Good to know this Susan-- and wow, what a lot of issues to deal with.  
Your last comment is interesting-- I have a 33 year old daughter with 
some significant learning issues who finally got to that stage-- it was 
face the issues or never graduate;. She is finally graduating in May 
with much better insight about what she needs to do college and with 
absolutely astoundingly good support from her college.    But it DID 
take some pretty specific help and action for this to happen.   Robin

-----Original Message-----
From: Susan Jones <sujones at parkland.edu>
To: learningdisabilities at nifl.gov
Sent: Sun, 19 Feb 2006 22:16:12 -0600
Subject: Re: [LearningDisabilities] developmental education

There are whole journals and conferences and programs of study that do 
look at
many of these issues.  They do try to focus on what students need now.
     One thing is for sure, there are very different kinds of 
"developmental"
students.  THe ones who need to take Math 09? before they can take the 
stats
course to get their teaching degree are in a completely different ball 
park than
the ones who come in needing help across the board.   Then you've got a 
whole
*lot* of students who simply haven't been immersed in any kind of  
academic
culture.    I'm on anotehr listserv for developmental stuff and one 
college has
a workshop on "Professors are from Mars, Students are from Venus" with 
the main
focus on convincing students that teacher expectations and student 
expectations
are sometimes worlds apart (and that really, yes, really the 
expectations are
that high; get used to it).
     One of the things our college is trying to work into the "academic 
success "
center is a place for some kind of "triage" so we  can steer a student 
to the
most appropriate help.   This is where we would try to figure out 
whether a
person should be referred for testing, or whether (especially if they 
are
resistant to testing) some intensive work on figuring out their best 
learning
strategies is in order, intensive work on specific skills would help, 
or just
more run-of-the-mill helping them structure their time so they don't 
get
swamped... and a million other possibilities to find a way around the 
academic &
assorted other miscellaneous barriers to success.
     Part of the problem is the whole shame factor, whether it's 
connected to the
"disability" label or the "developmental" label.  One of the primary 
goals of
developmental educators is to address that nasty beast.  So many more 
of my
walk-in clients are older students who have gotten over the idea that 
you must
be defective if you have to get help.

Susan Jones
Academic Development Specialist
Academic Development Center
Parkland College
Champaign, IL  61821
sujones at parkland.edu
Webmastress,
http://www.resourceroom.net

>>> fantine at ohio.edu 02/19/06 12:31 PM >>>

I think it would be beneficial to look at this issue nationwide - 
although,
I'm sure it would be depressing - but then again it might inspire us 
all
into action to do something about it.  A few weeks ago, I was invited 
to a
meeting here at Ohio University (OU) where it was revealed that each 
year
the number of first year students needing developmental math and 
reading
courses has increased significantly over the last 5 years - it was
mentioned that this year nearly 50% of incoming freshman needed a
developmental math course (this was quite shocking to most of the OU
faculty at this meeting), it was also mentioned that a smaller, but 
still
significant (and still alarming) number of freshman needed basic 
reading
skills, which was why I was invited to this meeting.  I've been asked 
to
provide a course (which I insisted be free to the students) that will
basically teach college students how to read, if they don't happen to 
have
that skill when they get here - and this is different than the "speed
reading" and "how to read college texts" classes OU already offers.

Another depressing issue that emerged from this meeting, the increasing
number of education majors (future teachers) getting waivers from 
taking
the PRAXIS test b/c of their lack of reading skills.

I'm all about understanding learning struggles, providing  
accommodations
to those who need them, etc.; however, I do have a problem giving 
waivers
to future teachers who will be getting jobs in local schools and 
expected
to teach kids to read when they themselves cannot.  Seems to me this
perpetuates an unfavorable cycle.

-J






--On Saturday, February 18, 2006 6:42 PM -0600 Glenn Young
<gyoungxlt at comcast.net> wrote:


> OK Robin ... What are the issues?

>

> Immigration or bad schooling in Texas or both, or other options such 

as

> high levels of neurological impairments based on environmental issues?

>

> What are the issues as you seem them?

>

>

> Glenn Young

> 505 East Braddock Rd # 608

> Alexandria VA 22314

> 703-684-1750

> gyoungxlt at comcast.net

>

>

> -----Original Message-----

> From: learningdisabilities-bounces at nifl.gov

> [mailto:learningdisabilities-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of

> robinschwarz1 at aol.com

> Sent: Saturday, February 18, 2006 5:53 PM

> To: learningdisabilities at nifl.gov

> Subject: Re: [LearningDisabilities] accommodations, colleges, adult

> learning programs, etc...

>

> The "developmental studies" population seems to be a monumental issue

> in community colleges.   In Texas, I was told last week that 70% of

> students coming to a community college in north east Texas had to go 

into

> developmental courses; in one Houston area  cc it was 60%-- and of

> at least that many in Albuquerque.   I think it is not hard to figure

> out why this is so--the problem is how to help these students get at

> regular college courses.......Robin

>

> -----Original Message-----

> From: Susan Jones <sujones at parkland.edu>

> To: learningdisabilities at nifl.gov

> Sent: Sat, 18 Feb 2006 17:09:50 -0600

> Subject: [LearningDisabilities] accommodations, colleges, adult 

learning

> programs, etc...

>

> This was originally a reply to a request for information about college

> programs to teach teachers in adult ed situations that Rochelle 

thought

> was mis-labeled on the topic line (re-reading it, I"m not sure it was 

- I

> was talking about degrees in 'developmental education').

>

> It loosely ties with the ongoing discussion of how to marshall our 

efforts

> to change the infrastructures to improve opportunities for folks with

> learning disabilities.

>

> The entire discipline of "developmental education" for learning at the

> college level is not "special ed" or psych, but  I've  seen (in

> developmental education

> journals) ads for college degree programs in adult ed. and 

developmental

> education.  The non-LD issues (educational, cultural, psychological) 

and

> some LD issues are addressed in journals and conferences; I don't 

know if

> it's trickled down to the education programs.  There are workshops and

> training and certifications (Kellogg INstitute for example) as well.  

The

> professionals in the field seem very receptive to information about LD

> issues - I have been implored to bring back information from the TRLD

> conference specifically to better address students with LD in our

> developmental and higher level courses.

> There is generally a resistance to K-12 models.

>

> Parkland College is currently doing a major re-vamping of its academic

> assistance to students at all levels in an effort to be less 

redundant and

> more thorough (spend less time duplicating services and more time 

making

> sure we reach more students). The recent efforts in my unit (Academic

> Development Center, working with students in pre-100 level courses) 

have

> been successful enough that the powers that be want to spread the 

success.

> People working intensively and "intrusively" with students has been a

> crucial element of our success.

>

> My job description is that I work with students with learning 

disabilities

> or a history of learning difficulties, or words to that effect.  This

> means they don't need documentation to get my tutoring & academic 

support

> services.  Many of the faculty working in develomental level courses 

know

> they're dealing with students with LDs; like any other group of 

faculty

> they have varying degrees of understanding of accommodations.  This

> college and others also struggle with defining their roles in serving 

the

> needs of the folks who have major literacy

> needs.   There's room for some of the efforts you're talking about in

> shifting

> infrastructures.  We struggle with where to direct students who score 

too

> poorly on our placement tests to qualify for classes; other schools 

have

> open enrolment and these students are in the classes until the system

> grinds them back out.

>    At this level, technology makes some major evolution possible in 

the

> accommodation realm.  Things like SpeechQ/WordQ and Draft: Builder 

have a

> lot of potential and I'm curious to see whether there isn't some odd

> backlash (will teachers forbid the use of certain kinds of 

technology?).

>

>

> Susan Jones

> Academic Development Specialist

> Academic Development Center

> Parkland College

> Champaign, IL  61821

> sujones at parkland.edu

> Webmastress,

> http://www.resourceroom.net

> ----------------------------------------------------

> National Institute for Literacy

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Jeff Fantine
Director, Center for the Study and Development'
 of Literacy and Language
College of Education
Ohio University
338 McCracken Hall
Athens, OH  45701
800-753-1519
fax:  740-593-2834
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To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings, please go to
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