New Legislation That Benefits Us All

New Legislation That Benefits Us All
Dr. Renée Greenfield, Head of School Blog


As I walk through Carroll’s animated classrooms this fall, I am struck by how much they look and feel like places of refuge. Every day, our students and educators are privileged to be able to immerse themselves in the leading instructional methods that effectively address LBLDs/dyslexia. As a result, we open students up to a world of belonging and joyful learning unknown to them before they arrived.

But beyond our campuses, thousands of students across the state who face many of the same struggles—one in five, according to most educational experts—do not always receive the critical literacy support they need.

This changed last month, when Massachusetts passed a momentous and long-awaited piece of legislation requiring schools to screen young students for dyslexia and other learning differences at least twice a year. (I was proud to serve as a stakeholder in the development of the guidelines upon which the legislation was created.) Beginning on July 1, 2023, this right-to-read legislation will combat an entrenched wait-to-fail approach in the state’s public schools.

Why should this matter to the Carroll community?

(1) Because it elevates the conversation around LBLDs. And at Carroll, we are in a unique position to share our knowledge, shift the perspective around learning differences, and contribute to this growing dialogue state-wide about how to best serve our students. Now, school districts have to pay attention to what we, as educators, families, and students in a unique school community have always held true: learning differences are not learning deficits. When you uncover a student’s learning profile—when you view difference as an asset—their strengths are revealed.

(2) Because this legislation demonstrates that real progress is being made when it comes to accepting, understanding, and destigmatizing learning differences, and it opens the door for even more advances yet to come. This is progress that we all benefit from. Many of our families found their way to Carroll after a great deal of frustration and disappointment in their former schools. With this new legislation—which already exists in many neighboring states—dyslexia and other learning differences are on the table and out in the open in a way that there weren’t before, and an important step is being taken to support the multitude of students affected by them. Yes, the legislation calls only for screening; still to come are the development and implementation of specific interventions for kids identified as having or at-risk for a learning difference. But it should be celebrated nonetheless.

Bottom line: As the leader of a school focused on improving the educational outcome of students, I’m excited. I’m excited that many more schools will now be joining this important conversation, a conversation that Carroll has helped to lead ever since it opened its doors more than five decades ago. And I’m eager for our community to support other schools as they begin to explore more effective ways to help their own students reach their potential.

My hope is that the work we do at Carroll, and the refuge it provides, extends outwards to become a reality for all.

For more information on the legislation, take a peek at this recent WBUR article.



Recent Posts

Parent-Teacher Conferences: Critical to Student Outcomes
Dr. Renée Greenfield, Head of School Blog

At Carroll, our approach to parent-teacher conferences is purposeful and straightforward, and leads to some pretty impactful conferences and, in turn, student outcomes. Learn how conferences are designed to support students throughout the school year and beyond.

Science of Reading Orton-Gillingham Tutor
Dr. Renée Greenfield, Head of School Blog

What’s the best way to teach kids how to read? The reading debate has been simmering for decades. Recently, thanks to a newly named body of research exploring the science of reading, it has captured news headlines. Don’t get me wrong. I’m delighted by today’s energized discussion over how best to teach kids to read. It’s one of the most important conversations we can have as a nation. Here's what I'd like us to pay attention to instead.

Pandemic Lessons: Carroll Learning Data Reveals Student Resilience
Dr. Renée Greenfield, Head of School Blog

Late last month, the journal Nature Human Behavior published the largest, most comprehensive, global study to date on learning progress two-and-a-half years into the pandemic. The results—based on data provided from 15 countries (excluding low-income nations)—were sobering. In short, kids worldwide experienced learning deficits equal to ⅓ of a school year. What’s more, now nearly three years out, evidence suggests those deficits still haven’t been recovered. The story for Carroll students—I’m pleased to say—is different.

9 Carroll Successes in 2022
Dr. Renée Greenfield, Head of School Blog

Every chance they get, Carroll educators celebrate student victories, big and small. By doing so, they foster joy not simply in what was accomplished, but in all the learning that is yet to come. Following their lead, and in the spirit of year-end reflection, I’ve created my own highlight reel of successes and sources of pride—in no particular order—from 2022. It feels important to pause and take stock of the tremendously meaningful work we engage in at Carroll. What’s more, writing it down has made me even more excited for all that lies ahead in 2023!

The Upside of Struggle
Dr. Renée Greenfield, Head of School Blog

The first time I heard the phrase “productive struggle” was in graduate school. I was in a math methods course, slogging through some pretty tough concepts. My professor was doing her best to encourage us, reassuring us that floundering, muddling through, and making mistakes were hardly signs of failure. In fact, in these very lurching efforts were the seeds of profound learning. Little did I know, more than two decades later, the notion of productive struggle would be foundational to my work, and to the work of all Carroll educators.

Dyslexia 1 in 5 students
Dr. Renée Greenfield, Head of School Blog

Last month, Massachusetts passed a momentous and long-awaited piece of legislation requiring schools to screen young students for dyslexia and other learning differences at least twice a year. Beginning on July 1, 2023, this right-to-read legislation will combat an entrenched wait-to-fail approach in the state’s public schools. Why should this matter to the Carroll community?

Starting a New School: All the Feels and Belonging
Dr. Renée Greenfield, Head of School Blog

As we launch the school year, it brings all the feels. And all the feels are welcome - from our students, their families, and all the committed adults that work at Carroll. As I met with new families last week, I named some of the different feelings and emotions that may accompany joining the Carroll School community.

Reopening School during a Global Pandemic
Steve Wilkins, Head of School Blog

Every family with school aged children is in a tough spot this fall. How to get back to school is nothing but a large basket full of hard decisions. In this blog, I write about what we share as a community as we look forward to Carroll School’s reopening.