Dr. Carol's Blog

Powerlink is one of the homegrown Pittsburgh non-profit groups that has grown up and has made its mark. Powerlink helps women business owners with Pittsburgh advisors in law, marketing, human resources, accounting, and more. Check out their website for the companies they have supported or how you might get involved. Total Learning Centers is proud to say we are both a recipient of a advisory panel and serve to help other women on their advisory panels. Lee Ann Munger is the Executive Director and she is an amazing leader and would be happy to talk to anyone about the organization.

Total Learning Centers was proud to be showcased at the annual Powerlink Connect the Dots. Check out www.powerlink.org

I am proud of the effort of Total Learning Centers joining with Pittsburgh’s Got Sole along with STORExpress, Vital Signs and others to do something extra for Haitian survivors. This is a way we can all participate and clean our closets at the same time. Bring gently worn shoes of all types and sizes to the Total Learning Centers or other drop offs. Suggested donation is $2 per pair of shoes to help with shipping. Collections will continue through February.

Dr. Carol

Following is a press release from about the program.

Haitian Relief: Total Learning Centers Joins Pittsburgh’s Got Sole for Massive Shoe Drive

At Total Learning Centers (TLC), even kids have a chance to contribute to the Haitian relief efforts. Total Learning Centers is teaming with Pittsburgh’s Got Sole

(I-Newswire) January 21, 2010 – At Total Learning Centers (TLC), even kids have a chance to contribute to the Haitian relief efforts. TLC’s Executive Director Dr. Carol Utay has agreed to team up with Pittsburgh’s Got Sole, a consortium of Pittsburghers who are working jointly with Soles4Souls to launch the biggest shoe drive in Pittsburgh history.

TLC just agreed to be the first business location for the Pittsburgh’s Got Sole donation boxes. The boxes will be in place by the end of the week at all four of TLC’s Pittsburgh-area locations. The brain-based learning center will encourage all of its kids to get involved as much as they can, not only bringing in their own shoes, but perhaps doing their own mini-drives as well, collecting from friends, relatives and classmates.

“We wanted to figure out a way that our students and families could participate in the Haitian relief efforts,” said Dr. Utay. “Collecting and donating shoes is definitely something they can do, and it empowers them as individuals when they realize the impact their contributions can make.”

The shoe drive will run from January 25 through February.

Pittsburgh’s Got Sole is still organizing additional area businesses and nonprofits for the massive shoe drive. Pittsburgh’s Got Sole Founder Sandy Burkett, owner and president of Vital Signs, reached out to many of her business contacts to generate interest for the project. In turn, Dr. Utay asked her business contacts to sign on as participants, and STORExpress agreed to place donation boxes at its six locations and advertise on its electronic signs. All involved hope that the generosity will continue, and more businesses and community organizations will step up and help in the shoe drive.

“We are happy TLC can use its business and community ties to aid in this project. The people of Haiti need our help, and we all need to do our part,” Dr. Utay said.

Pittsburgh’s Got Sole will be sending the shoes to the Soles4Souls’ warehouse in Alabama. For more information on the group, visit www.PittsburghsGotSole.com

About Total Learning Centers LLC Total Learning Centers, based outside of Pittsburgh, Pa., in Wexford, is a locally owned and operated academic, brain-based learning facility. With additional locations in Fox Chapel, Murrysville and the South Hills, TLC offers one-on-one tutoring and other individualized services in an open, child-friendly environment for clients ages 5 through adult. Founded in 1999 by Drs. Joe and Carol Utay, TLC uncovers the underlying real issues then prepares each student today for success tomorrow through direct, intensive, research-based methods to ensure significant gains in reading, writing, math, attention, processing, memory and more. For more information, call (724) 940-1090 or visit www.TotalLearningCenters.com

This is a letter a colleague of mine sent to the Pennsylvania Department of Education regarding the use of Reading Recovery. I admire her so much for her careful research and her passion to help students receive a research-based education. There is controversy over Reading Recovery and after seeing the program personally I have not seen gains for students. In addition, the research is not supportive. Please take the time to read Pam Cook’s letter and view the links and make your own educated decision.

Dr. Carol

Dear Dr. Zahorchak,

I am writing to express both my appreciation and concern regarding the PA Department of Education Race to the Top application: http://www.portal.state.pa.us/…/charter_schools_race_to_the_top/

I am an education consultant/advocate working on behalf of students with disabilities in western PA and have served on the PA Dept of Education’s RtI Parent Engagement Group since 2007.

In the PDE’s application for Race to the Top funds, I was pleased to see the focus on data-based decision making using “real time” data and a multi-measure evaluation system for teachers that takes into account data on student growth as a significant factor. I was also pleased to see the development of “Individual Learning Plans” for all students included in the application.

I am very surprised and disappointed to see Reading Recovery listed under “required programs in turnabout schools” (page 25).

According to “Evidence-Based Research on Reading Recovery”, a 5/21/02 joint statement by 31 leading reading researchers, Reading Recovery should not be used for the following reasons ( http://www.nrrf.org/rrletter_5-02.pdf http://www.nrrf.org/rrletter_5-02.pdf):

* Reading Recovery is not successful with its targeted student population, the lowest performing students. * Reading Recovery is not a cost effective solution. * Reading Recovery efficacy studies do not use standard assessment measures. * Reading Recovery does not change by capitalizing on research.

I’m really concerned that PDE is requiring Reading Recovery (“or comparable elementary reading intervention model”) for all students below grade level in grades 1 through 3 when Reading Recovery has been so widely criticized by so many highly regarded researchers. Please also see:

READING RECOVERY: AN EVALUATION OF BENEFITS AND COSTS

Bonnie Grossen and Gail Coulter , University of Oregon

http://www.literacycare.com/patients/interventions/readingrecovery.pdf http://www.literacycare.com/patients/interventions/readingrecovery.pdf “If a school’s goal is to raise the overall level of reading performance, Reading Recovery is not the appropriate intervention to choose. Both Reading Recovery advocates and critics agree on this point.”

and

Reading Recovery: What do School Districts Get for Their Money? http://www.wrightslaw.com/info/read.rr.research.farrall.htm http://www.wrightslaw.com/info/read.rr.research.farrall.htm

“Summary” “Independent research does not validate Reading Recovery’s claims of success. Reading Recovery lacks a standard, nondiscriminatory goal for improving reading skills. Reading Recovery does not use standard measures of assessment to document progress.”

“In house-data from Reading Recovery does not account for the high number of children who are dropped from the program, or for the selection process used to determine eligibility for the program.”

“Reading Recovery does not reduce the need for special education and Title I services. Finally, Reading Recovery is expensive when compared to other programs.”

Is the PA Department of Education aware of these concerns? I know that Reading Recovery has met What Works Clearinghouse evidence standards (http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/pdf/WWC_Reading_Recovery_031907.pdf). In view of the findings above, the reasoning behind this is a mystery to me.

Finally, the following quotes highlight the extreme importance of this issue ( http://www.childrenofthecode.org/cotcintro.htm http://www.childrenofthecode.org/cotcintro.htm):

“No other skill taught in school and learned by school children is more important than reading. It is the gateway to all other knowledge. Teaching students to read by the end of third grade is the single most important task assigned to elementary schools. Those who learn to read with ease in the early grades have a foundation on which to build new knowledge. Those who do not are doomed to repeated cycles of frustration and failure.” – American Federation of Teachers

“Reading is absolutely fundamental. It’s almost trite to say that. But in our society, the inability to be fluent consigns children to failure in school and consigns adults to the lowest strata of job and life opportunities.” – Dr. Grover Whitehurst, Assistant Secretary, U.S. Department of Education – Director, Institute of Education Sciences.”

In my opinion, requiring that Reading Recovery be taught to all students below grade level in grades 1 through 3 in our lowest performing schools will certainly not help Pennsylvania achieve success in its “Race to the Top” and will doom Pennsylvania’s “children to failure in school”.

I would very much appreciate hearing your views on this concern.

Pam Cook, M.Ed. ABC Consulting Services http://www.ABCadvocacy.net www.ABCadvocacy.net

It is clear that we must no longer just sit back with despair and/or frustration when a child has weak attention. Research shows there are clear paths that can lead to improvement in focus and all five types of attention. Medication still remains one of the most common attention-improving tools; however, many families either do not want to or are not able to use medication. Does that mean those parents are out of options? Absolutely not! Mindfulness, direct teaching, nutrition, social interactions, behavioral counseling, and more show solid research for improving attention. At Total Learning Centers I see great changes with children and adults. It is exciting to see improvements instead of just accepting accommodations. While accommodations may also be necessary, we want intrinsic skills and abilities to be improved as much as possible. Don’t give up hope. There are ALWAYS options. Good ones.

Check out This Emotional Life on PBS – great clips on attention and Aspergers – gives some interesting insight. It helps me understand why Cogmed made such a difference with students on the spectrum. This relates to a recent study in which 30% of students who had Autism significantly improved social skills after Cogmed. http://www.pbs.org/thisemotionallife/

Is homework the best way to help reinforce learning? What do you think?

Two Canadian parents brought that question to the supreme court and won. There was no proof that homework helped with learning and the final judgment – no more homework for their children. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/nov/18/canada-homework-milley For years we have watched stressed families struggle through homework and wondered if there was enough or any benefit to the homework. We watch students practice math, reading, spelling, etc – wrong and then it takes much more reteaching to get them back on the right track. We watch students with focus, memory, processing, learning issues that are already exhausted from the day have homework that should take thirty minutes take one to two hours of energy that they just do not have. We worry about what the homework replaces … family dinners, sports, playtime, and just plain down time.

I hope everyone is starting the year out right today! Relax, enjoy time with family and think about what your New Year’s Resolution will be. Everyone typically makes New Year’s resolutions to work out and eat healthier or lose that extra 20 pounds. Did you know working out your brain and not just your body is also very important? You need to hone and strengthen your executive functioning skills, not just build muscle and burn fat. Read the latest research on Executive Functioning and how it affects  children in particular — GreatSchools.org