Foundation Skill Interventions for Struggling Readers with Learning Disabilities

The purpose of this study is to gather data about struggling readers with learning disabilities from mid-sized urban school districts in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire. The project answers the following questions: (1) What diagnostic assessments are administered to students with identified learning disabilities who are struggling readers (e.g., fall below the Basic level on standardized tests) to determine their strengths and needs with respect to foundation skills (e.g., phonemic awareness, knowledge of high frequency sight words, and decoding ability)? (2) What intervention programs are districts providing to these students to build their foundation skills? (3) Once students are enrolled in these intervention programs, what further assessments are used to monitor their progress in the development of foundation skills? The project is gathering data through online statistics, review of documents, and interviews.