The Early Reading Play School is more interested in a universalist approach making early learning and high achievement normal for virtually every child in the country. But we can learn from the experiences of those who work with so-called 'learning disabled' children (in most cases better described as 'instructional casualties'). Just as Maria Montessori addressed the needs of the deprived and unsocialised slum children of Naples, and developed educational strategies of great value to all children, so we can follow what has been done successfully for children who have difficulties, and apply the knowledge so obtained to make learning easier and more effective for all children.

It is interesting to note that private providers have a better track record in finding real solutions to educational problems and challenges than the tax-payer funded education establishments that take their right to money for granted, and feel far less obliged to ensure that their 'product' actually benefits their clients. GS

http://www.rppi.org/121900.html

For Immediate Release, December 18, 2000
Contact: George Passantino, 310-391-2245

For-profit Reading Programs Outperform
Traditional Public-school Efforts

Public school data demonstrate benefits of public-private partnerships in special education

Los Angeles, Calif.-Private reading programs outperform traditional special-education efforts, according to a new report from Reason Public Policy Institute (Reason Public Policy Institute ). In the report, Private Options to Help Students Read, Director of Education and Child Welfare Lisa Snell explores the growth in the use of privately operated reading and tutoring programs in America's public schools and examines the reasons for their success.

.."Many struggling readers do not seem to respond to the costly special education typically provided at public schools," states Lisa Snell. "Yet private programs have made tremendous gains with these same students."

..Numerous studies conclude that the longer a student remains in special education the more their reading ability declines. Snell contrasts this trend with the positive results of private reading and tutoring programs. Companies like Sylvan Learning Centers and Kaplan Educational Services, which initially offered fee-for-service tutoring, have entered publicly funded remedial- and special-education services, often funded with federal Title I monies. In many cases, these programs serve the most difficult-to-educate students, yet achieve meaningful progress.

Snell cites the impressive gains with students in Compton Unified School District in California. Frustrated with conventional public programs, the district contracted with Sylvan to provide special-education services using Title I funding. During the first year of the Sylvan program, students gained an average of 11 Normal Curve Equivalents (NCEs, which are not equivalent to percentage points but are a standard for measuring student progress). The U.S. Department of Education considers a gain of seven NCEs exemplary.

The study offers several reasons why private reading programs succeed where traditional special-education programs fail, including:

* Specialized focus on individual student outcome
* Higher levels of parental involvement
* Ongoing individual diagnostic assessment
* Low teacher-student ratios
* Innovative reward programs for student performance
* Competition among different providers

"Private reading programs demonstrate the potential for private-sector involvement in public education. Clearly, this mix of competition, accountability, and individualized focus is paying off in a big way for these youngsters. And that should be reason enough to embrace the concept," concludes Snell.

Reason Public Policy Institute is a national nonprofit research organization that conducts academic, peer-reviewed policy research in education and child welfare, privatization and government reform, land use, transportation, and environmental policy.
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Copies of Private Options to Help Students Read may be obtained for $5 by calling 310-391-2245 or may be accessed free of charge on the Reason Public Policy Institute Web site at http://www.Reason Public Policy Institute .org/pb14central.html