Mission Statement
LDA Minnesota strives to ensure children, adults, families, and communities impacted by specific learning disabilities, attention deficits, and/or learning differences are equitably supported and empowered through assessment, intervention, education, advocacy, and outreach.
Impact and Programs
Accomplishments
LDA directly served 1,571 individuals during FY 2018 (Sept. 1, 2017 – Aug. 31, 2018), of those served, 72% were children and families; 28% were adults; 81% were low-income; and 70% were people of color. LDA provides information, training, and resources statewide with direct services focused on the Twin Cities metropolitan area.
Learning Connections, a 21-year collaborative partnership with urban schools, promotes learning success for children at-risk for reading and/or math failure. The Learning Connections Program is an academic intervention service that directly addresses the children behind Minnesota’s achievement gap statistics. In school year 2017-2018, the Learning Connections Program served 265 students in grades 2-12, approximately 95% of whom were low-income and 92% students of color. For students receiving reading or math interventions during the school year with two benchmark data points, 86% showed positive growth, and 68% exceeded expected growth expectations, narrowing their achievement gaps. 119 parents participated in family involvement activities, acquiring new strategies to increase a literacy-rich home environment.
Assessment, Tutoring, and Executive Function Skill Building Services help individuals understand how they learn and gain strategies to improve their learning. These highly specialized, personalized, and intensive services are tailored to meet the specific educational and vocational goals of children and adults. Educational assessment services are offered to persons age 5 and older, and include both diagnostic and informal educational assessments to identify and document academic strengths and weaknesses. Consultations with parents and adults are available to educate, support, and provide professional, objective interpretation of evaluations and reports and to assist in making decisions regarding specific needs. In 2017-2018, LDA provided individualized services to 114 individuals. 99% of tutoring students who completed 12 or more sessions achieved their target goal. 100% of assessment clients, who responded to a post-service survey, reported that the assessment provided new information or skills, thus increasing life opportunities.
Learning Disability & ADHD Support Services provide adults with learning and attention challenges the knowledge, resources, and support to help them understand and manage their learning and attention challenges through weekly and monthly support groups, symposia, focused workshops, and consultations. In 2017-2018, 812 adults gained skills and resources to better manage their challenges and achieve their academic, vocational, and personal goals. 95% of attendees at workshops and trainings reported gaining useful knowledge or strategies.
Current Goals
LDA’s Learning Connections program goals include: 1) Providing Intensive Academic Instruction to increase reading and math skills and improve academic achievement for more than 300 low-income school-aged children at-risk for school failure at seven sites in Minneapolis and St. Paul. At least 65% of participants will make academic gains in reading or math greater than gains made by their peers.
Assessment, Tutoring, and Executive Function Skill Building Services help individuals understand how they learn and gain strategies to improve their learning through personalized, and intensive services are tailored to meet their specific educational and vocational goals. In FY2019, 114 children, youth and adults will receive services and ninety percent (90%) will demonstrate increased knowledge and skills.
Learning Disability & ADHD Support Services provide adults with learning and attention issues the knowledge, resources, and support to help them understand and manage their learning and attention challenges through weekly and monthly ADHD support groups serving 50 adults throughout the year, symposia, focused workshops, and consultations. In FY2019, 400 adult, teachers/professionals, and parents will participate in symposia, workshops and/or webinars focused on understanding and managing learning and attention challenges and at least 80% will report gaining useful knowledge and strategies.
LDA’s Teacher Licensure Program will be developed during the 2018-2019 fiscal year including the following goals: 1.) Apply and become an approved Alternative Teacher Licensing institution by Minnesota’s Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board (PELSB). 2.) Recruit at least 22 teacher candidates to enroll in the first cohort of students starting September 2019
Community or Constituency Served
LDA serves individuals across the lifespan (children, youth and adults) impacted by learning differences including learning disabilities and attention deficit disorders (ADHD). LDA also educates parents of children with learning differences and provides professional development to teachers who serve children with learning differences.
Geographic Area Served
LDA focuses services to families and students living in the Twin Cities metropolitan area and provides information and professional development statewide.
