August 2023
Hello,
Welcome back to school...and to this month's Early Literacy/ Dyslexia Newsletter! It wasn't too long ago I sent one out...but there is some new information provided...so please read and share!
Important Information! The Kansas Dyslexia Handbook is under revision to reflect the new screening protocols and will be available soon. As soon as it is out, I will send it out via our agency listservs and it will be posted at the KSDE Dyslexia Page that is found HERE.
We have several opportunities for professional learning starting up next month and we hope you will join us!
Please share/ forward this newsletter widely and let me know if I can help you in any way,
Yours in education,
Laurie
Dr. Laurie Curtis, KSDE Early Literacy/ Dyslexia Program Manager
PLEASE NOTE: The screening protocol for all schools in Kansas has been revised for the 2023-2024 academic year.
Please see the attached document for details. Important to note is that ALL K-8 students must be screened three times a year using one of the KSDE approved screeners. The approved screeners are identified in the attached document. We no longer require certain subtests given at specific times of year- but require that you follow the technical manual for your approved screener to make sure that you are using the accurate norms as you look at your data.
Secondary students should also be screened in the fall of their 9th grade year. If they demonstrate NO risk, they may be allowed to exit the screening process if certain levels of proficiency are met (and your district chooses to do so). Details are found at the link below.
Please join us for the KSDE Great Ideas in Education Conference!
October 25-27, 2023
Hyatt Regency, Wichita, KS
Additional Information is found at the following link:
KSDE Great Ideas in Education Conference
Empowered Together is the them of the conference.
Strands being planned for this conference include:
Balanced Assessment System
Early Learning
Elevating Voices in Education
Leadership
Safe and Supportive Schools
Teaching and Learning
Technology and Cyber Security
Register HERE
AVAILABLE FOR YOUR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SESSIONS!
This study was well received, with nearly 500 registered participants. Each week we had an average of over 200 people joining to hear from those with various roles and responsibilities to provide insight into dyslexia, how we work with our students who have characteristics of dyslexia and how to communicate with one another and families in order to do what is best for all students. We owe a debt of gratitude to David Hurford, Stacey Cates, the Ricker Family and Jim Porter for their willingness to give their time and expertise in providing these sessions and a big shout out to Jeri Powers, KSDE Teacher Leader Consultant for her planning and facilitation of this opportunity.
The takeaway?
When we know more- we can do differently. Collaboration and communication are key. Whether we have an official diagnosis or official identification of dyslexia, it is important that we acknowledge immediately when we are concerned about a student's reading progress and delve deeper into understanding exactly how, when and where that student is struggling.- diagnostic assessments are critical. We then create the plan for addressing the student's needs and how we will monitor our efforts to see if they are helping and clearly communicate from the beginning with parents.
These sessions and supporting documents are available at this OVERCOMING DYSLEXIA link on the KSDE Dyslexia page.
Are you wondering what changes were made in the new ELA Standards? There will be additional information coming soon that highlights the changes!
For our K-2 standards, changes clarified the expectations for structured literacy as the model of instruction while eliminating reference to three-cueing, identifying the need for decodables in early reading instruction, recognizing the importance of the four-part language processing model, etc. Be watching for additional support and assistance documents coming in the future.
Text-Based Professional Learning Certificate of PD Participation Provided
Back by Popular Demand! Fresh Look at Phonics: Revisited
This text-based professional learning opportunity was done this past academic year and was enjoyed by multiple teachers across the state. We are offering it again for those who weren't able to participate last year. It would be a great study to do together with teachers in your building or just by yourself with your new professional colleagues on Zoom! It is based on the Wiley Blevins Book A Fresh Look at Phonics: Common Causes of Failure and 7 Ingredients for Success.
This will be offered via Zoom on Wednesdays from 5:00 - 6:00 CST.
This will start on September 20th and last for 6 weeks on Wednesdays...with the final date of October 25th.
Registration can be found HERE: Registration for Fresh Look at Phonics Fall 2023
Text-Based Professional Learning Certificate for PD Attendance Provided
Upcoming Professional Learning Opportunity
Structured Literacy Interventions: Teaching Students with Reading Difficulties, Grade K-6
This book consists of ten chapters authored by leading literacy researchers and is edited by Louise Spear-Swerling. Topics for the chapters include poor-reader profiles, interventions for phonemic awareness, basic word recognition skills, reading multi-syllabic words, spelling interventions, fluency and vocabulary interventions, comprehension and written expression intervention and multicomponent structured literacy interventions for mixed reading difficulty. To participate in this study, you will need to acquire your own book. We are hoping to infuse some of the study with speakers.
This will be a 10 week study bimonthly on Mondays for one hour, 4:00 - 5:00 pm CST
Dates are: September 18, October 2, 16, 30, November 13, 27, December 11, January 8, 22, February 5, 19, 2024
Registration can be found HERE: Structured Literacy Interventions 2023-2024
The Every Child Can Read Act requires schools in Kansas to collect and report specific data to KSDE and share specific information with parents at 3rd grade conference time. This is in response to legislation and began on July 1, 2023. Please see the following document for guidance in meeting the requirements of this legislation.
For students who qualify for the DLM, those students with significant cognitive disability, Kansas has an Alternative Early Literacy Screener that should be used for students K-3 to meet the Kansas dyslexia screening requirement. More information about the screener and a copy of the screener can be found at the above link. For questions, contact Cary Rogers at crogers@ksde.org.
Are you looking for incredible resources? Resources that are put forward by our Kansas MTSS experts? Please take a look at the Kansas MTSS and Alignment Reading Repository. Scroll down the left column to take a look at topics such as: Science of Reading, Tier 1: Core, Assessments, Tiers 2 & 3, etc.
They also provide a Math Repository, Preschool Repository and a BSEL Alignment Repository. It is a great time to build your professional resource library!
Have a question? KSDE is ready and willing to help you brainstorm answers! Literacy Lifeline if here!
At our PD sessions last year, teachers said it was valuable to engage in conversations and brainstorming with others who are in the classroom facing the same challenges they have. When a child presents with a certain profile, and you can't quite figure out what to do next- who can you ask? The KSDE Early Literacy/ Dyslexia Team!
We are going to try something new, and we are calling it "KSDE Literacy Lifeline"- this will be somewhat of a virtual office hours format...a place you can go to brainstorm with other educators. We will be available online via Zoom on Thursdays from 3:30-5:00 pm (to accommodate both time zones) starting Thursday, September 7th. Come for a minute...come for 10 minutes...let's figure out how to support you in doing the next right thing!
If you have topics you know of you would like to discuss...feel free to give us a "heads up" by using this link! Literacy Lifeline Questions/ Topics.
There are only two rules to follow:
No student names or identifying information shared
Respectful and encouraging language required by all who join
Zoom link: KSDE Early Literacy/ Dyslexia Virtual Office Hours
YOUR TIME AND OPPORTUNITY IS RUNNING OUT!
There are only two more cohorts (1 year left) to enroll in the LETRS professional learning opportunity provided by KSDE.
NEW LETRS for Administrators!
This is new to the KSDE LETRS initiative and now available to District and Building Administrators along with District Curriculum Leaders. (If you are directly supervising and coaching teachers who provide direct instruction to students, you may prefer to take the regular LETRS training.)
This is a 2-year program and includes 60 hours of online learning, reading and live training days via Zoom.
Registration for the Fall 2023 cohort closes on September 15, 2023.
LETRS for Educators/ Instructional Leaders K-12
This is two years of professional learning provided to support the transition to structured literacy to improve reading outcomes. Over 5,000 educators are already trained- or in the process of being trained at this time in Kansas!
This is available to educators in a state-accredited system who provide reading instruction to students at any grade level. It is especially relevant to all elementary teachers, K-12 special education teachers, Title teachers, ESOL teachers, At-risk teachers/ interventionists, reading specialists, instructional coaches, curriculum leaders and building principals who directly supervise teachers implementing reading instruction.
This training follows a hybrid model, with an online component, in-person training and a critical Bridge to Practice opportunity for application.
PLEASE NOTE:
Early Childhood LETRS takes 1 year and about 1.5 hours per week to complete
LETRS for other grade levels takes 2 years and about 2 hours per week to complete
Much more information and registration links can be found on the TASN Website:
Dolly Parton's Imagination Library is available for all Kansas kids Birth - Age 5
Dolly Parton was in Kansas City recently to celebrate the state-wide initiative to make sure her Imagination Library is available for all Kansas children, Birth-Five. If you have families in your school with young children, please share that opportunity with them. A book will be mailed to the family each month, from birth to age five. You can find out more information at the link below and please share the registration link as well!
This project was started by Dolly Parton due to her concern that her father was troubled by his inability to read and write. To hear more, you can listen to the WIBW Imagination Library news report.
Dolly Parton's Imagination Library and Registration link is found HERE!
Coming Attraction!
Jeri Powers and Melissa Brunner, KSDE Teacher Leader Consultants have recently recorded the Dyslexia: Tier 1 Supports for Middle/ Secondary Students professional learning sessions that were created and provided throughout the state last spring. These recordings are being finalized to go on the KSDE Dyslexia Page and will be accompanied by a Padlet of helpful resources. Be looking for this three-part series that can provide important professional learning for any and all content teachers who work with our middle/secondary students! They should be available in the next week or two!
If you know someone who would like to receive this newsletter, please ask them to contact me at ELitDyslexia@ksde.org to request being added to the Early Literacy/ Dyslexia listserv, or visit the KSDE Dyslexia page and select the purple HERE button and select Newsletter to see the current and past issues.
"You always make each day a Special Day by just being you."- Mr. Rogers