Fiscal Year 2021: September 1, 2020 – August 31, 2021
Dear Friend,
LDA Minnesota’s board and staff have worked tirelessly this past year to ensure our programs and services meet the ever-changing needs of our students and clients. Many of our school partners were in virtual classes, while some worked hard to be in-person. No matter the delivery, LDA’s staff were flexible, adaptable and creative to help address the increasing academic needs and demand for our services.
Our Teacher Preparation and Licensure Program prepares teacher candidates for a special education teacher license. News media widely reported the overwhelming stress and demands on schools and teachers over the pandemic and we saw these pandemic effects on our own teacher candidates. They were in schools that faced high Covid-19 cases, where quarantines disrupted student learning, and where students’ social-emotional needs and trauma were impacting academic performance. LDA’s mentors were there to lend a helping hand and empathetic ear. We know our program is supporting our teacher candidates, we hear it from them and see it in our interactions.
All of LDA’s programs are as busy as ever. Our Diagnostic Assessments and Tutoring Programs are seeing more students of all ages than previous years. Our ADHD Support Group for Adults has experienced an increase in participation. And, our Learning Connections Program that places teachers in schools to provide small group interventions in reading and math has seen growth into new schools and are serving more students than the previous year. Students are further behind than usual in reading and math and LDA’s teachers are an integral source of support for students in our partnership schools.
Best,
Martha Moriarty
Executive Director
Our mission: LDA Minnesota serves individuals, families and communities impacted by learning differences, equipping and inspiring learners to thrive and lead fulfilled lives.
Our vision: All adults and children with learning challenges are understood, accepted, and empowered to achieve their life goals.
Values:
- Quality: As a leader in the field, LDA stays abreast of current research and the needs of our community. We evaluate our work to ensure that our clients are making progress and we are exceeding their expectations for service delivery.
- Accessibility: LDA provides individualized educational services to under-resourced and underserved communities that would not have access to high quality services otherwise. We strive to offer information and services to all populations regardless of abilities.
- Outreach: LDA strives to be a resource for information in the community; we do this through our community partnership, advocacy efforts, and programs.
- Strengths: LDA believes all learners have strengths and abilities; we value, respect, appreciate, and recognize each unique life experience.
- Equity: LDA believes all learners can thrive. LDA strives to develop cultural competency and to eliminate policies, practices, attitudes and cultural messages that perpetuate disparities based on race, culture, ethnicity, ability, gender, sexual orientation, religion, or socioeconomic status.
- Self-determination: LDA believes that we all have the ability to learn and grow at any age. LDA provides services across the lifespan. We believe individuals with disabilities should have full self-determination by understanding their condition(s) and determining future goals.
- Justice: LDA stands with our community against racism, oppression and injustice and will work toward ending racial disparities that plague our systems, schools and neighborhoods. We know that traumatic events can negatively impact teaching and learning environments.
LDA Board of Directors 2020-2021
Sherry Holtz, President
Jerry Golden, Vice President
Cheryl Coombs, Treasurer
Craig Foss, Secretary
Scarlett Ferguson
Catherine Lenagh
Iqra Rabbini
Joy Spear
Brandon Spears
Paul Wallace
Laurel Wills, MD
LDA Key Staff 2020-2021
Martha Moriarty Executive Director
Dr. Cathy Tutor, Program Manager & Faculty
Ian McLaughlin, Education Services Manager
Dr. Christine Peper, Mentor Manager & Faculty
During Fiscal Year 2021, LDA directly served 1,131 individuals during FY 2021 (Sept. 1, 2020 – Aug. 31, 2021), of those served, 76% were children and families; 24% were adults; 73% were low-income; and 63% were people of color. LDA provides information, training, and resources statewide with direct services focused on the Twin Cities metropolitan area.
- Learning Connections, a 24-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. During the school year 2020-2021, the Learning Connections Program served 166 students in grades K-12, approximately 95% of whom were low-income and 85% students of color. For students receiving reading or math interventions during the school year, 85 had at least two benchmark data points: 89% showed positive growth, and 74% exceeded expected growth expectations, narrowing their achievement gaps. Parents of participating students reported their child’s confidence has grown significantly and their child’s skills have shown improvement over the course of the school year.
- Assessment, Tutoring, and Executive Function Skill Building Services help individuals understand how they learn and gain strategies to improve 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 2020-2021, LDA provided individualized services to 66 individuals through online instruction:.
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- 100% of tutoring students who completed 12 or more sessions achieved their target goal.
- 77% of assessment clients, who responded to a post-service survey, reported that they “strongly agree” that the assessment provided new information or skills, increasing their life opportunities. The remaining 23% indicated they “agree” with this statement. 100% would recommend the service to others.
- 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 2020-2021, 124 adults gained skills and resources to better manage their challenges and achieve their academic, vocational, and personal goals. Delivered online in FY2021, the majority of support group members responded to surveys rating the service as “excellent” (67% of respondents) or “good” (22%). Similarly, the group members said the support group provided skills and knowledge to help them better manage ADHD.
- Teacher Preparation and Licensure Program trains aspiring special education teachers for the Academic Behavioral Specialist teaching license. The program is approved by the Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board (PELSB) and is the first alternative teacher preparation program to offer initial teacher licensure and special education licensure in Minnesota. Delivered online in FY2021:
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- The Program graduated its first cohort of teacher candidates, recommending four candidates for licensure in May 2021.
- In Fall 2020, the program welcomed its second cohort of 10 teacher candidates. 90% of the candidates were retained in the program, the average GPA was 3.9. Of cohort two, or 20% are candidates who identify as Black, Indigenous, or Persons of Color (BIPOC)
Financial Statements
ASSETS
| Current Assets | |
| Cash and cash equivalents | $324,921 |
| Accounts receivable, net of allowance | $57,673 |
| Certificate of Deposit | $70,469 |
| CARES Act Employee Retention Credit receivable | $144,332 |
| Prepaid expenses and other assets | $19,903 |
| Total current assets | $617,298 |
| Other Assets | |
| Grants receivable, non-current | $7,000 |
| Certificates of deposit, non-current | $0 |
| Total other assets |
$7,000 |
| Property and equipment | $1,550,023 |
| Less: accumulated depreciation | ($512,230) |
| Net property and equipment | $1,037,793 |
| Total Assets | $1,662,091 |
LIABILITIES and NET ASSETS
| Current Liabilities | |
| Current maturities of long-term debt | $18,972 |
| Accounts payable & accrued expense | $11,644 |
| Accrued employee benefits | $25,218 |
| Accrued interest | $2,270 |
| Deferred revenue | $11,912 |
| Total current liabilities | $70,016 |
| Long-Term Debt (net of current maturities) | |
| Mortgage payable | $573,203 |
| SBA PPP loans payable | $101,595 |
| Less: current maturities | ($18,972) |
| Long-term debt (net of current maturities) | $655,826 |
| Total Liabilities | $725,842 |
| Net Assets | |
| Without donor restrictions | $1,883,688 |
| With donor restrictions | $52,561 |
| Total Net Assets | $936,249 |
| Total Liabilities and Net Assets | $1,662,091 |
STATEMENT of ACTIVITIES
| REVENUES/GAINS/PUBLIC SUPPORT | |
| Program revenue | |
| Fees for Service | $224,983 |
| Gov’t Grants & Contracts | $224,318 |
| Total Program Revenue | $449,301 |
| Contributions | |
| Foundation, trust, corp grants | $133,000 |
| General Public support | $35,813 |
| Rental Income | $12,815 |
| Total Public Support | $181,628 |
| Non-operating Revenue/Gains | |
| Interest Income | $601 |
| CARES Act Employee Retention Credit | $144,332 |
| Gain on forgiveness of SBA PPP Loan | $101,600 |
| Tota non-operating revenues | $246,533 |
| Total Revenues/Gains/Public Support | $833,151 |
| EXPENSES and LOSSES | |
| Program Services | $683,618 |
| Support Services | |
| Administration | $92,488 |
| Fundraising | $35,060 |
| Total Expenses and losses | $809,200 |
| CHANGE in NET ASSETS | $68,262 |
| Net Assets – Beginning of year | $867,987 |
| Net Assets – End of Year | $936,249 |
Total Cost of each major Program at LDA Minnesota
| Learning Connections | $306,986 |
| Teacher Prep & Licensure | $222,088 |
| Diagnostic Assessments | $77,507 |
| Public Education, Instructional & Support Services | $77,037 |