Dr. Marsha Kocurek
Caldwell
Dr. Marsha Lynne Kocurek is an advocate for students of all abilities. She worked for the Texas Agricultural Extension Service for three years before returning to school to become a speech therapist. Education has been a life-long passion for Kocurek. She has numerous family members involved in education, including her parents, who dedicated most of their lives to the public education system. In addition to working with the foundation, Kocurek is involved in numerous community organizations related to education, leadership, and faith. “The Texas Partners in Policymaking program is an opportunity for me to gain an insight into the processes to set educational policies,” says Kocurek. “I hope to become a better advocate for all students.”
Project Title
The Giftedness of Dyslexia
Project Description
The Gifted and Talented program in my local school district has shown very limited numbers in identifying students for their services. Many of the students that are tested for the program have learning disabilities, including dyslexia. The students are tested using a reading intensive evaluation with no emphasis placed on other abilities. This practice limits the number of students that qualify for the program with learning disabilities. The project looks to determine ways to increase the number of students in the program with dyslexia and other disabilities through diversification of the evaluation process.
