Remedial Reading Help

In response to your Oct. 4 articles on reading remediation: I now sit at my desk filling out “intervention” forms for two of my sixth-grade students. Both have the reading ability of a second-grade student. Why they haven’t received help in the past is sitting on my lap--a 10-page form that must be filled out before the “intervention process” may begin. On these forms are eight individual surveys of various skills, space for statistical averages of test and report card grades for the past three years and requests for six different narratives from the teacher filling out the form. I must get the school nurse to fill out part of the form--a difficult task since she visits the school only once a week.

Then the “process” begins: I must meet with the parent to establish an “intervention” both at school and at home--and the parent must agree to both. That means to schedule an appointment during the school day when a translator is available (since both of these students have non-English-speaking parents). If the “intervention” does not improve the child’s achievement, another conference must be held and another set of “interventions” must be agreed upon. If after another month these remediations are not successful, then a form will be filled out so that the child’s lack of progress can be reviewed by the student study team of the school. They have the right to decide if another “intervention” is warranted or if the child should receive a battery of special tests. If an “intervention” is chosen, the case may be reviewed after another month. If testing is chosen, then an appointment is scheduled with a psychologist and a consent form is sent to the parent. After up to four weeks, the tests are given and about two weeks later the student study team meets with the parent to discuss the results and offer programs that may help the child.

I have been told that the “intervention” process was established by the state to limit the abuses of too many teachers referring too many students for special help. I can attest to the efficacy of this policy, since I am looking at records of students below the 10th percentile in reading who have never been referred for special reading help. BOB BRUESCH, Teacher

Willard School

Rosemead