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The team will consult with experts, seek input from parents and gather data to develop a plan that is expected to be in place by the 2020-21 school year.
Specifically, the team will develop a professional learning plan to include training to help district teachers better serve students with dyslexia. In addition, it will create a menu of strategies, supported by research, that teachers will be able to access for students who need additional help prior to or beyond the Take Flight intervention program provided by the district.
"The number of students identified with dyslexia in HPISD has nearly doubled in the last four years," Assistant Superintendent for Education Services Lisa Wilson said. "While our staff has taken significant steps to improve how we serve students with dyslexia, there is more that we can do. We plan to research best practices from other schools and districts, receive input from parents and hear from experts on how best to serve our students with dyslexia."
The team will meet multiple times this spring to review data and hear from university-level and research professionals with expertise in dyslexia, a dyslexia specialist from the Texas Education Agency, consultants from Scottish Rite and a panel of parents of students identified with dyslexia. Members of the team will include dyslexia therapists, evaluation staff, classroom teachers and both campus and district-level administrators. The team approach using district staff is similar to the approach taken by the district in early literacy, mathematics instruction, STEAM instruction, special education and professional learning.
"There is, unfortunately, no one-size-fits-all strategy in working with children with dyslexia," HPISD Board President Jim Hitzelberger said. "I appreciate that our staff is working to provide strategies to help not only students with dyslexia but to provide training for the staff who support them on a daily basis."
The team is expected to provide an update on its progress to the board in May. In addition to the work of the team, the district will enhance its website to include more detailed information about dyslexia services.
"We recognize that the various services provided to students with dyslexia may be confusing to parents, so it is important for us to offer support and clarity," Wilson said. "Our ultimate goal is to help both parents and teachers understand the ways they can best support students who face these challenges."
As defined by the Texas Education Agency, dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. The identification and intervention process for dyslexia can be multi-faceted, and involves both state and federal requirements that must be followed. Services provided to students are determined by data and a student's individual needs.
"We are fortunate to have a staff member on each campus who is dedicated to serving students with dyslexia," HPISD Superintendent Dr. Tom Trigg said. "All of them are either Certified Academic Language Therapists or are completing their certification. In addition to having more than 120 years of experience in education, these professionals have nearly 60 years working with children with dyslexia."
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