Students with Reading Difficulties
Reinforcing inclusive education practices is one of the main educational policy initiatives in Georgia. In 2009–2011, with the assistance of the Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research, Georgia’s Ministry of Education and Science implemented a three year project aimed at introducing and developing inclusive education in nine regions of Georgia. This project included identifying students with special needs; training teachers, school administration, and specialists (e.g., speech therapists and psychologists); adapting school physical environments; and raising public awareness.8
Inclusive education is incorporated into the national curriculum in Georgia and there is a modified curriculum for students with special educational needs. Although there is no special training for reading teachers, professional standards require teachers to know the basics of inclusive education. They must be able to employ special techniques with students with special needs. In 2009, the Curriculum and Assessment Center published a Handbook of Inclusive Education for Teachers. A large part of the handbook focuses on teaching reading to students with special needs. The book includes several strategies for teaching reading for teachers and parents.
Until recently, there was no diagnostic testing of students with special needs. The National Examinations Center, with the support of Save the Children, initiated a project that aims to introduce and adapt the following diagnostic tests in school settings: Wide Range Achievement Test 4, Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale II, and Emotional Disturbance Decision Tree.