The Beacon Spring 2016

The Windward School

The

Beacon The Windward School Newsletter for Educators and Parents Spring 2016

In This Issue The Utility of Neuroimaging Studies

by Jessica M. Black, Chelsea A. Myers and Fumiko Hoeft Page 1 Head Lines Windward Opens its Third Campus

by Dr. John J. Russell Head of School Page 4 Review of Research Reading and Attention

by Dr. John J. Russell Head of School Page 6 Faculty Essay The Making of a Windward Teacher

by Sandra Schwarz Page 8 WTTI Update WTTI Welcomes Educators from Singapore Page 10 Alumni Profile: Oliver Jacobi ’05

By Bonni Brodnick Page 12

This article was originally published in New Directions for Child and Adolescent Development ©2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Volume 2015, Issue 147, pages 49–56, Spring 2015. Used with permission.

The Utility of Neuroimaging Studies

for Informing Educational Practice and Policy in Reading Disorders

By Jessica M. Black, Chelsea A. Myers and Fumiko Hoeft Fumiko Hoeft, M.D., Ph.D. is the guest lecturer at The Windward School’s Robert J. Schwartz Memorial Lecture on the evening of Wednesday, April 13, 2016.

Abstract Educational neuroscience is an emerging scientific field that brings together researchers from neuroscience, psychology, and education to explore the neurocognitive processes underlying educational practice and theory. In this brief article, we take reading disorder (RD, also known as developmental dyslexia) as an example, and explore trends in neuroimaging research, which may have future implications for educational practice and policy. Specifically, we present two examples that have been central to research efforts in our laboratory: (a) utilizing multimodal neuroimaging to optimize criteria to diagnose RD, and (b) identifying neuroimaging markers that predict future academic outcomes. Such research is faced with important challenges, and rigorous validation is necessary before any claims of the widespread practical utility of neuroimaging can be made. Nevertheless, we contend that neuroimaging studies offer opportunities for providing critical information that could lead to advancing theory of reading and RD. This could in turn lead to better diagnostic criteria and more accurate and earlier identification of RD. Introduction Although reading brings joy to many children, for a subset of students who struggle to read, it can lead to a cascade of negative self-perceptions and reduced access to educational content. Reading disorder (RD) is neurobiological in origin (Lyon, Shaywitz, & Shaywitz, 2003) and affects 5–17% of all children (Fletcher, Lyon, Fuchs, & Barnes, 2007). Neuroimaging research has substantially enhanced our understanding of the mechanisms of (a) typical reading development. Further, imaging findings provide a neurocognitive explanation for existing reading pedagogy and promote neuroscience evidence-based practice. In the coming pages, we emphasize our work and others’ to provide two examples of the potential usefulness of neuroimaging to: (a) improve diagnostic criteria for RD and (b) supplement current practice of predicting reading outcomes. We conclude with limitations of neuroimaging and cognitive neuroscience.

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Example 1: Validating and Optimizing Identification Criteria for RD Informed by Neuroimaging RD is an unexpected difficulty in learning to read that cannot be explained by other cognitive, motivational, or environmental factors (Lyon et al., 2003; Shaywitz, Morris, & Shaywitz, 2008). This “unexpectedness” of RD has led to a cross-discipline search as to how to best characterize it—a challenging pursuit—as RD lies on a continuum with considerable variability. Despite a number of studies showing functional and structural brain anomalies and substantial genetic linkages, there is currently not a robust and universal diagnostic criterion. This ambiguity leads to a predicament in public health where a number of struggling students are unable to receive services and others are being misdiagnosed.

Historically, research efforts have been instrumental in guiding the criteria set forth by the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) originally enacted in 1975 (then the Education for All Children Act) to ensure children with disabilities educational rights. Prior to amendments to the IDEA in 2004, it was generally accepted that intraindividual discrepancy between aptitude and achievement should be used for the diagnostic criteria in RD, where intelligence (IQ) is often used as a proxy for aptitude (though some have proposed other measures such as listening comprehension) (Stanovich, 1991). The discrepancy model has led to a number of criticisms. For example, studies have since shown that poor readers with and without discrepancy perform similarly on phonological processing skills important for reading (Hoskyn & Swanson, 2000; Stuebing et al., 2002), and respond to interventions similarly (Stuebing, Barth, Molfese, Weiss, & Fletcher, 2009). Therefore with the reauthorization of IDEA in 2004, federal policy no longer mandates that discrepancy be present for a diagnosis of RD (Fletcher et al., 2007).

Low achievement has been suggested as an alternative criterion for diagnosis. However, its usage has not been straightforward either. Namely, there are complexities in utilizing low achievement on its own, such as distinguishing a low achiever from someone who hasn’t received proper instruction. There is minimal solid neurobiological evidence that favors low achievement over discrepancy; some have shown that RD individuals who fit low achievement criteria show less homogeneity, genetic heritability, and treatment resistance (Stanovich, 1991; Wadsworth, Olson, Pennington, & DeFries, 2000; Willcutt et al., 2010).

A more recent classification approach, included in the IDEA, is the multitiered intervention structure, implemented within the school system, known as the response to intervention (RTI) model. RTI overcomes the difficulty in dissociating those poor readers who lack adequate reading instruction. In RTI, criteria for RD are met if an individual does not respond to increasingly intense intervention, typically assessed repeatedly through curriculum-based measures (Denton, 2012). Though promising, RTI is not without difficulties, as it requires cutpoints of responsiveness, which vary across research studies (Denton, 2012; Fuchs & Deshler, 2007).

Despite robust behavioral research efforts, the ambiguity of diagnosis of RD is without question. Thus, the role of neuroimaging in diagnosis criteria may be twofold: (a) providing

neurobiological support for or against existing theories that may be controversial, and (b) providing unique and sensitive insight not explained by behavioral measures on their own. It is important to note that it is typically difficult to perform neuroimaging studies of different RD identification criteria using a population-based sample because of factors such as high cost of imaging and ascertainment bias. Nevertheless, there are several studies that have examined different experimental models of RD identification criteria (Rezaie et al., 2011; Simos, Fletcher, Rezaie, & Papanicolaou, 2014; Tanaka et al., 2011).

For example, a magnetoencephalography (MEG) study, with implications for understanding RTI, found baseline differences in neural activity between children with RD who did and did not respond to interventions. Future responders showed greater activity in the left temporo-parietal region, important for grapheme–phoneme integration and phonological processing.

The amount of activity in the temporo-parietal region prior to intervention was predictive of gains in reading fluency post intervention (Rezaie et al., 2011). Further, our group performed a functional magnetic resonance imaging study (fMRI) of phonological processing to investigate whether low achievers exhibited similar brain activation patterns as those with discrepancy. Such evidence would support behavioral literature debunking the discrepancy model (Tanaka et al., 2011). We found no reliable functional brain differences between the low achievement (poor reading and poor IQ) and discrepant poor readers (poor reading but discrepant and typical IQ). A more recent study involving an overt decoding task during MEG, requiring phonological processing, showed converging evidence (Simos et al., 2014). Thus, neuroimaging findings generally support behavioral evidence that identification of RD based on low achievement and RTI seems neurobiologically most plausible.

In addition to continuing these efforts of providing neurocognitive information to validate diagnostic criteria, the next frontier is to utilize neuroimaging to refine identification criteria. Perhaps most important to this effort is the notion that neuroimaging data are considered intermediate (endophenotype) to genetics and behavior with greater sensitivity than behavior in identifying the cause of RD (Cannon & Keller, 2006). This potential sensitivity of neuroimaging data may also prove to be useful in early identification and intervention.

Example 2: Neuroimaging in Aiding Prediction of Reading Outcomes and Potential for Early Identification and Intervention Children with RD, especially when intervened early, can make substantive gains in reading (Al Otaiba & Fuchs, 2006; Fletcher et al., 2007; Shaywitz et al., 2008). Early identification and intervention can also reduce socioemotional problems secondary to reading struggle (Gerber et al., 1990; Ofiesh & Mather, 2013).

Currently, family history is one of the strongest risk factors for developing RD, especially in early years where preliteracy measures such as letter knowledge, vocabulary, phonological awareness, and rapid naming cannot be reliably obtained (Caravolas et al., 2012; Lefly & Pennington, 2000). Therefore, it will be useful to have reliable early markers that will identify which of those with family history will develop RD, as well as Cont’d on page 3

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early markers for those without genetic risk for developing RD. The potential power of imaging is the ability to measure reading-related precursors in the brain prior to children developing the skills necessary for traditional behavioral assessment. For example, findings from event-related potential (ERP) studies, measuring the electrical activity of the brain, show that infants’ ERP patterns predict preliteracy and reading in school-aged children (Espy, Molfese, Molfese, & Modglin, 2004; Leppanen et al., 2012). The advantages of ERP over other imaging modalities is its cost-effectiveness, widespread accessibility, and noninvasiveness, hence allowing tests for markers of early reading difficulties in newborns.

A number of imaging techniques, including MRI, examining children as they start to develop literacy skills or once they are proficient have surfaced in the past decade. Although MRI may not be a cost-effective widespread means for early identification and prediction of therapeutic response, its potential advantage is in the ability for large spatial coverage, including deeper brain structures. Further, there is potential to transfer knowledge to other more accessible imaging modalities (e.g., near-infrared spectroscopy; Cui, Bray, Bryant, Glover, & Reiss, 2011).

Our group and others have found that functional and/or structural imaging data not only predict reading outcome (Linkersdorfer et al., 2014; McNorgan, Alvarez, Bhullar, Gayda, & Booth, 2011; Yeatman, Dougherty, Ben-Shachar, & Wandell, 2012), but also predict outcome when standard reading-related measures do not (Hoeft et al., 2011). Additionally, imaging data can add nonredundant information to standard reading-related scores predicting reading acquisition and outcome, explaining an additional 12–24% of the total variance (Bach, Richardson, Brandeis, Martin, & Brem, 2013; Hoeft et al., 2007; Maurer et al., 2009; Myers et al., 2014).

Although recent attempts to use neuroimaging as biomarkers are seemingly promising, there are important caveats that should be understood. First, neuroimaging studies will not reveal the cause of RD, although it may be an ideal tool to measure the interactive effect of environment and genetics on reading behavior. Second, most studies follow children only for a short period of time (1–3 years). Third, sample sizes are small and biased, as in other neuroimaging studies. Further, often crossvalidation is not performed, which reduces the chance of the models to generalize to other samples. Ultimately, studies that include population-based samples with proper validation methods that perform cost–benefit analyses and measures of stability and psychometric properties of the instrument and data are required.

intergenerational transmission patterns of RD (van Bergen, van der Leij, & de Jong, 2014). To this end, neuroimaging of the parents may fuel this endeavor and lead to better understanding of the mechanisms of RD. In doing so, we should include measures of environment (e.g., prenatal, school) and socioemotional factors (e.g., motivation) that will allow comprehensive assessment of each child. This should in turn lead to improving reading as well as nonreading interventions for RD. While neuroimaging will continue to take a relatively indirect role in practice, cross-discipline avenues of work that include neuroimaging have the potential to fuel personalized education, meeting the children where they are in terms of neurobiology, cognitive skills, and environmental influences to enhance outcome.

In sum, we present here a brief overview of examples of how neuroimaging may have (in)direct implications for educational practice. We cannot say with certainty where the field of RD research and practice will head, but given the deleterious effects on both individuals and society, future efforts in the field must aim for prevention, earlier identification, and intervention. The chances of success in these areas are clearly increased with fluid collaboration between practice and research to inform policy and treatment.

Future Direction Neuroimaging has greatly enhanced our understanding of the brain basis of RD, definition and identification. We now consider three important next steps in RD neuroimaging work, each with implications for policy and practice. First, there is a possibility of examining the developmental trajectories, or “growth charts,” of reading circuits to better predict outcome and to dissociate often intertwined effects of maturational delay from dysfunction. Second, there is increased importance of considering parental information to better understand

Denton, C. A. (2012). Response to intervention for reading difficulties in the primary grades: Some answers and lingering questions. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 45(3), 232–243. doi:10.1177/0022219412442155

References Al Otaiba, S., & Fuchs, D. (2006). Who are the young children for whom best practices in reading are ineffective? An experimental and longitudinal study. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 39(5), 414–431.

CrossRef,PubMed,Web of Science® Times Cited: 71 Bach, S., Richardson, U., Brandeis, D., Martin, E., & Brem, S. (2013).

Print-specific multimodal brain activation in kindergarten improves prediction of reading skills in second grade. NeuroImage, 82, 605–615. doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2013.05.062 CrossRef,PubMed,Web of Science® Times Cited: 6 Cannon, T. D., & Keller, M. C. (2006). Endophenotypes in the genetic analyses of mental disorders. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 2, 267–290. doi:10.1146/annurev.clinpsy.2.022305.095232 CrossRef,PubMed,Web of Science® Times Cited: 143 Caravolas, M., Lervag, A., Mousikou, P., Efrim, C., Litavsky, M., OnochieQuintanilla, E., … Hulme, C. (2012). Common patterns of prediction of literacy development in different alphabetic orthographies. Psychological Science, 23(6), 678–686. doi:10.1177/0956797611434536 CrossRef,PubMed,Web of Science® Times Cited: 29 Cui, X., Bray, S., Bryant, D. M., Glover, G. H., & Reiss, A. L. (2011). A quantitative comparison of NIRS and fMRI across multiple cognitive tasks.

NeuroImage, 54(4), 2808–2821. doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2010.10.069 CrossRef,PubMed,Web of Science® Times Cited: 23

CrossRef,PubMed,Web of Science® Times Cited: 9 Espy, K. A., Molfese, D. L., Molfese, V. J., & Modglin, A. (2004).

Development of auditory event-related potentials in young children and relations to word-level reading abilities at age 8 years. Annals of Dyslexia, 54, 9–38.

CrossRef,PubMed,Web of Science® Times Cited: 29 Fletcher, J. M., Lyon, G. R., Fuchs, L. S., & Barnes, M. (2007). Learning disabilities: From identification to intervention. New York, NY: Guilford Press.

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Head Lines

Windward Opens Its Third Transforming the Lives of Hundreds More Students

By Dr. John J. Russell, Head of School

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t is with great pride that I report on the extraordinary progress we have made in fulfilling Windward’s mission and defining the next chapter in the history of our School.

Year after year, the lives of far too many children are filled with serious academic challenges that jeopardize their future success in school and in life. For more than 40 years, Windward has been transforming the lives of students with language-based learning disabilities through our research-based teaching methodology.

Despite having transformed the lives of so many students and their families, thousands more children in the Tri-State Region continue to struggle with language-based learning disabilities because they do not receive the research-based instruction they need to become confident, successful students and adults. In fact, each year, we are unable to offer seats to far too many students who need Windward’s proven program.

In 2009, the Board of Trustees responded to this

heartbreaking reality by commissioning comprehensive studies and spending hundreds of hours meeting with leading educators and educational consultants in order to determine the best way to serve more children. After careful consideration, the Board unanimously approved a strategic plan that had the overarching goal to expand our capacity to educate more children and to broaden our reach within the educational community.

In 2012, the School completed the first phase of its strategic plan that called for the construction of the state-of-theart Judith C. Hochman Building to house The Windward Teacher Training Institute (WTTI). Built on the West Red Oak Lane Campus, this new home for the WTTI features the striking and technology-enhanced Maureen A. Sweeney Auditorium, spacious lecture rooms, and administrative offices.

It provides the facilities necessary to train future generations of Windward teachers. An important added benefit of this beautiful building is that it has enabled us to increase the size of

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our student body by almost 10%. Even with this increased capacity, we still have had to turn away eligible applicants.

This past September, the second phase of the strategic plan came to fruition with the opening of Windward Manhattan in its temporary home on the Upper West Side. The campus, which opened with 107 students in grades 3, 4, 5, and 6, quickly coalesced into a tightly knit community. While Windward Manhattan opened in a different location than initially planned, the Windward program is being delivered to the same exacting standards as it always has.

Now, we are rapidly approaching another watershed event – the opening of Windward Manhattan in its permanent home on East 93rd Street. We are extremely fortunate to have a world-class school built exactly to our specifications. Next September it will be home to approximately 200 students in grades 2 through 7.

In 2017, as per the strategic plan, the School will add grades 1 through 8 and eventually grow to an enrollment of 350 students.

Finally after seven years of meticulous planning and hard work, many more students will have access to the educational expertise that they so urgently need. For them, we are not merely opening a new campus, we are unlocking a door to future success. We are excited to join in the work of the other excellent schools in New York City—both mainstream and special education—in our shared commitment to help children discover in themselves the heights of their intelligence, the breadth of their creativity, and the depth of their character. In addition, by opening a school in Manhattan, Windward is in a unique position to contribute to the effort to elevate the recognition and understanding of dyslexia and language-based learning disabilities.

I hope that you share my sense of exhilaration as The Windward School looks to the future with clear focus, steadfast commitment, and an unwavering sense of purpose. n

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A Review of Research

Reading and Attention

By Dr. John J. Russell, Head of School

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n a recent New York Times op-ed piece (January 22, 2016), Timothy Egan muses about “our incredibly shrinking attention span.” Citing a study that was conducted by Microsoft, he points out that “the average attention span had fallen to eight seconds, down from 12 in the year 2000.” He goes on to describe how reading a real paper book acts as a powerful antidote to his diminished attention span, and it turns out that his personal assertion about the connection between reading and attention has been at the core of a long simmering debate. Is it lack of attention that causes poor reading, or does poor reading result in lack of attention? The answers to these questions have serious implications for the instructional practices of schools.

In Proust and the Squid (2007), reading researcher Maryanne Wolf notes, “Throughout the early and middle twentieth century well-meaning researchers tended to claim one area of dysfunction and, to assert this, was the primary explanation for most reading failure.” In his seminal work, The Science and Evolution of a Human Invention: Reading in the Brain (2009), Stanislas Dehaene frames the problem succinctly, noting, “In brief, the diagnosis of dyslexia is often buried in a morass of associated visual and auditory impairments.” He sums up the problem by stating, “The trouble with these related difficulties is that they may not play a causal role.” And so it has been with attention and reading, until now.

A study, “The Impact of Intensive Reading Intervention on Level of Attention in Middle School Students” (Roberts, Rane, Fall, Denton, Fletcher, & Vaughn, 2015) published in the Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, finally explicates the causal relationship between reading difficulties and inattention. In the introduction, the authors note that 4 percent to 5 percent of

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A Review of the Research, “The Impact of Intensive Reading Intervention on Level of Attention in Middle School Students” (Roberts, Rane, Fall, Denton, Fletcher, & Vaughn)

12- to 17-year olds have both reading difficulties (RD) and attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and that 20 percent of those with ADHD are identified with RD. They further state that “Many children identified with RD who are below the threshold for ADHDinattention type (i.e., not identified as ADHD) nonetheless struggle in both domains.”

After statistically establishing the strong link between reading difficulties and inattention, the authors present three dominant hypotheses that attempt to explain this relationship. The inattentionas-cause hypothesis maintains that inattention plays a causal role in reading difficulties—poor attention in the early stages of reading instruction leads to “increasingly pervasive reading problems.”

A second theory—the phenocopy hypothesis–posits that reading difficulties merely mimic the symptoms of ADHD. The authors point out that the original research supporting this theory has not been successfully replicated. Unlike the inattention-as-cause and the phenocopy hypotheses that assume that RD and ADHD are cognitively distinct disorders, the final hypothesis–the correlated liabilities hypothesis–argues that these disorders share common risk factors. This hypothesis is supported by genetic research that confirms an overlap between RD and ADHD as well as by neuroimaging studies that indicate shared neural pathways.

These three hypotheses forecast different attention-related outcomes as a result of reading intervention. The inattention-as-cause hypothesis predicts no change in attention as a result of intensive reading instruction, and to the extent that attention is left untreated, reading outcomes would be inconsistent. The phenocopy hypothesis expects that appropriate reading intervention positively influences attention. Because in the

phenocopy hypothesis inattention is a reading which in turn influenced response to inadequate instruction, attention. In the business-as-usual group improved attention may be observed very there was no relation between reading quickly simply because the students are performance and attention. The students given meaningful opportunities to learn. in this group actually lost ground in The authors note that with phenocopy reading compared to their grade-level hypothesis, “Improvements in reading and peers, and they exhibited no difference in attention may covary, but the effect of RD attention. treatment on inattention would not These findings do not support, but do depend on improved reading.” Since the not necessarily preclude, the phenocopy correlated liabilities theory holds that RD hypothesis. The results do, however, and ADHD share common confirm the correlated liabilities hypothesis neuropsychological deficits, it predicts that and refute the inattention-as-cause reading intervention will produce positive hypothesis. effects on both attention and reading In addition to confirming Mr. Egan’s outcomes. personal observation that reading improves To test these hypotheses, the study his own attention, this research has used extant data from a randomized longitudinal study Since the correlated liabilities theory holds that examined response to reading that RD and ADHD share common intervention across neuropsychological deficits, it predicts that reading and attention. reading intervention will produce positive Reading outcomes effects on both attention and reading were measured using the Woodcock outcomes.

Johnson III Tests of Achievement and attention was significant implications for educators and measured using the Strengths and for instructional practices in schools. It Weaknesses of ADHD Symptoms and indicates that inattention in older students Normal Behavior Scale. Participants were may be the result of years of struggling selected from a group of 768 fifth-grade with reading. The results demonstrate that students who were identified as struggling for middle school-aged students researchreaders. These students were randomly based reading interventions (such as divided into a treatment group and a teaching students to plan, to monitor control group. Over a three-year period, comprehension, and to reread text that is the treatment group received intensive, not understood) improve both reading and response-based reading instruction while attention. These findings suggest that the control group received a business-asintensive response-based reading usual approach to reading. intervention may mediate inattention by Over the three years of the study, the addressing the shared liabilities that students who received intensive, responseunderlie both disorders. Further research is based reading intervention improved both necessary to establish the actual in reading achievement and behavioral mechanism by which this may occur. n attention. The treatment directly affected

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Spring 2016 The Beacon

Faculty Essay

The Making of a Windward Teacher

By Sandra Schwarz Director of Windward Teacher Training Institute

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n The Missing Foundation in Teacher Education (1996), Dr. Louisa Moats, a renowned researcher in the field of learning disabilities, declared, “Until we recognize that teachers do not naturally acquire the kind of expertise in language structure that is required of them for remediating and preventing reading problems, we will neglect to provide the necessary training.” Fifteen years later, a report from the International Dyslexia Association reaffirms Moats’ assertion, stating, “Teaching language, reading and writing effectively, especially to students experiencing difficulty, requires considerable knowledge and skills. Regrettably, the licensing and professional development practices currently endorsed by many states are insufficient for the preparation and support of teachers and specialists…. The majority of practitioners at all levels has not been prepared in sufficient depth to prevent reading problems, to recognize early signs of risk, or to teach students with dyslexia and related learning disabilities successfully.”

Tragically, teaching candidates in undergraduate and graduate education programs are still not receiving adequate instruction in the foundations of language. To address this gap, The Windward School provides its teachers with a detailed and explicit background of knowledge in the structure of language.

The School has designed a teacher-training program that is comprehensive, demanding, and extremely effective in closing the knowledge gap between research and teaching practices.

Professional training at Windward is an ongoing program that begins before a teacher steps into a classroom and continues as long as a teacher remains on the faculty.

Teachers, even very experienced ones, begin their careers at Windward as assistant teachers. The hiring of assistant teachers starts with an exhaustive recruitment process. Candidates are culled from a large pool of applicants. College career centers, job fairs, online advertisements, employment agencies, private referrals, and unsolicited resumes are all sources of applications.

Every resume is read and analyzed for proper credentials and special talents, skills, and interests. When a candidate is chosen for an interview, a team of administrators meets with him or her, explains the Windward program in depth, and analyzes the candidate’s answers to questions. A thorough reference check is

completed before a candidate is offered a position. In choosing potential assistant teachers, administrators look for candidates who possess strong language skills, a passion for working with children with learning disabilities, and the dedication necessary to becoming a teacher. A future Windward teacher must also have patience, a strong work ethic, an intellectual curiosity, and an appreciation for being part of an organization that transforms children’s lives.

Hundreds of resumes are read, and many interviews are conducted, but only a chosen few candidates are selected to begin the process of becoming a Windward teacher. Prior to assuming primary teaching responsibilities, assistant teachers must successfully complete a one- to two-year training period. Firstyear assistants are enrolled in a highly structured assistant teacher program that provides a balance between course work and practical application. The goals for assistants in the program are • To become knowledgeable about the elements and structure of spoken and written language • To participate in Windward Teacher Training Institute (WTTI) workshops and courses • To develop formal lesson plans and teach lessons that are observed by coordinators and administrators • To participate in staff development sessions • To assist the mentor teacher with the classroom program • To discuss educational/instructional strategies with the mentor teacher In order to reach these goals, assistants are enrolled in Windward Teacher Training Institute core courses: Preventing Academic Failure, Teaching Basic Writing Skills and Language, Learning and Literacy. These courses reflect the research base of the Windward program and provide the foundation of knowledge about language. Assistants are also required to read selected articles that describe the body of research that supports the Windward program. Before the school year begins, new

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assistants attend one day of new faculty orientation designed to familiarize them with the School and its mission, and then join the rest of the faculty for an additional three days of orientation and training.

Assistants are assigned a mentor teacher with whom they work throughout the year. Mentor teachers also have responsibilities related to the training program that include explaining curriculum and instructional strategies, modeling effective classroom management techniques, providing guidance related to interactions with students, parents, and others within the school community, explaining lesson planning, and providing explicit feedback on an assistant’s professional growth.

The School is committed to providing new assistants with many varied opportunities for professional development, and as such, all new assistants meet as a group for weekly seminars.

Designed to support and encourage new staff members, the seminars address a variety of topics related to Windward’s culture, its language arts and content area programs, questioning techniques for classroom use, lesson planning strategies, the use of technology within the classroom, classroom management strategies, and characteristics of our student population.

Staff development sessions for the entire faculty are offered every Friday afternoon. These sessions, designed to improve teaching strategies and keep faculty up-to-date on new research findings, may include presentations by the School’s faculty members or consultants, divisional meetings to address teachergenerated topics and presentations by experts on medications, diversity, and behavioral issues.

In addition, speech and language pathologists work closely with assistants to provide instruction in the diagnosis and remediation of students’ specific expressive and receptive language deficits. The language arts director and curriculum coordinators present staff development sessions that are consistent with research-based strategies for delivering effective

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language-based lessons. Throughout the year, assistants also attend weekly curriculum staff development meetings and are expected to take an active role in these professional discussions.

Mentor teachers and members of the administrative team observe assistants, both formally and informally, on an established schedule. Reflection by the assistants on these observations and input from observers help to improve an assistant’s teaching style and refine teaching techniques. The evaluation of assistants supports their training and ensures that assistants are delivering The Windward School program as prescribed.

During the summer, in addition to WTTI courses and workshops, an intensive training program for assistants is designed and implemented through the WTTI. This is an in-depth, seven-day program structured to present a consistent message about the School’s unique student population and teaching model, with a special emphasis on lesson preparation

The School has designed a teacher-training program that is comprehensive, demanding, and extremely effective in closing the knowledge gap between research and teaching practices. and delivery of a direct teaching model. Another WTTIdesigned staff development activity for assistants is the Windward Practicum. Each August, before the opening of school, selected Windward students are invited to take part in reading, writing, and math courses developed to strengthen their skills in these areas. The summer classes are two hours a day for two weeks and are taught by Windward master teachers and assistant teachers. Students receive instruction for the first hour, and Cont’d on page 15

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WTTI Update

Windward Teacher Training Institute Welcomes Educators from Singapore

WTTI was honored to host educators who traveled from Southeast Asia to learn about the School’s educational model. More importantly, their visit affirms that the WTTI continues to have an impact on teachers and students worldwide.

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hen Darrell Tan, Academic Director of Between the Lines (BTL) learning center in Singapore, was researching solutions to enhance the cognitive and socio-emotional skills of his students through improvement of linguistic competencies, he came across information on The Windward School. Mr. Tan quickly became eager to arrange a trip to learn more about the scientifically validated writing program taught at Windward Teacher Training Institute.

“Through the Windward Teacher Training Institute, we have welcomed teachers and administrators from around the world who are interested in our research-based program.”

Betsy Duffy, Director of Language Arts and Instruction “The Hochman Method stood out among many others for its research-based strategies that have mightily empowered non-native speakers, not only for the English language but also across all

disciplines,” writes Mr. Tan. “Singapore is quite unique with diverse economic groups. Our first language is English, and our second language is Chinese. One of the huge gaps in our local education system is the lack of explicit teaching of linguistic and grammar components in school and the cognitive rationales behind using these methods.”

In January, Sandy Schwarz, Director of Windward Teacher Training Institute, and Betsy Duffy, Director of Language Arts and Instruction, were pleased to host Mr. Tan and four of his BTL colleagues at an intensive professional development course designed to facilitate the group’s knowledge of The Windward School’s writing strategies.

“Reaching a broader community of educators is imperative to our school’s mission,” says Ms. Duffy.

“Through the Windward Teacher Training Institute, we have welcomed teachers and administrators from around the world who are interested in our research-based program.”

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In a follow up note to their visit to Windward, Mr. Tan writes, “Visiting WTTI was an absolutely fulfilling trip for each of our educators. Interaction with Windward staff and a tour of the classes at the Lower and Middle School campuses topped off our learning experience. We returned home excited and refreshed with strong affirmation and belief that The Windward School’s explicit writing strategy would complement our educational approach very well.

“Since returning to Singapore, we have been busy revisiting our curriculum to actively incorporate the relevant sentence and paragraph goals,” Mr. Tan continues. “Linda Tan, our expert teacher, has been specially assigned to ensure that every educator understands and effectively designs The Windward School Writing Program exercises for each lesson. We are extremely appreciative of the warm hospitality shown to us and look forward to future collaborations with WTTI.”

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Alumni Profile

Oliver Jacobi ’05 Former Windward Student, Now Senior Underwriter at Multinational Insurance Company

By Bonni Brodnick

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hen The Beacon approached Windward alumnus Oliver Jacobi ’05 for an interview, it was hard not to be impressed by his email signature when he responded: Senior Underwriter at AIG—one of the largest insurance companies in the world. Oliver Jacobi ’05 has accomplished much since being identified, at 6-years old, with languagebased learning disabilities. After attending Prospect Hill Elementary School in Pelham, N.Y. in his kindergarten year, he was accepted into The Windward School and began first grade on the Windward Avenue campus.

Upon graduating from Windward in

educational standpoint, I didn’t think it was necessary to stay at Pennington if they were moving me into regular classes.”

From Pennington, Oliver went to Pelham High School. “I had never attended public school and wanted to experience that,” he explains. He was glad to finally go to school with his hometown friends, and it was helpful knowing that Pelham had resource rooms for dyslexic students. By graduation, three years later, Oliver was well equipped for the next step.

He headed to Skidmore College in Saratoga. N.Y. and majored in Business Management.

“Academically, the small class sizes at Skidmore were perfect for me,” he says.

“Some of the biggest things I learned [at Windward] were knowing my weaknesses and strengths, and the importance of organization ...”

2005, Oliver went on to attend The Pennington School, where he boarded for two years. The college preparatory school was a perfect transition for him because, along with classes in English and math for students with dyslexia, it also offered honors and advanced placement classes to suit his intellect and abilities. By sophomore year, Oliver was excelling in math and was encouraged to transition into the standard curriculum courses at Pennington.

“The main reason I went there was for English and math,” Oliver says. “From an

“In addition, the college’s business curriculum was well-rounded. Along with finance classes, I studied HR and entrepreneurship.”

Upon graduation, Oliver moved to San Diego and had a brief job as a valet.

He soon achieved his broker’s license and entered a training program with AIG. A year-and-a-half later, Oliver was offered a position in San Francisco. Transferring to New York, though, was always in his game plan.

After returning East, Oliver assumed his current position as a senior property

and causality underwriter at AIG in Manhattan. He assesses multi-million dollar risk insurance for high-end net worth individuals by personalizing the process and reviewing insurance possibilities for their homes, cars, jewelry, and fine art.

It is a challenging role with significant responsibilities. “My job relies mostly on math, salesmanship, and my ability to work with others,” he explains. Although his position does not rely heavily on writing, Oliver readily admits that it takes him longer than many of his colleagues to write reports for his manager.

Last February, Windward teacher Ms. Plotycia, whose son was Oliver’s good friend in high school, coordinated a return visit for Oliver to talk to the eighth and ninth graders about life after Windward and all that the School had done for him.

Over lunch in the Westchester Middle School conference room with eight students on the cusp of transitioning to mainstream schools, Oliver shared how understanding his learning differences helped in high school and college as well as in deciding on a career. He paused to note how impressed he was with the growth of Windward.

“When I was here, we were a small school on Windward Avenue. Now, with a new campus in Manhattan, The Windward School is like an empire,” he said. “This growth reflects the excellence of the school and how the public perception about dyslexia has changed.”

Spring 2015 The Beacon

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Oliver Jacobi ’05 with Westchester Middle School 8th and 9th graders.

Chris Eberhard (Head of Westchester Middle School), Oliver Jacobi, and John J. Russell (Head of School)

Oliver Jacobi ’05 (second from left) with classmates Stephen Rooney, Alex Taic, Patrick Gallo, Cooper Naitove, Justin Cortijo-Brown and Jarrett Bauer.

Oliver reassured the students by recognizing that going to a mainstream high school can be “… nerve-wracking, especially if you’re dyslexic and starting out as ‘the new kid.’ I was lucky when I returned to Pelham because I already had a group of friends. Socially I wasn’t really ‘the new guy,’ but I understand how you might be feeling right now.”

“It was great to have Oliver back on campus,” says Chris Eberhard, Head of Westchester Middle School and Oliver’s former homeroom teacher. “He is a wonderful young man who left Windward with the confidence and skills to determine his fate in the working world.”

Oliver credits Windward teachers for doing a great job at building students’ confidence. “Some of the biggest things I

learned were knowing my weaknesses and strengths, and the importance of organization. I keep my schedules together and my room organized so that I don’t feel flustered. This has helped me in my work life with trying to prioritize different projects and keep things neatly filed so I know where they are.

“Windward also instilled in me the great habit of proofreading, whether it is for a long referral to my boss or just a social email or text to friends. I’m always re-reading what I write.”

Oliver carries this ingrained sense of organization into his personal life.

“I try to stick to plans that I set up, whether short-term or long-term. I think this is a good character trait,” he says. “My friends like to tease me for being over-

prepared, but it’s a good skill to have.

Many people have trouble sticking to calendars and being organized. I am definitely proactive with always knowing what my upcoming schedule is.”

“Windward teachers are very patient,” Oliver recalls. “They know even better than the students that, just because you’re dyslexic, doesn’t mean you can’t be successful or cope with life,” he continues.

“The teachers were always kind in building students’ courage and self-esteem.

“A lot of students at Windward might be struggling with reading or writing, but many have extraordinary talent in other areas,” Oliver concludes. “In one way, they have an edge on people outside of Windward because they see the world differently.” n

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Spring 2016 The Beacon

The Utility of Neuroimaging Studies Fuchs, D., & Deshler, D. D. (2007). What we need to know about responsiveness to intervention (and shouldn’t be afraid to ask). Learning Disabilities Research & Practice, 22(2), 129–136.

Direct Link: Abstract Full Article (HTML)PDF(460K)References Gerber, P. J., Schneiders, C. A., Paradise, L. V., Reiff, H. B., Ginsberg, R. J., & Popp, P. A. (1990). Persisting problems of adults with learning disabilities: Self-reported comparisons from their school-age and adult years. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 23(9), 570–573.

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Cont’d from page 3 children (2nd ed., pp. 349–370). New York, NY: Springer.

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The Making of a Windward Teacher Cont’d from page 9

assistant teachers receive intensive staff development in the multisensory-structured language program during the second hour.

To further their professional development, assistant teachers are encouraged to take part in the Windward Summer School Program. This four-week program consists of classes in math, reading, writing, science, study skills, and organizational skills for both Windward students and students from other schools.

Serving in this program allows assistants the opportunity to observe master teachers delivering selected aspects of The Windward School program.

During their second year, assistants are enrolled in a more structured program, which includes additional observations, lesson planning, and attendance at advanced WTTI courses.

Teaching assistants who have exhibited expertise in delivering classroom lessons may be assigned some part-time classroom teaching responsibilities. Administrators and curriculum coordinators continually monitor and coach assistants during this time.

Being a Windward teacher means that professional development is never completed. The entire teaching staff— including the most senior members of the faculty—is observed by coordinators and administrators and receives ongoing coaching and feedback on their daily classroom instruction. It is the expectation that all teachers maintain their knowledge of Windward pedagogy by retaking the core reading, writing, and language courses at the WTTI at least every five years; most teachers enroll in WTTI classes every semester. To further support ongoing learning, the WTTI maintains a collection of professional books and periodicals that faculty members read to

stay current with ongoing research in the field of learning disabilities.

Experienced Windward teachers may choose to pursue an advanced certificate in structured multisensory language by completing a rigorous academic program. This program, which requires 100 hours of WTTI coursework and a year-long supervised practicum, is nationally accredited by the International Multisensory Structured Language Council (IMSLEC). The WTTI is one of five institutions in New York State that has received this accreditation.

Windward is a learning community that supports continuous growth in comprehensive knowledge and skills for all faculty members. This is evidenced in the intensive training and outstanding staff development activities that are created by Windward faculty as well as the time and attention that are given to every faculty member to ensure that they develop into, and remain, knowledgeable and effective teachers. Reporting on the training program at Windward, the evaluator for IMSLEC stated, “Your teacher training program is truly outstanding and could serve as a model for other private schools. The professional preparation program at Windward is outstanding.

The bar is set very high!”

The making of a Windward teacher is a well thought-out, demanding, and intensive training program. Assistant teachers are expected to work diligently to acquire the expertise it takes to be a Windward teacher. Assistants quickly learn that teaching is a craft that takes an incredible amount of study, practice, and reflection to perfect. It is the School’s mission to develop a faculty that is expert in teaching children with language-based learning disabilities. Windward students deserve nothing less. n

The Windward School

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The Windward School Newsletter for Educators and Parents Spring 2016

Dr. John J. Russell Head of School Jonathan Rosenshine Associate Head of School Board of Trustees 2015–16 Thomas E. Flanagan President Michael R. Salzer 1st Vice President Timothy M. Jones 2nd Vice President Mark A. Ellman Treasurer Susan C. Salice Secretary Ellen Bowman Fredrick J. Chapey, Jr. Thomas J. Coleman Elizabeth A. Crain Amy Jo Dowd Alexander A. Gendzier Mark Goldberg Arthur A. Gosnell John K. Halvey Craig M. Hatkoff Mitchell J. Katz Gregory D. Kennedy Stacy S. Kuhn Christine LaSala Janice Meyer Katie J. Robinson Eric Schwartz Ann F. Sullivan Robert J. Sweeney Lou Switzer Patricia L. Wolff Devon S. Fredericks, Trustee Emerita Editor Bonni Brodnick Director of Publications Design Design for Business Visit The Windward School website: thewindwardschool.org

WINDWARD TEACHER TRAINING INSTITUTE Be Informed. Be Inspired. Transform Lives.

Windward Teacher Training Institute (WTTI), a division of The Windward School, provides professional development based on scientifically validated research in child development, learning theory and pedagogy. The Institute offers national certification for Teaching and Instructor of Teaching levels in Multisensory Structured Language Education. More than 35 classes are offered throughout the year in White Plains and Manhattan.

WTTI courses now available via live video streaming.

For further information: www.thewindwardschool.org/tti wtti@thewindwardschool.org or call (914) 949-6968, ext. 1270 WindwardTTI Facebook