Implementation of Federal and State Policies For
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IMPLEMENTATION OF FEDERAL AND STATE POLICIES FOR STUDENTS IDENTIFIED WITH DYSLEXIA OR SHOWING DYSLEXIC TENDENCIES IN OHIO PUBLIC SCHOOLS A dissertation Presented to The Graduate Faculty of The University of Akron In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy Rebecca Tolson May, 2020 ii ABSTRACT The purpose of this dissertation study is to reveal constructs that determine how federal and state policies for identification of and services for students with dyslexia are implemented in Ohio public schools. The study aims to find the answer to the following question: How do Ohio K-12 public educators (a) interpret and (b) implement federal and state policies for the identification of students with dyslexia or showing dyslexic tendencies? Three Ohio K-12 suburban public-school districts were selected for this collective, instrumental case study research. Five personnel, district special education directors, principals, school psychologists, and a general and special education teacher, at each district were interviewed to share their experiences with students with dyslexia or showing dyslexic tendencies and district documents were collected and analyzed. Interviews were conducted face to face and then transcribed. The meaning was extracted from the data using a coding procedure which allowed chunks and segments to be labeled and themes, patterns, ideas, and concepts to be organized. A focused coding procedure allowed for building and clarifying concepts within categories and codes were organized by relevance to each other in a way that helped in providing thick descriptions of participants' experiences. Constant comparison analysis was used to systematically reduce the data to codes, then develop themes from the codes and classical content analysis was used to count the number of codes to determine which concepts occurred throughout the data for descriptive statistics. iii Five emergent themes were discovered during this study: (a) inconsistencies in handling identification of dyslexia as district practices (b) perceptions and misperceptions of dyslexia (c) varied screening and assessment practices for dyslexia (d) district challenges related to meeting the needs of students with dyslexia (g) parental lack trust in districts when it comes to identification of dyslexia. The results of the study suggest that district practices that support the identification of dyslexia through a dyslexia protocol within a MTSS creates equity for students with dyslexia, empowers educators, provides academic, social and emotional support for students and families, and decreases the burden for parents to find an Independent Education Evaluator (IEE). The study’s qualitative design provides descriptive data from interviews and district documents that further the knowledge in the field of education related to the identification of dyslexia. Based on the findings, the researcher provides six recommendations: (1) Establish consistent district practices for the identification of dyslexia, (2) Recommend university accreditation and professional development for dyslexia, (3) Create mandatory screening protocol for dyslexia, (4) Implement Structured Literacy© programs to meet the instructional needs of students with dyslexia, (5) Deliver consistent special education services for students with dyslexia, and (6) Provide support to students and families regarding dyslexia iv DEDICATION This dissertation is dedicated to my family. First, my husband, Todd. Your love of Christ and our family inspires me to be all that God created me to be. Your faithful dedication, support, and encouragement empowered me throughout this long journey, even when I wavered from time to time. I am forever thankful for the sacrifices you have made so that I could pursue my dreams. I am blessed beyond measure to share my life with you. From the bottom of heart, thank you, Todd. Next, my children, Robert and Sarah. The most important job of my life is being a mom. You have both supported me and sacrificed over the many years I have been in school. For this I am forever thankful. I have learned of God’s miracles, grace, and love through both of you. You both encouraged me to the finish line through your belief that I could get there. Next, my mom and dad. You have always been there for me showing me unconditional love. You are both hard-working, driven individuals that instilled in me a work ethic and drive toward any passion imaginable. You encouraged me to dream big, whether athletics, school, family or faith. Next, my sisters, Chris, Julie and Vicki. I cherish each of you, as you are all so different. Through the laughter and tears, we stay close and strong as a family unit and for this I am grateful. You were all there for me when I needed someone to lean on. Thank you. Finally, my mother-in-law, Bonnie. Your example as a working, single mom, inspires me. You overcame many obstacles and raised an amazing son, my soul mate. For this I am forever thankful. v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I want to express gratitude to my advisor and committee chair, Dr. Lisa Lenhart for her dedication and encouragement over this long academic journey. You provided me with the guidance that I needed throughout the process to accomplish my goals. I’m thankful our paths crossed years ago when you participated in a Structured Literacy© class I was teaching. I have grown as a student, teacher, researcher and person because of you. To my doctoral committee members Dr. Xin Liang, Dr. Harold Foster, Dr. Gordon-Pershey, and Dr. Juvancic-Heltzel, thank you for your support of my topic, your guidance in the area of academic writing and research design, and the time and commitment to the many drafts over the course of several years. A special thank you to the participants in the study. I am grateful for your willingness to contribute to the field of educational research and the possibilities that exist because of your honesty and dedication to public education. Deep gratitude to my friends and colleagues for encouraging me, listening to me endlessly talk about “my paper” and staying by my side. To my former students with dyslexia, you are my “why” and the reason I believe the goal of literacy is reachable for students with learning challenges. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF TABLES ..................................................................................................... xii LIST OF FIGURES ................................................................................................... xiv CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................... 1 Overview of Dyslexia............................................................................. 3 Federal Laws for Dyslexia ..................................................................... 4 State Legislation for Dyslexia ................................................................ 7 State-Level Grassroots Organizations for Dyslexia ............................... 9 Early Identification of Dyslexia ............................................................. 10 Delayed Identification of Dyslexia ........................................................ 15 Response to Intervention (RTI) .............................................................. 17 Under-Identification of Dyslexia ........................................................... 19 Problem Statement ................................................................................. 20 Purpose Statement .................................................................................. 21 Research Question .................................................................................. 22 Importance of the Study ......................................................................... 22 II. LITERATURE REVIEW ........................................................................... 23 Literacy................................................................................................... 23 vii Reading................................................................................................... 25 Reading Achievement ............................................................................ 33 Reading Difficulties ............................................................................... 35 Definition of Dyslexia ............................................................................ 39 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act........................................... 42 State Legislation for Dyslexia ................................................................ 44 Identification of Dyslexia ....................................................................... 58 Dyslexia Screening ................................................................................. 60 Response to Intervention (RTI) .............................................................. 64 Definition of Terms and Abbreviations ................................................. 66 III. METHODOLOGY ..................................................................................... 68 Research Purpose ................................................................................... 68 Research Question .................................................................................. 69 Qualitative Paradigm and Tradition ....................................................... 69 Case Study Design ................................................................................. 70 Sampling and Selection Procedure