Such laws vary by state.

According to understood.org, a website on learning and attention issues founded by 15 nonprofit organizations, they generally address issues such as:

Link to main story: How schools are disrupting dyslexia

The definition of dyslexia

Early screening and identification in K3

Procedures for screening and intervention

Professional development

Training in teacher preparation programs

Accommodations and support for students who are dyslexic or at risk; and

Funding, according to understood.org, a website on learning and attention issues founded by 15 nonprofit organizations.

One of the earliest laws, adopted by Texas in 1985, required schools to screen and treat dyslexia. As a result of additional legislation passed over the years, Texas issued a 152-page dyslexia handbook in 2014, spelling out laws, procedures and research.

This year, the California State Department of Education issued the California Dyslexia Guidelines. The 118-page handbook, which is not binding, covers a wide range of topics, from neuroscience to effective instructional techniques.

Eleanor Chute is a freelance writer based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

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Addressing dyslexia should start with universal screening in kindergarten or first grade, if not sooner, says Marilyn Zecher, a language therapist who provides PD with the Atlantic Seaboard Dyslexia Education Center in Maryland.

“If we use a wait-to-fail model and we don’t flag students until third grade, they’re already three years behind” Zecher says.

When help isn’t provided, gaps in vocabulary and background knowledge grow because a student does little reading, which results in a need for intensive and explicit instruction in the structure of language as the student ages, says Louisa Moats, a consultant who’s chairing the rewrite of the International Dyslexia Association’s Knowledge and Practice Standards for Teachers of Reading.

“In kindergarten, if you do a half-hour a day of intensive instruction, that can have a very beneficial effect” Moats says. “In first grade, it might be 45 minutes but in second and third grade, it’s more like an hour. Beyond third grade, it’s an hour and a half to two hours.”

In the general classroom, some schools are providing accommodations, such as extra time for completing assignments or tests, opportunities to demonstrate knowledge orally, and practice using assistive technology such as audiobooks.

Some students are placed in small groups where they receive explicit and systematic instruction on the structure of language.

A delay in getting help has long-range consequences beyond reading success, says Sally Shaywitz, a professor of learning development at the Yale University School of Medicine and co-director of the Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity.

“What happens if you’re in school and you’re called to read aloud and you can’t? The kids start teasing you and the teacher will say, ‘How do you not know this?'” Shaywitz says. “Kids get turned off. They begin to think they’re stupid, and they begin not to see school as a place for them.”

A look at ‘structured literacy’

Dyslexia is the most common developmental reading disability, is lifelong and can range from mild to severe. Estimates of its prevalence range from about 5 percent to 20 percent of all students.

Contrary to what some believe, though, dyslexia is not a problem that causes a reader to reverse letters or read backward. It is a language-based disorder resulting from how the brain processes sounds.

“It’s a difficulty in getting to the individual sounds of spoken words���in order to read, you have to be able to connect the letter on the page to the sound it represents” says Shaywitz.

Dyslexic students struggle with decoding, a key literacy skill in which the reader matches letters to their sounds and recognizes patterns that make syllables and words. Dyslexic students can have trouble rhyming, sounding out words, reading fluently and spelling.

They also may struggle with some aspects of math, such word problems or other assignments that rely on word retrieval skills.

To reach dyslexic students, many reading experts recommend the structured literacy approach, which is an explicit and systematic way of helping students take apart the sounds of words.

More from 91心頭: It’s never too late to address dyslexia

Along with structured literacy, multisensory instruction can create learning memories in various parts of the brain, Zecher says. This approach uses manipulatives, such as pipe cleaners, beads and paper cut in sections, to teach numeracy and fractions.

A multisensory approach works for young children as well as for middle and high school students who, for example, can use linking cubes to model linear functions in algebra, Zecher says.

Increasing confidence

Districts are seeing success from early identification and intervention. Fort Worth ISD in Texas provides intensive help for about 1,400 students in elementary and middle school, says Sara Arispe, associate superintendent for accountability and data quality.

The district is in its second year of offering students two years of structured literacy instruction for one hour per day, five days per week, in groups no larger than six. The district hired 60 teachers last school year and another 60 this year and provided extensive PD.

Students can also receive accommodations in their regular classroom, such as extra time on assignments or the chance to demonstrate knowledge orally.

As one example of success, Arispe recalls a child who started school eagerly and loved stories but struggled to read, becoming unhappy and resistant to reading. After repeating first grade, he entered the district’s intensive program at the beginning of second grade. The child’s demeanor and progress improved dramatically by winter break.

Arispe says the child’s parent put it this way: “‘He looks forward to going to school. He feels confident in himself again and his ability to learn. He’s making progress by leaps and bounds.'”

In East Brunswick Public Schools in New Jersey, dyslexic students can read and listen to a wide array of audiobooks.

Adjusting the speed and presentation of the audio enables struggling readers to access books at higher comprehension levels, to build vocabulary and fluency, and to develop a love of literature, says Patricia LaDuca, supervisor of language arts and primary education.

The district added audiobooks and other literacy supports after New Jersey passed new dyslexia education laws a few years ago.

All K3 students in East Brunswick also get more phonics-oriented instruction through a multisensory, structured literacy program offered for about 25 minutes per day. Some of the activities include tapping the sounds of words and building words by manipulating letters.

“We’ve certainly seen some great progress” LaDuca says. “We’ve seen fewer kids struggling because we’re meeting their needs sooner. Kids like to read more, and are reading more at home.”

Eleanor Chute is a freelance writer based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

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���If you’re reading at a level at which you do everything else, it’s probably not dyslexia,��� Wagner says.

���If you’re reading below the level at which you do other things, it’s more likely to be dyslexia.���

Link to main story: How schools are disrupting dyslexia

Some dyslexic students meet the criteria for a specific learning disability for special education.

But other students who don’t meet the special education criteria still may need extra help.

For older students who continue to struggle, targeted instruction using structured literacy can be done through 12th grade, says Kathy Futterman, an education specialist with Mt. Diablo USD near Oakland, California, and a member of the working group that wrote California’s dyslexia guidelines.

���It’s never too late to remediate or help a student with dyslexia,��� says Futterman.

Eleanor Chute is a freelance writer based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

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Today’s deeper learning proponents urge schools to focus on six competencies: mastering rigorous academic content; thinking critically and solving problems; working collaboratively; communicating effectively; directing one’s own learning; and developing an academic mindset.

In schools that emphasize deeper learning, “the first thing you see is students know what they’re learning, how they’re learning and what they’re being held accountable for with regard to the quality of what they’re producing” says Monica Martinez, co-author of the book Deeper Learning: How Eight Innovative Public Schools Are Transforming Education in the Twenty-First Century (The New Press, 2014).

Original nonprofits in Deeper Learning Network

Asia Society

Big Picture Learning

ConnectEd

EdVisions Schools

EL Education

Envision Education

High Tech High

Internationals Network for PublicSchools

New Tech Network

New Visions for Public Schools

Martinez is also a senior school support strategist for XQ, a nonprofit that offers grants to help districts create “schools of the future.”

Part of the momentum results from the Hewlett Foundation’s creation, in 2011, of a Deeper Learning Network, which began as a collaboration of 10 education organizations that foster deeper learning in their own schools, share ideas, and provide models to the larger community.

Each group has its own approach, ranging from operating whole-school charters to providing services to traditional public schools.

Deeper learning activities helped to develop stronger cognitive, interpersonal and intrapersonal skills, according to a 2016 American Institutes for Research study of 20 high schools in the Deeper Learning Network and a matched set of non-network schools.

Many schools, even those outside the network, can point to instruction that goes beyond basic facts to engage students in thinking critically.

“I think deeper learning is happening in every school in America in little pockets where kids are diving in, where they’re building excitement and passion and depth in some subjects” says Ron Berger, chief academic officer of EL Education, an original member of the Deeper Learning Network.

Powered by projects and purpose

Many low-income students don’t get the deeper experiences needed for careers and postsecondary education, says Stephanie Wood-Garnett, vice president of policy-to-practice at the Alliance for Excellent Education, a national advocacy group for at-risk students.

No matter the ZIP code or whether the student is on a gifted, special education or other pathway, Wood-Garnett says, “every single one of those kids should have access to learning that prepares them to have these skills.”

Deeper learning often includes project-based instruction. At King Middle School, an EL Education-affiliated school in Portland Public Schools in Maine, students participate in two “learning expeditions” that last 12 to 15 weeks.

King has 540 students; 60 percent of them receive free or reduced-price lunch, and many live in homes where English is not the native language. Most of the students are from the immediate neighborhood though about 100 from outside the neighborhood choose to attend the school.

The learning expeditions, which vary year to year, are rooted in academic standards, center on a compelling real-world topic and include research, case studies, field work, collaboration, communication and a final product.

Through this work, students become engaged, master knowledge, work with others and express their ideas, says King’s principal, Caitlin LeClair.

In one expedition a few years ago, students examined small acts of courage, focusing on the civil rights movement from 1954 to 1965. The project included learning about pivotal events and interviewing community members who had played a role in the movement.

Their work became part of the African-American collection at the University of Maine. “The idea is kids are producing work that has purpose and serves our greater community” says LeClair.

The work is worthwhile, but “it’s also hard and you need to be able to provide teachers with the autonomy and trust to be able to create learning experiences that are really rigorous and relevant” LeClair says.

Teachers at King work in teams that operate on their own schedules and have common planning time. The school is also working to provide some off-site planning time.

Offering authenticity and advice

Central Coast New Tech High School opened in 2012 as a school of choice operated by Lucia Mar USD in California. Part of the New Tech Network, the high school has a 1-to-1 student-computer ratio. About 330 students are enrolled, including about 50 from outside the district.

One Central Coast project focused on cancer awareness. Students learned about cell mutation and cancer prevention, and interviewed doctors and survivors.

The interviews gave students experience in communicating with and learning from a primary source. And preparing their final report, which they presented in public, gave the students a meaningful goal.

“Everything a student is learning about the different content standards or the skills directly connects to some kind of authentic issue” says Principal Christian Holst.

Most Central Coast classes work on projects that last six to seven weeks. Math and foreign language classes, however, focus on problem-based learning sets that take only a few days.

School leaders also emphasize the need to develop a culture that supports deeper learning. So Central Coast begins each week with “advisories”: Groups of 20 students in mixed grade levels meet for 85 minutes with a teacher advisor. It’s a time for team-building, fostering growth mindsets and developing a love of learning.

If a student is having trouble with a project, the group can help the student work through challenges and solutions. This helps them become active participants in their learning, says Holst.

“The biggest thing is the active engagement” he says. “Students are sometimes wrestling with the curriculum, but they have a reason to learn.”

Also part of the New Tech Network, Cross County High School���a high-poverty rural school with about 300 students in grades 7 through 12 in the Cross County School District in Arkansas���has found project-based and problem-based learning to be more effective than traditional approaches to instruction.

“We can get a lot more out of kids if we let them do a lot more of the work and get a deeper understanding” says Matthew Swenson, assistant principal of Cross County High School.

The Cross County staff thought creatively about how to give rural students a deeper experience in learning about college and careers.

In the 2016-17 school year, about 40 students participated in virtual internships in which they worked with professionals and college students in fields of their interest, ranging from graphic design to veterinary science. School staff used their personal connections to find mentors across the country to take part long-distance via videoconference.

Big changes start with small ‘hacks’

School Retool also focuses on deeper learning. Launched in 2014, it is a partnership of Stanford University’s interdisciplinary design school���known as d.school���along with the Hewlett Foundation and IDEO, a for-p

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“Deeper learning is not about buying things, but deeper learning done well could allow us to think more effectively or differently on how to enhance the time we have” Wood-Garnett says.

Many deeper learning resources are available free on a website maintained by the Alliance for Excellent Education at www.deeperlearning4all.org and on the Hewlett Foundation’s website, www.hewlett.org/strategy/deeper-learning.

In concert with the Harvard Graduate School of Education, EL Education provides hundreds of examples of high quality, pre-K through 12 work in the resources section of its website: www.eleducation.org. EL Learning also offers its curriculum for free.

About 50 videos focusing on Deeper Learning Network schools are available on the Teaching Channel website, www.teachingchannel.org/deeper-learning-video-series.

Professional services for whole-school change can cost thousands of dollars. New Tech Network fees run about $100,000 to $125,000 a year���including a learning management system���for four years for a high school of about 400 to 600 students, says Lydia Dobyns, the organization’s president and CEO.

At EL Education, schools typically pay about $50,000 per year for five years for services. The price can rise for struggling schools or drop for more established schools, chief academic officer Ron Berger says.

EdVisions charges $150,000 for a three-year contract for the program that emphasizes self-directed, project-based learning, co-director Steven Rippe says. EdVisions focuses on schools with 300 students or less, and will work with multiple schools on the same campus.

Coaching services can also be purchased on a daily basis from some organizations.

School Retool, an initiative that includes Stanford University’s design school, charges $50,000 for a cohort of 20 school leaders to attend brainstorming sessions where they discuss their needs and design small changes, called “hacks” to expand deeper learning.

Philanthropy in the home district often covers each leader’s $2,500 fee, says Susie Wise, director of the K12 Lab Network at the design school.

The deeper learning community has been expanding. One of the original network members, High Tech High in San Diego, hosts an annual deeper learning conference���sponsored by Hewlett���for hundreds of educators from the network and elsewhere.

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Murdock says no one at school reached out to help, and she doesn’t want today’s students to face the same predicament.

“It would have been good if somebody had noticed something had happened” says Murdock, program coordinator for Project WHAT!, which partners with San Francisco USD to support students of incarcerated parents.

She says it would have made a difference if a teacher or someone else in the school had said, “Are you OK? Do you want to talk? I know something has changed. I’m here if you want to talk.”

More and more districts are looking for ways to keep children of incarcerated parents from falling behind in class or winding up in the discipline pipeline. This includes training staff about their specific challenges and developing a more welcoming school culture.

Schools also facilitate mentoring and after-school programs, often in partnership with social service agencies and community organizations. In some states, teachers even conduct conferences over the phone with parents in correctional facilities.

“I think if schools are not engaged, they soon will be engaged” says Sybil Knight-Burney, superintendent of the Harrisburg School District in Pennsylvania. In her district, school officials reach out to families affected by incarceration, and counselors lead small, trauma-focused student discussion groups.

“It’s something that is impacting many of our homes” Knight-Burney says. “Whatever is impacting outside of our schools always finds its way inside.”

A culture that doesn’t judge

In the United States, the incarceration rate more than quadrupled from 1972 to 2012, according to the National Research Council.

More than 2.7 million children���about 1 in 28���have an incarcerated parent, and about 10 million have experienced the incarceration of a parent at some point, according to the National Resource Center on Children and Families of the Incarcerated at Rutgers University-Camden.

This affects all racial and economic groups, but it disproportionately impacts minorities. One in nine African-American children, 1 in 28 Hispanic children, and 1 in 57 white children have an incarcerated parent, according to the center.

Parental incarceration affects children on every level, says Katelen Fortunati, a clinical social worker who counsels students of incarcerated parents in about 25 schools in Illinois.

“Incarceration touches every system within a child’s life, starting with the intimate personal relationship with that parent that is disrupted” she says. The ordeal causes a child to feel insecure about money, housing and future caretakers���who will take care of them?

“That creates so much stress and instability in a child’s life” she adds.

One of the challenges for schools is identifying the children because no one is required to tell school officials that a parent has been jailed. Also, families may not feel comfortable sharing the information.

“A lot of the information is not shared due to shame or embarrassment or lack of trust, or fear that the school is somehow treating them differently or judging them” says Eric Rossen, a school psychologist and director of professional development and standards at the National Association of School Psychologists.

The children become silent victims, adds Christophe Beard, management analyst in the early learning division at the District of Columbia Office of the State Superintendent of Education, which trains early education staff on how to help children of incarcerated parents.

“We have to change the culture where we make people feel more comfortable” Beard says. “That will help to eliminate the stigma.”

One of the first steps is training staff, which doesn’t have to be costly, says Ann Adalist-Estrin, director of the National Resource Center on Children and Families of the Incarcerated.

A trainer can be hired, or staff can lead sessions using materials on the center’s website. Even Sesame Street has developed a guide for parents and caregivers called “Little Children, Big Challenges: Incarceration.”

Training often includes explaining what incarceration is like and how it affects children, and how to spot warning signs in students, such as changes in behavior. Some training also focuses on attitudes.

Staff members are taught not to assume that children are bad, or consider them prime suspects when someone’s sneakers vanish from a locker.

Educators are shown how to use inclusive language, such as “caregiver” rather than “mom” or “dad.” They also learn not to ask students about what the parents did but instead to show compassion by being open to talking and offering other resources, such as counseling.

Trainers also point out ways to make the school more welcoming, such as adding books about incarceration to the school library.

C. Diane Wallace Booker, executive director of the U.S. Dream Academy, which offers after-school, literacy and mentoring programs in seven cities, says such a supportive environment “is going to allow kids who are dealing with a myriad of problems to share appropriately���it’s a culture that says we’re not going to judge your child based on the challenges” that their parent may be dealing with.

Reach out to willing partners

Some of the longest-standing efforts addressing the needs of these children started in communities and led to partnerships with school districts. Seedling Foundation, founded in 1997 to support special projects in Austin ISD in Texas, started in 2006 a school-based mentoring program for children of incarcerated parents.

In 2015-16, when the mentoring program served 623 students, an evaluation showed that 60 percent of the teachers surveyed found behavior improved, and a similar figure found improvements in academic efforts.

The U.S. Dream Academy���founded in 1998 to help at-risk youth, especially the children of the incarcerated���first opened in Washington, D.C., in 2000. Centers have been added at schools in Baltimore, Houston, Indianapolis, Orlando, Philadelphia and Salt Lake City, serving about 700 children a year.

Services vary by location. Booker says the group initially partnered with social service agencies but realized it would be more effective inside the school.

About a decade ago, Project WHAT!���part of Community Works, a nonprofit which advocates for a more humane justice system���began working with Bay Area youths, ages 14 to19, whose parents were incarcerated.

It now serves students in San Francisco, Alameda and Contra Costa counties, reaching participants via fliers in schools and counselors’ offices.

Project WHAT!���which stands for We’re Here and Talking���trains San Francisco USD counselors about the impact of parental incarceration. Students learn to express their feelings about their parents’ situations.

It is also developing classroom curriculum, using videos of youth relating their experiences and books that describe life in prison. Lessons should help students cope with trauma, says Project WHAT! Program Manager Matice Moore.

San Francisco USD provides curriculum and textbooks to the San Francisco County Jail so incarcerated parents can follow what their children are learning at school.

The district also intends to send teachers to the jail to conduct student conferences with parents in custody, says Mary Richards, executive director of the Student, Family and Community Support Division at San Francisco USD.

The Washington State Department of Corrections also began allowing some inmates to parti

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