2010 Nomination Forms

Colorado Council For Learning Disabilities

The national Council for Learning Disabilities has once again awarded the distinguished Floyd G. Hudson Outstanding Service Award to a Colorado member, Kyle Hughes. The award is named in memory of Floyd G. Hudson, a professor at the University of Kansas, who was a leader in the early years of CLD. The Floyd G. Hudson Outstanding Service Award is presented to one recipient each year, for outstanding performance and commitment to individuals with learning disabilities as exhibited by professionals who are not necessarily special education classroom teachers. Kyle has been selected based on the extent and quality of her professional service in the field of learning disabilities.

Kyle retired from the Cherry Creek School District where she was a special educator for more than 26 years. She also taught both undergraduate and graduate-level classes at Metropolitan State College and the University of Colorado at Denver for seven years.

Kyle has served on many different task forces for the Colorado Department of Education. She helped develop the Colorado Handbook for the Assessment and Identification of Learning Disabilities as well as helping to create the Generalist Licensure Standards and serving on the Colorado Basic Literacy Act (CBLA) Committee. She currently works as an independent consultant for the Colorado Department of Education as a member of the School Support Team and Comprehensive Appraisal for District Improvement Processes.

Kyle has worked tirelessly as the CCLD Math on the “Planes” coordinator for several years and has been instrumental in the growth and scope of that conference. She has worked closely with district and state math coordinators to create a collaborative conference for both general and special education teachers who provide support within the RTI model for learners who struggle with mathematic. Kyle is a past president of CCLD and has been a Board member since 1994. This year, she proposed the creation of the CCLD Scholarship Fund. The scholarship will go to teacher candidates around the state who are pursuing a generalist license in special education. Kyle also volunteers as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA), advocating within the schools and courts for children in the foster-care system with special-education needs.

The Colorado Chapter and the Leadership Development Committee of CLD received several letters of support for honoring Ms. Hughes as the 2009 Floyd G. Hudson Award Winner. Ms. Melissa Coleman, Mathematics Content Specialist, Colorado Department of Education, stated that “Kyle Hughes’ work with the mathematics education community in Colorado exemplifies the type of cooperation and authentic partnering that the Response to Intervention Framework requires. More importantly, Kyle’s efforts to bridge the worlds of special educators and mathematics educators by modeling openness to different perspectives and willingness to learn together are making an impact on mathematics learning for students in Colorado.” Dr. Donna Sobel, Associate Professor, University of Colorado Denver, noted that “Ms. Hughes is one of the most talented educators in our field. She is knowledgeable, she has a wide range of experiences, her dedication to the profession is outstanding, and her ability to impact change is unequaled.” We want to congratulate Kyle for her dedication and effort through the years