In SPIN’s September SPIN News we outlined the State Systemic Improvement Plan (SSIP) process—a wide-ranging plan to improve academic performance for Hawaii students with disabilities. Here’s a progress report:
- A focus on reading improvement has been selected, and
- A group of over 100 stakeholders met on December 12th to take a long look at data and factors that could be contributing to low reading performance.
The Office of Special Education who monitors how well states are providing services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) had given states a choice of four areas on which to focus their attention and resources:
- Reading performance,
- Math performance,
- Graduation rates, and
- Post School Outcomes.
Hawaii chose to concentrate on reading for a number of reasons. Only 24% of students with disabilities were proficient in reading on their statewide assessment last year compared to 69% of all students combined. Students with limited English (ELL) and students who receive free or reduced lunch (DIS) also performed 2-3 times better than special education students (SPED). Reading is a critical skill that all students need to be successful. Increased reading ability leads to higher graduation rates, lower dropout rates, better jobs upon graduation, and a greater likelihood of going to college. When the stakeholder group met in December, they also identified weaknesses in the delivery of services that, if improved, would likely have a positive impact on reading (for example, teacher training and the use of data to target instruction).
