluate existing general education and special education systems and develop action plans to improve practices and build capacity. We also provide guidance to develop and implement Multi-tiered Systems of Support to ensure every student receives high quality teaching and equitable academic and behavioral supports. Learn more.
Raise the bar for your special education students. Strengthen special education and general education teachers’ instructional skills to ensure all students excel, especially your most vulnerable. Contact us to discuss how CORE can create a custom professional learning program for your team.
Meet CORE’s
Special Education Experts
Leverage MTSS to Support the Learning Needs of All Students
Multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) are designed to improve academic, behavioral and social-emotional outcomes for all students, whether they are struggling or have advanced learning needs. CORE helps educators develop the knowledge and skills to implement sustainable MTSS frameworks.
MTSS offer a framework in which to provide high quality instruction and interventions matched to student need. Implementing MTSS requires knowledge at all levels, resources, and organizational structures. CORE supports schools and districts with the design of effective MTSS frameworks and the necessary changes to processes and practices needed for MTSS to truly impact student achievement.
CORE MTSS experts work with:
- Leadership teams to implement a coordinated system of prevention and intervention designed to prevent academic failure and to proactively intervene when students are at risk
- Teachers to coach them on how to identify student need, monitor student progress, and adjust interventions using data-driven decision-making
Understanding Dyslexia: Why Early Prevention and Intervention are Crucial
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 early assessment and research-based instruction for prevention and intervention for reading difficulties can stop the struggle to learn to read for your students.