News Desk (LD News: August 2006)

Regulations for IDEA 2004
U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings announced the release of the final regulations for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act on Thursday, August 3, 2006.  The regulations include specific requirements concerning how states and local school districts are to identify and serve students suspected of having a learning disability. NCLD has just released a summary of the regulations.

"Academic Redshirting" Proven Ineffective
According to a recent federal study, "academic redshirting," the process intended to give a child time to mature by holding him or her back a year before starting kindergarten or by keeping him or her an extra year in kindergarten, may do more harm than good, both academically and socially.

To download a pdf of the study (21 pages), click here.

Be sure to check out this month's Research Roundup from NCLD's Director of Professional Services, Dr. Sheldon Horowitz, for more information on academic redshirting.

Severity of ADHD Symptoms Reflected in Brain Structure
Recent brain image studies show that the severity of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) seems to be mirrored in brain structure. In the brain of a youth with ADHD, the front part of the memory hub tends to be larger, and the outer layer of the brain with ADHD thickens with improvement of the symptoms, suggesting that such changes in the brain might help the child cope with the disorder.

To read a full report on the National Institute of Mental Health studies, click here.

Groundbreaking Research on Girls with ADHD Released
Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, have released the first long-term study of girls with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), involving more than 200 girls age six through twelve who have been followed since 1997. The study found that girls with ADHD have a higher risk of substance abuse, emotional problems and academic difficulties in adolescence than those who do not have ADHD.

To read a full article from washingtonpost.com, click here.

Learning Disabilities Research Center
Florida State University has been granted six million dollars from the federal government towards five years of study on learning disabilities, focusing on such issues as the genetics of learning disabilities and preschool identification and prevention of learning disabilities. The grant will fund the creation of a National Institutes of Health Multidisciplinary Learning Disabilities Center at FSU.

For a full article, click here.

Reading Instruction Must Continue Through Grades 4-12
A policy brief from The Alliance for Excellence in Education argues that although the nation has demonstrated a real commitment to improving reading instructions in grades Pre-K-3, relatively little has been done to improve literacy skills of students struggling in grades 4-12. The brief shows that creating a strong foundation is key, but the work towards improving literacy doesn't end there.

To download a pdf of Why the Crisis in Adolescent Literacy Demands a National Response (8 pages), click here.

$31 Million Awarded in Safe Schools/Healthy Student Grants
The U.S. Department of Education, Health and Human Services, and Department of Justice have awarded over $31 million in grants to school districts in fourteen states in order to implement a plan focused on safe school environments, early childhood emotional development programs, and mental health treatment services. 

For more information, click here.

Keeping Gulf Coast Students Reading
In order to keep the students of the Gulf Coast region reading until the new school year begins, the Department of Education and First Book have sponsored an initiative to distribute five million books to schools, libraries, and organizations effected by the 2005 hurricanes. 

For a press release on Gulf Coast Summer Reading Initiative, click here.

Graduation Rates to Be More Accurate in Future
According to Editorial Projects in Education, nearly one third of U.S. high school students in the class of 2006 will not graduate this year. In response to criticism that this data is overblown, governors plan to make changes in order to obtain more accurate statistics in the future. 

For more information, click here.

"Good Faith" May Not Be Enough to Ensure "Highly Qualified Teachers"
The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) calls for 'highly qualified teachers' for all students, but many states have made minimal progress in assuring quality teachers for poor or minority students. Studies show that relying on a "Good Faith" policy to assure schools revise their educational plans may not promise success.

To download a pdf of Days of Reckoning: Are States and the Federal Government Up to the Challenge of Ensuring a Qualified Teacher for Every Student? (46 pages), click here.

NAEAACLD Releases 2006 Edition of Parent Handbook and Resource Directory
The National Association for the Education of African American Children with Learning Disabilities (NAEAACLD) has just released the third edition of its Parent Handbook and Resource Directory in order to bring important information to African American families with children who are struggling in school. 

For a copy of this publication and to join the NAEAACLD community, visit their web site at www.aacld.org.

Five Key Components to PK-3 Success
A recently released policy brief identifies the five key components of PK-3 that can improve student achievement to be alignment, school organization, qualified teachers, classrooms as learning environments, and accountability to parents and communities.  

To download a pdf of this policy brief from the Foundation for Child Development (8 pages), click here.

Teachers' Trust Intends to Improve Teacher Treatment
In a new report, The Center for Innovative Thought outlines a six-part plan for a new compact between America and its teachers. The plan starts with a public-private Teachers' Trust and includes a fifteen to twenty percent pay increase, multiple pathways into teaching, and closing the teacher-diversity gap.

To download a pdf of Teachers and the Uncertain American Future (40 pages), click here.

Annual Report on the Welfare of Children and Their Families Released 
The Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics has released its annual report on the welfare of children and their families.  Among its data, the report shows that adolescent births continue to decline to the lowest rates ever, more children are being read to daily by a family member, and the trend of overweight children is rising.  

For more information on America's Children in Brief: Key National Indicators of Well-Being, 2006, click here.

Pre-K Now Reports on Latino Preschoolers
Pre-K Now has released a new policy report on the barriers that Latinos face in enrolling students in preschool in America, including struggles with affordability and language. The report, Pre-K and Latinos: The Foundation for America's Future, discusses ways to improve outreach to Latino students. 

To download a pdf of this report (24 pages), click here.

Children with Disabilities More Likely to Live with Single Mothers
A new study indicates that children with disabilities are more likely to live with a single woman than a single man. Less than five percent of disabled children live with a single father, about the same percentage of non-disabled children living with fathers, raising questions about what kinds of policy supports these families need.

For a full article about the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill study, click here.

Talking about Art Helps Children Develop Literacy Skills
A study released by the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum suggests that learning about painting and sculpture improves literacy skills and critical thinking. Although the exact correlation between the two is unknown, it is hypothesized that talking about and finding meaning in artwork helps develop the same skills used while reading.

For a full article, click here.

Distractions Prevent Students from Retaining Knowledge
New brain research published in "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences," shows that the tendency for young people to multitask may hinder their ability to learn. Distractions like instant messaging or watching television while doing homework make the knowledge they learn harder to remember and use later on. 

For more information, click here.

Environment Is Key for Developing Genetic Potential
In a new analysis, David L. Kirp from the University of California at Berkeley discusses the latest research in the field of nature versus nurture " arguing that a child's ability to maximize his or her genetic potential depends much more on environment than previously thought.

For the full article, click here.

Public and Private School Test Scores Found Comparable
A new report comparing fourth- and eighth- grade reading and math scores from nearly 7,000 public schools and more than 530 private schools found private and public school scores are comparable, the only exception being higher eighth-grade reading scores in private schools. 

For a full article, click here.

Study on High-Performing Schools Shows Similarities in Methods
The National Center for Educational Accountability has released a series of reports including research from 200 high-performing schools in twenty states.  The report found similarities in methods of effective schools and has developed a framework for schools to help all students reach higher standards.

For more information on Just for the Kids, Best Practice Studies and Institutes, Findings from 20 States, click here.

Maryland Paves the Way to Including Early Childhood in State Education Department
Last month, Maryland completed a two-year effort to include early child care and education in the State Department of Education, the first effort of its kind in the U.S. The department has created the Division of Early Childhood Development in order to include elements of early child care such as licensing, credentialing, and accreditation of child-care providers and programs; support for training of providers; and grants to improve quality.

To read an op ed from Sandra J. Skolnik, executive director of the Maryland Committee for Children, click here.