Capitalizing on the Strengths of Practitioners, Researchers, and Universities to Produce Top-Quality Teachers

Abstract

Introduction “Once you learn to read, you will be free forever.” —Fredrick Douglass

Perhaps the most challenging aspect of meeting the needs of specialized populations is determining who is included in this definition. How do we begin to focus on the special needs of students throughout the Commonwealth? There is no more critical need than teaching our children to read. Whether students are formally identified with specific learning disabilities or sit quietly undiagnosed in our classrooms, educational models must be designed, evaluated and funded to meet this growing issue of students at risk for reading delays and disabilities. Approximately 80 percent of all special education students are identified as learning or reading disabled, thus representing the most significant portion of our special needs population in schools.

The literacy statistics in Philadelphia public schools as outlined by Katie Haycock and Education Trust present statistics that are easy to understand: 90 percent of all fourth-grade students read below grade level, according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Report. Furthermore, Philadelphia ranks 16th out of 18 urban school settings, with only Detroit and Cleveland scoring lower reading results. With a dropout rate in Philadelphia of 44 percent as of the last published statistic, the issue of improving reading and literacy in our schools is clearly a problem with enormous implications for the economic survival of our region.