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KU professor, experts provide input for upcoming education legislation

The future of federal education legislation might be strongly influenced by KU expertise.

Congress is working on reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pension Committee called on Don Deshler, the Williamson Family Distinguished Professor of Special Education and director of the Center for Research on Learning, to provide testimony May 4 on improving education for adolescents and middle school students. Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., a member of the committee, later paid a visit to KU to learn more.

“This is the cornerstone of all educational legislation,” Deshler said. “It is the centerpiece.”

Deshler encouraged the committee to support programs that can improve reading skills among adolescents. Too often there is a misconception that if students have reading difficulty by middle school, it is too late to make a difference.

“We have compelling evidence that it’s not too late,” Deshler said. “We can indeed put these students in a position where they can respond to the curriculum and they can succeed.”

Research has shown that 70 percent of U.S. middle school and high school students read below their grade level. KU’s School of Education has developed programs to help such students not only reach proficiency but avoid dropping out and graduate ready for college.

In his testimony, Deshler also pointed out that the idea that it is wiser to invest in early education to prevent later problems is pervasive.

“Don’t get me wrong, I’m a strong proponent of making investments in our younger children,” Deshler testified. “There is compelling evidence to justify why it is sound public policy to do so. However, there are a couple fallacies in the position that it’s sufficient to put all of our eggs in the early childhood basket.”

Curriculum demands change as students move through school, which often lead to problems in students who previously demonstrated proficiency. Many other students move along to higher grades before developing necessary skills, he added.

Deshler said he thought there was positive reception to the ideas presented in his testimony. The committee, chaired by Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, is considered the most influential education committee in the senate.

Following the hearing, Roberts scheduled a visit to KU to learn more. Roberts took part June 3 in a roundtable discussion with School of Education faculty. The faculty briefed Roberts on literacy programs developed at KU that are in use in area schools. Deshler described how KU has developed adolescent literacy curriculum and teaching tools that are in use in schools across the country. Faculty also shared how the program can be tailored to specific school districts and testimonials from students.

Deshler and his colleagues at the Center for Research on Learning have secured more than $180 million in externally funded literacy grants since the inception of the center in 1978. Deshler said he feels the legislation is among the most important in the nation, and encouraged investment in research for older student populations.

“Research is the engine that drives innovation, that drives improvement on the front lines,” he said in his testimony. “Historically, very little investment has been made in research for older populations. It’s another reason that we have fewer answers than we need for older students.”

Video of Deshler’s testimony and written testimony are available online.