Policy & Politics
Featured FAQs
Question:
I tried to read about NCLB and its impact on my LD child, but I am confused. Is there any information about this law that is easier to read?Answer:
Like many complex federal laws, The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) can be confusing. Fortunately, a Parent's Guide to NCLB was published by the U.S. Department of Education. It includes an overview of the law, explanations of key terms and provisions, ways the law can help your child and an NCLB checklist for parents.
Another website, Wrightslaw, provides excellent information on legal issues in special education for parents. It is hosted by Peter Wright, a lawyer with expertise in special education law. Here, you can read and get information on the federal laws that govern special education as well as interpretations, commentaries and cases involving those laws.
The following link will take you to the section specifically about NCLB.
Question:
What does "adversely affecting educational performance" actually mean when considering speech services for a child? Does a child have to be failing to be considered eligible for speech services?Answer:
"Adversely affecting educational performance" is a phrase from the IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act). The interpretation of this phrase has been debated for many years. Many students are doing fine academically, but still have a speech impairment. Because school systems often include adequate oral communication as part of their performance standards, children with only a speech impairment can receive services.
For more information about IDEA and Special Education, visit the following sites:
You may find helpful information from the American Speech–Language–Hearing Association (ASHA).
Question:
How can I get teachers and staff to buy in to the RTI process?Answer:
Larry Summers is quoted as saying “in the history of man, nobody has ever washed a rental car.” The point of that quote is that without ownership school staff probably isn't going to buy in, 100%, to the RTI process. And without that ownership of the process they are much less likely to implement it well, and its much less likely therefore to be successful. And one way that we found to get teacher buy-in is to really ensure that all staff have an opportunity to voice their concerns about the process, and to express their concerns about the changes in their roles that they make counter as a result of implementing the RTI process.
We need to ensure that as schools shift from using data to make decisions about students, that the one component that is not lost is also getting the teacher's experience and knowledge base in their personal relationship with their student — not taking that part out of the equation. In other words, we want to respect what teachers bring to this process, and if we don't do that then you are not likely to get the level of buy-in and ownership of RTI that you probably need in order for it to work well.
— Dr. Evelyn Johnson, Boise State University
