Award www.EDUCATIONUPDATE.com Volume VII, No. 12 • New York City • AUGUST 2002 Winner FOR PARENTS, EDUCATORS & STUDENTS U.S. POSTAGE PAID U.S. POSTAGE VOORHEES, NJ Permit No.500 PRSRT STD. Learning at Crotched Mountain School. Photo Credit: Ed Judice INSIDE: Homeschooling Special Education: Leave No Child Behind 2 Award EDUCATION UPDATE ■ FOR PARENTS, EDUCATORS & STUDENTS ■ AUGUST 2002 Winner GUEST EDITORIAL EDUCATION UPDATE School Failure and School Responsibility Mailing Address: By STUART DUNN nals, it is time the school system accepted the team from MS 309 addressed their comprehen- 276 5th Avenue, Suite 1005 In a recent article on The New York Times fact that the responsibility for educating the sive approach and its effects. This school suf- New York, NY 10001 Education page entitled, “Defining Failed children is that of the schools and the educa- fers from all of the contributing factors apolo- email: [email protected] Schools Is Harder Than It Sounds,” Richard tors, not society at large, not the parents and gists like to call on – health/poverty, language, www.educationupdate.com Rothstein, the author states, “But nobody real- certainly not the other school children. This parent/child, and community issues. Despite Tel: 212-481-5519 ly knows how to identify failing schools…typ- responsibility is not abrogated by the existence these external factors, fundamental to the MS Fax: 212-481-3919 ically, a failing school is deemed one with low of societal factors that make the job more dif- 309 program is acceptance of ownership of the scores. But, while low scores can result from ficult. When people chose to become educa- problem by the school community. The results failed schools, they can also result from other tors, when they accepted jobs in the public sound very encouraging. If this problem can be PUBLISHER AND EDITOR: causes…parents who do not read to young school system, they knew the conditions they dealt within the schools, and by the schools, so Pola Rosen, Ed.D. children, or otherwise support learning at would encounter. We shall never succeed in can other problems. This is not to say that it ASSOCIATE EDITORS: home…inadequate exposure to art and educating disadvantaged children if we do not isn’t helpful if these external conditions do not Heather Rosen, Adam Sugerman, music…insecurity bred of violent surround- face up to this responsibility. exist, but they do, and it is up to the schools to Rob Wertheimer ings, … severe economic hardship.” One of the most difficult areas the schools work around them. And, it is up to the chan- I do not agree with the contention that we must address is classroom disruption. Many cellor and the district superintendents to pro- ASSISTANT EDITORS: Marylena Mantas, Marie Holmes cannot define a failed school. A failed school is despair of solving this problem. In a recent dis- vide the schools with the help and leadership one in which a large majority of the students cussion, entitled “Trauma, Classroom that they require. GUEST COLUMNISTS: are performing significantly below grade Disruption – What Some Schools Are Doing One thing that cannot be accepted is contin- Jack Adrian, Mayor Michael average, and in which student performance is About It,” led by Professor David S. Seeley, ued failure. Lee Ioccoca once said, “Either Bloomberg, Matilda Raffa Cuomo, not improving. Attributing failure to external sponsored by the CUNY Center for Urban lead, follow, or get out of the way.” This Dr. Fred Cushner, Betsy van Die, Amy factors is nonproductive and unacceptable. Education Policy, Greg Greicius, Director of should be the motto of a “can do” school sys- Flynn, Dr. Carole G. Hankin, After many years of encountering these exter- Instructional Support Teams, CSD 10, and a tem. # Dr. Ronald Lenkowsky, Jill Levy, Randi T. Sachs, Assemblyman Steven Sanders, COMMENTARY Lori Skopp, James Wendorf STAFF WRITERS: A Better IDEA: Transforming “Wait to Fail” to “Start to Succeed” Jacob Appel, Joan Baum, Ph.D., Tom Kertes, Katarzyna Kozanecka, Sybil By JAMES H. WENDORF vides adequate time to identify and address prob- inform our policy recommendations as well as Maimin, Chris Rowan, Merri The passage and implementation of the land- lems before they intensify, and enables more the new practices we seek to implement. It is Rosenberg, Andrew Schiff, Deborah mark Individuals with Disabilities Education Act effective delivery of services based on students’ only in this spirit that we can work together to Young (IDEA) in 1975 guaranteed—for the first time in individual needs. deliver even greater outcomes to children with EDITORIAL INTERNS: history—a free and appropriate public education Currently there is no federally mandated disabilities.# Priya Athiappan, Hope Glassberg, for children with disabilities. Since then, IDEA approach to identifying children suspected of James H. Wendorf is the Executive Director of Zaher Karp, Lena Khidritsky, Ari has helped to improve the lives of millions of having learning disabilities. Instead, each state the National Center for Learning Disabilities McKenna, Christina Perpignano, Molly children with disabilities who are now learning or local school district has the authority to deter- (NCLD), headquartered in New York City. Wallace, Tamara Wiesen and achieving at levels previously thought mine its assessment approach, with most relying impossible. on IQ tests. The use of IQ-Achievement formu- BOOK REVIEWERS: Up for reauthorization by Congress next year, lae to identify learning disabilities is unreliable IN THIS ISSUE Harris Healy, III, Lillian Shapiro, IDEA is now the subject of considerable debate and cannot continue to be sanctioned. Selene Vasquez as proposed improvements are examined. A par- Thee National Center for Learning Disabilities Editorials & Letters. 2 Commentary . 2 COMICS: ticular area in need of change is the specific (NCLD) advocates the use of instructionally Bruce Wotring learning disability (SLD) category, which serves based identification approaches that cover a Spotlight on Schools . 3-9 almost half of the six million children and young broad age range and minimize cultural and lin- Conferences, Workshops & Events 10 MEDICAL EDITOR: Herman Rosen, M.D. people covered by IDEA. guistic bias. Furthermore, eligibility decisions Careers . 10 While current approaches for identifying learn- should draw from information collected from a Modern Languages . 11 MODERN LANGUAGE EDITOR: ing disabilities and determining eligibility for comprehensive individual evaluation using mul- Adam Sugerman special education services have helped define tiple sources of information, be made through an Children’s Corner . 12 and systemize programs and services, they have interdisciplinary team, and be based on students’ Book Reviews . 13 MOVIE & THEATER REVIEWS: not fully met students’ needs. Recent break- individual needs and strengths. MEDICAL UPDATE. 16-17 Jan Aaron throughs in scientific research and teaching have NCLD has proposed to federal policymakers Homeschooling . 18, 23-28, 36 MUSIC EDITOR: demonstrated the need to update the approaches detailed approaches to identifying learning dis- Finance & Education . 19 Irving M. Spitz used by school officials to identify, assess and abilities for consideration as part of IDEA reau- POLITICAL COMMENTARY: teach students who require special attention. thorization. The recommendations have been COVER STORY: Special Ed. 20-22 Stuart Dunn The heart of the problem is late identification tried and tested in states and school districts Camps & Sports . 29 and inaccurate assessment of students with learn- across the country and have already made a dif- Colleges & Grad Schools . 30-33 SPORTS EDITOR: ing disabilities. Too many students are forced to ference in the lives of thousands of children. It’s College Directory . 33 M.C. Cohen “wait to fail” before gaining access to instruction time to take these strategies to scale. Technology & Software . 34-35 WEB DESIGN: and support services that can help them achieve Recommending changes to a system that pro- Neil Schuldiner, Rick Sulz to their potential. vides a lifeline of services and support to millions Museums . 35 A “start to succeed” approach would screen of children demands extraordinary precision and Metro Beat . 37 ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT: children as young as four years old in early lan- care. It also demands a willingness among teach- Tutors . 37 Martin Lieberman, Manager. Rosalyn guage and reading skill development, just as they ers, other school officials, and parents to chal- Music, Art & Dance . 38 Bacani, Steve Bailey (212) 721-9444, are screened for vision and hearing. This pro- lenge the status quo. Research-based data must Dawn Clayton, Mitchell Levine, Chris Resource & Reference/Classified . 39 Rowan, Andrew Schiff GRAPHIC DESIGNERS: TO Neil Schuldiner, Rick Sulz Education Update Education Update is published monthly by Education Update, Inc. All material is copyrighted and may not be printed FROM Winner without express consent of the publisher. of the POSTMASTER: Silver Hill Hospital Send address changes to: Best Education Update Mental Health Excellence in Education P.O. Box 20005 Media Award Journalism, 1999—2000 Business NY, NY 10001 2000 Columbia University Subscription: Annual $30. Teachers College, Phi Delta Kappa Copyright © 2002 Education Update Dr. Pola Rosen Award AUGUST 2002 ■ EDUCATION UPDATE ■ SPOTLIGHT ON SCHOOLS SCHOOL 3 ATale of Two Obstacles We Need Mentors By JILL S. LEVY our most accomplished teachers, we are about By MATILDA RAFFA are regrettably five more children waiting for These are certainly not the to embark on a very difficult course. CUOMO AND someone to invest time in their future. And as best of times for New York With a naive sense of what the principal’s job JACK M. ADRIEN they wait, how many of them fall between the City public schools. They really requires, inexperienced teachers will In 1987, when we estab- cracks and are lost to us forever? The only way may turn out to be the worst jump into principal positions with little chance lished the New York State for every person to become aware of the impor- of times, but for New York City school princi- of success.