A Little Mark Twain RESEARCH!

Research?

Recently I've read articles that detail how parents should deal with their child's IEP (Individual Education Plan -gives specific goals and measurements for a student's education.)

One article was geared toward parents of dyslexic children and had ideas about working with an IEP team. But there's something I'd like to clear up.  Often the IEP team members don't know they’re dealing with dyslexia. Most classroom teachers and special educators are not knowledgeable about dyslexia nor are they dyslexic therapists.

The discussions I read were mostly child centered but I didn't agree with this statement that was suggested for parents to follow: 

I would like my child to be taught using a research-based program that is directly responsive to his/her individual needs. Under IDEA and NCLB he/she should be taught by a highly-qualified teacher. I would like the curriculum you are using to be noted in the Notes section of the IEP, and I would like to see the research that indicates that this curriculum will be effective for my student. Furthermore, I would like evidence that the teacher has received training in teaching reading to students with dyslexia. I would like progress reports every month, and I will be sending someone to observe my student during specialized academic instruction.
 

I really have nothing against research-based methodology, I love research; but, what's actually behind the research is the real question. 

Mark Twain

In the 1990's I plunged into the upper levels of educational math -a foreign area to me- but Assistant Professor, Leslie Lukin, made the area of statistics come to life for me. 

I remember Dr. Lukin leading several discussions about the phrase "liars, damned liars, and statisticians", a quip originally made popular by writer Mark Twain. 

Just because something is research-based, and has statistics behind it, does not necessarily give it a golden-seal that magically makes it applicable. 

Where's the Research?

A website known as What Works Clearinghouse: Students with Learning Disabilities is backed by an unbiased and independent group who conduct thorough reviews of the current research literature and critically assess the evidence. They concluded: 

" ...well-established programs in use in many schools, including Orton-Gillingham based tutoring; Wilson Reading System, Alphabetic Phonics, and Barton Reading System... the traditional, phonics based instructional approaches to dyslexia that schools today are most likely to offer in an IEP, and that parents are most likely to request – are not supported by even a single scientific study that passes muster, according to the US agency in charge of evaluating such research."

Read that Statement Again

If parents continue looking for 'research-based' information without looking into the actual methods themselves, we have a problem.  If we use the information from the clearing house, trusting that their unbiased conclusions are saying the methods often found in the schools are not truly effective, where do we turn from there?  

If you aren't giving students in our schools tools that are actually working how can we show in an IEP setting that any of this is really working? 

Rounding Up

*I’ll never forget walking into Dr. Lukin's class on the final day of the semester for our educational measurement class. As I walked in the room and past her desk she whispered, < "I round up!". >  

What?  

"I round up...you scored 89.7% in the class." 

Ah, it seemed like an eternity passed but finally what she was hinting at made sense. My grade for the semester was an 'A' !*

Now, I don't know about the research behind Dr. Lukin's teaching but there was obviously something in her methods that worked for me!

Link to What Works Clearinghouse:

http://www.dyslegia.com/position-statements/position-statement-scientifically-based-research/


Link to the Davis Dyslexia methods: 
http://www.dyslexia.com/program.htm