Teach Effectively!

Schools Attuned is a comprehensive professional development and service program that offers educators new methods for recognizing, understanding, and managing students with differences in learning. When implemented within schools, this program enriches the way in which all students are educated. (Schools Attuned)

I stand ready to support the idea that schools should adjust to individual differences. Great idea! From the get-go, as I understand it, that’s a foundation of the concept of special education (especially learning disabilties). So, it’s interesting that the AKoM folks–especially Dr. Levine–routinely dump on LD. I guess that foundational concept of LD isn’t consistent with the Schools Attuned philosophy.

More importantly, though, given that we’re living in a time of empirically supported practices (see “scientifically based reading research” in US federal legislation), I have to ask whether the assertion in the lead paragraph from Schools Attuned is, in fact, true. Does the Schools Attuned “program enrich[es] the way in which all students are educated?” How do we know that it does? What’s the evidence? How was “enriches” measured? What’s the body of evidence? How large are the effect sizes?

Right! Am I picking on some little phrase and ignoring the larger idea? Perhaps one would argue I am. But, I’ll ask the same question again: “Where are the data demonstrating that any of the assertions about effects of Schools Attuned produce benefits?” Are any reports more than anecdotal? Have any been peer-reviewed? Would we accept the quality of evidence about Schools Attuned from any other medical speciality?

In the words of Og Lindsley, “Show me the data!”

-JL-