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Dyslexia Support in BPS

Boston Public Schools

Office of Teaching and Learning

Chelsea Unis, Guild Elementary

Danissa Lopez, King K-8

Dr. Tiffany Hogan, MGHIHP

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Massachusetts Dyslexia Guidelines

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Professional Learning

Boston Public Schools

SYSTEM

  • Leveraging the Regional Model of Central Office Supports to tier and deploy supports as needed to schools
    • Literacy
    • Data
    • Pedagogy
    • Social-Emotional

EDUCATORS

  • 620 teachers trained in LETRS (with a plan to train all PreK-2nd teachers by June 2024)

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  • 977 Wilson and/or Orton Gillingham trained teachers across ALL schools

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  • Training in culturally-responsive use of high quality curriculum

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Screening

Boston Public Schools

  • District recommended progress monitoring tools presented and supported through professional learning and coaching:
    • CORE Phonics
    • PAST
    • Fundations Probes
    • DIBELS ORF
  • DESE-Approved Screeners (MAP Fluency and MAP Growth) 3x a year

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  • Family Letters sent home after each assessment window, one year in advance of DESE mandate.

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Interventions

Boston Public Schools

  • 6-8 week cycles of intervention

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  • Progress-monitoring

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  • Research-based tools (Heggerty, Fundations, content-rich decodable texts, Reading Horizons)
  • Targeted and dynamic skills-based grouping within Tier 1 and Tier 2 strategic small group literacy instruction

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  • Trained practitioners providing Tier 2 & 3 Interventions

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Practices

Boston Public Schools

  • Dyslexia Working Group
    • Tier 1&2 Literacy Flowchart
    • Tier 2&3 Literacy Flowchart
  • Universal Tier 1 instruction from high-quality instructional materials

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  • Tiered supports tied to and extending from Tier 1
    • Double -dose Fundations in strategic small groups
    • Wilson
    • OG
    • Reading Horizons

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Next Steps

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  • Upcoming: Tier 2 & 3 Flowchart
  • Reading Interventionists
  • Continued OG trainings
  • Dr. Hogan!

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Tiffany P. Hogan, PhD, CCC-SLP

MGH Institute of Health Professions

Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA

thogan@mghihp.edu @tiffanyphogan

@seehearspeakpodcast

@sailliteracylab

“No research about me without me”:

The science of reading needs the science of teaching reading…

partnering with schools to provide

evidence-based equity literacy instruction

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It takes approximately 15 years for less than 15% of efficacy research to make it into practice.

(Morris et al., 2011)

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Research to practice gap

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Also….practice to research gap!

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Match to context predicts practice impact

(Bauer & Kirchner, 2019)

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Implementation Science!

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Implementation Science

  • Implementation science is the scientific study of methods and strategies that facilitate the uptake of evidence-based practice and research into regular use by practitioners and policymakers.

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  • Closing the gap between what we know and what we do

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  • Findings are the ingredients…IS is how they’re prepared, combined, baked by the bakers

(Loper et al., 2021)

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BPS is at the forefront applying implementation science

In line with work in NYC and other large districts

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It’s an urgent matter!

  • Starting now…building on a great foundation
  • Applying for federal funds
  • Partnering to learn from others
  • Systematic and scientific process for improvement
  • It’s a marathon…and a sprint!

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