Posted by Joshua C. Doyle, M.Ed. on Fri, Sep 11, 2009
When is the last time someone had anything even remotely positive to say about homework? Everyone has or has had it. No one really likes it, but we have all needed to do it. 
The debate continues as to whether homework really helps a student with academics or is better levied as a vehicle for teaching time management and responsibility. Who knows? That's for another day. One thing I can report from my vantage point is that there is seemingly a strong correlation between parental over-involvement in homework and parent-child acrimony.
If I were king for a day, I would rule that parents CANNOT exert too much muscle in assisting with homework - that goes for the process and discipline as well as the homework content itself. Let me be clear... I see no problem if children occasionally ask their parent(s) specific questions about their homework, but that prompt needs to come from them. And, periodic participation is one thing; letting homework dominate evening or weekend routines is a recipe for disaster.
One thing to realize is that the most well-intentioned, patient, and competent parents can prove to be the worst homework helpers for their children. Parents obviously want their children to do well, but oftentimes helping them in the wrong ways can manifest in enablement. Sooner or later, with a new source of friction, bickering and fighting between parents and children over homework can drive their relationship in a toxic direction.
Did you ever imagine that your relationship with your child would be in turmoil over something as trivial as long division? Life is way too short and precious to let something like that come between you and the child you love... But, like many other sources of angst, if left unaddressed, every day can become a struggle. Homework sessions essentially become Epic War Battles and end like Greek Tragedies.
When you are insistent on helping your child with their homework, take some time and consider if you are really part of the solution or are actually part of creating a bigger problem.
Please feel welcome to share your reactions...
Posted by Joshua C. Doyle, M.Ed. on Wed, Feb 18, 2009
In an ever-changing educational environment, students and families are more often than ever considering options for special education schools to help address learning and attention issues. But what do you need to know about specialized day and boarding private schools from an admissions standpoint? As a former admissions director in LD schools and now as an educational consultant, I spend considerable time demystifying the admissions process for parents and professionals making decisions in the face of student struggles.
The following are my top tips for navigating the admissions process for special education schools:
1) Assessment: It is vital that, before embarking on a search, your child has received updated cognitive and achievement testing. Most schools will not consider a student unless the testing has been performed in the past 2-3 years. In more cases than not, a school will require the submission of a full Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC- IV).
2) Research: The admissions process for you and your child can prove to be overwhelming and emotionally exhausting. Nevertheless, it is important that you all do a significant amount of research on the schools before applying. All special education schools cater to different students in varying ways and it is up to you to understand the realm of possibilities.
A few key questions for initial admissions inquiries:
-To which other schools are your applicants most likely to apply as well?
-What types of teaching methodologies and technologies does your school use?
-Are organizational and study skills taught as core curricular disciplines or treated as peripheral?
3) Retention of Students: It is important to know how many students decided not to return to their school. If the number is higher than 10%, ask why that percentage of students didn't return.
Examples of questions to ask about retention:
-What has been your retention rate for students over the past 3 years?
-factoring out economic variables, why was the retention rate low relative to other schools?
-How many students have transitioned back into a more traditional school environment?
-How many students have been dismissed in the past 2 years? For what reasons?
4) Outcomes Studies: Ask a school if they have performed outcome studies on their students' progress. Many special education schools have done clinical studies that will give specific data on the reading gains their students have made since they have been attending the school. Note that anecdotal information is not a good substitute for hard data. Also, find out where students go, on a percentage basis, when they graduate from the school. How many move on to a four-year college? A two-year college? Take time off? Jump right into industry?
5) Special Education Schools vs. Traditional Prep Schools / Private Schools: In order to meet enrollment goals, many traditional schools are choosing to admit students with learning differences these days. It is very tempting for families to consider these schools because they have a more traditional private school setting and culture. However, not all of these schools have the expertise and/or proven methodologies "in-house" to academically assist these students. It is important to be cautious and ask detailed questions when considering traditional private schools for your child with specialized needs if the school does not have a proven history of working effectively with this sub-population.
A few questions that can open up a discussion about supports for your child:
-Are the teachers trained in special education and what credentials do they carry?
-Is my child going to be pulled out of class or an after school activity to receive help?
-Will my child have to go to a resource room to get additional support?
6) Always ask the school for at least 3 parent references and, in doing so, make sure each has had their child attend the school for at least one full academic year. It may also be helpful to request parent references that are from the same geographical area in order to be able to control comparisons in relating to local school decisions, requirements, etc.