Roberts Academy Revamps Dyslexia Reading Strategy

Vanderbilt University's school uses data teams to personalize literacy instruction for students with dyslexia

Mar. 26, 2026 at 12:04am

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The Roberts Academy and Dyslexia Center at Vanderbilt University has implemented a systematic data team model to support literacy development for students with dyslexia. Teachers analyze multiple data sources, including student assessments and classroom observations, to make data-driven decisions and personalize instruction for each student's needs.

Why it matters

Students with dyslexia often struggle with traditional reading instruction, so schools need specialized approaches to help them develop literacy skills. The Roberts Academy's data-driven model aims to accelerate learning and close academic gaps for these students, supporting their successful transitions back to future school settings.

The details

The Roberts Academy's data teams, which include all faculty members, meet weekly to discuss student progress, strengths, needs, and potential instructional adaptations. They analyze a range of data sources, from norm-referenced assessments to curriculum-based measurements, to understand where students are struggling and what evidence-based practices could strengthen their literacy outcomes. This comprehensive data analysis allows teachers to make targeted, data-driven adjustments to instruction.

  • The Roberts Academy plans to expand from 25 to 144 students in the coming years.
  • In year two, the school made adjustments to give teachers more shared planning time and refined its goal-setting approaches, added executive functioning instruction, and incorporated classroom observations into data teaming discussions.

The players

Samantha Gesel

Assistant director of the Roberts Academy and assistant professor of the practice of special education.

Jared Clodfelter

Director of the Roberts Academy.

Roberts Academy

A school and dyslexia center at Vanderbilt University that uses a systematic data team model to support literacy development for students with dyslexia.

Vanderbilt University

The university that houses the Roberts Academy and Dyslexia Center.

National Center on Intensive Intervention

The framework used by the Roberts Academy to guide its data team meetings and decision-making.

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What they’re saying

“Her incorrect spelling of 'float' is brilliant! She showed us that she can hear the two beginning sounds that form a consonant blend, which can be hard to hear at the beginning of a word for some learners. She also heard the long O sound and understands the concept of the 'magic E.' From a diagnostic perspective, her spelling tells us what might need to be the next focus of her literacy intervention-perhaps that's vowel teams, knowing that 'oa' can also spell the long O sound.”

— Samantha Gesel, Assistant director of the Roberts Academy and assistant professor of the practice of special education

“Our goal is to accelerate student learning and close academic gaps to support successful transitions back to future school settings. Knowing these transitions may occur after only a few short years adds urgency to our work. Early on, we recognized that the systematic use of assessment data would be critical to achieving these goals.”

— Samantha Gesel and Jared Clodfelter, Assistant director of the Roberts Academy and director of the Roberts Academy

“We know that our systems and data teaming processes will continue to evolve as we grow. As leaders of a dyslexia school, we firmly believe in the power of using data iteratively to drive meaningful improvement.”

— Samantha Gesel and Jared Clodfelter, Assistant director of the Roberts Academy and director of the Roberts Academy

What’s next

The Roberts Academy plans to shift to one or multiple grade-level data teams as the school expands from 25 to 144 students in the coming years, while maintaining the same norms, structures, and cadence of its current data team model.

The takeaway

The Roberts Academy's systematic data team approach demonstrates how specialized schools can use comprehensive data analysis to personalize literacy instruction for students with dyslexia, accelerating their learning and supporting their successful transitions to future educational settings.