Dyslegia: A Legislative Information Site

Georgia – 2010 – SB361 – Georgia Early HOPE Scholarship

admin — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 10:00:21 +0000

ACTION ALERT: Read about the bill and learn what you can do to show your support.

Amends Georgia Code relating to the scholarship program for special needs students, so as to expand eligibility for the program; to rename the scholarship the “Georgia Early HOPE Scholarship”; to revise definitions; to provide for additional notification of the program; to provide for additional state funds to be included in the scholarship payment; to provide deadlines for scholarship payments to parents; to provide for related matters; to provide for severability; to provide an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

This bill provides scholarships to expand school choice for elementary, middle and high schoolers. It expands eligibility for a scholarship to students with section 504 disabilities; children who are or who have been in foster care; and children with a parent currently in the military, reserves or national guard. The law also increases requirements to notify parents about the program.

Hawaii – 2010 – SCR 110 – HCR 129 – Students with Dyslexia; Working Group

admin — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 03:46:22 +0000

Resolution requesting the establishment of a working group to develop a comprehensive plan to improve awareness of and strengthen support for persons with dyslexia.
Requests that the Department of Education and University of Hawaii establish a working group to develop a comprehensive policy to improve awareness of and strengthen support for persons with dyslexia; to develop a comprehensive plain to make training available to state educators by the 2011-2012 school year, and specifies what such training should include.

Illinois – 2009-2010 – HB 5344 – School Recordings for blind and dyslexic students

admin — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 04:55:20 +0000

Subject to funding by the State Board of Education, provides that a school board shall require a school to provide recordings for its blind and dyslexic students. Effective immediately.

New Mexico – 2010 – HB 230 – Dyslexic Student Intervention

admin — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 05:11:18 +0000

An act relating to special education; requiring interventions for students displaying characteristics of dyslexia. Defines dyslexia and requires schools to provide research-based interventions for all students showing characteristics of dyslexia and experiencing difficulty in learning to read or write.

DDAI Analysis: As currently written, this bill would require New Mexico schools to recognize dyslexia and to provide traditional, phonics-based tutoring appropriate for dyslexic students as part of the Response to Intervention model before referring such students to special education. This could provide more effective and immediate assistance to some students by bypassing the IEP process. However, it could also delay getting individualized services to students who did not benefit from the tutoring provided by delaying full scale diagnostic testing or implementation of an IEP pending outcome of the dyslexia remediation.

We would like to see this law amended to provide more flexibility for alternative or individualized forms of intervention, to allow for schools to pilot new and emerging programs for dyslexia rather than being tied only to a single model of tutoring.

US – 2009-2010 – S2860 – Preventing Harmful Restraint and Seclusion in Schools Act

admin — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 03:28:03 +0000

Directs the Secretary of Education (Secretary) to establish minimum standards that: (1) prohibit elementary and secondary school personnel from managing any student by using any mechanical or chemical restraint, physical restraint or escort that restricts breathing, or aversive behavioral intervention that compromises student health and safety; (2) prohibit such personnel from using physical restraint or seclusion, unless such measures are required to eliminate an imminent danger of physical injury to the student or others and certain precautions are taken; (3) require states and local educational agencies (LEAs) to ensure that a sufficient number of school personnel receive state-approved training and certification in first aid and certain safe and effective student management techniques; (4) prohibit physical restraint or seclusion from being written into a student’s education plan, individual safety plan, behavioral plan, or individual education program as a planned intervention; and (5) require schools to establish procedures to quickly notify parents if physical restraint or seclusion is imposed on their child and quickly notify the state Protection and Advocacy System if the child is seriously injured or dies from such measures. Authorizes the Secretary to award grants to states and, through them, competitive subgrants to LEAs to: (1) establish, implement, and enforce policies and procedures to meet such standards; and (2) implement school-wide positive behavior supports. Directs the Secretary to conduct a national assessment of this Act’s effectiveness. Gives Protection and Advocacy Systems the authority provided under the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000 to investigate, monitor, and enforce this Act’s protections for students. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish standards for Head Start agencies that are consistent with the minimum standards for the management of elementary and secondary school students. Authorizes the Secretary to allocate funds to the Secretary of Health and Human Services to assist Head Start agencies in establishing, implementing, and enforcing policies and procedures to meet such standards.

Hawaii – 2010 – SB 2217 – DOE Technical Assistance and Training; Dyslexia

admin — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 07:12:56 +0000

The purpose of this Act is to support students with dyslexia by:
(1) Making technical assistance and training available by the 2010-2011 school year to educators, education officials, and employees providing instruction or special services for the education, therapy, and training of exceptional children; and

(2) Requiring the department of education to coordinate technical assistance and training efforts with teacher preparation programs at institutions of higher education in the State.

Text of Proposed bill:

Chapter 302A, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to part II to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

“§302A- Technical assistance and training relating to students with dyslexia. (a) Beginning with the 2010-2011 school year, the department shall make available technical assistance and training to teachers, educational officers and employees providing instruction or special services for the education, therapy, and training of exceptional children that shall include but not be limited to the following areas:
(1) Awareness of dyslexia;

(2) Assessment and identification of dyslexia;

(3) Remedial curricula for general and special education students with dyslexia;

(4) Progress monitoring of students with dyslexia that provides students, parents, teachers, and administrators with data on student performance and improvements, and uses this data in evaluations and in designing instructional changes; and

(5) Interventions to address the needs of students with dyslexia that are based on scientific evidence and data.

(b) The department shall coordinate technical assistance and training efforts with teacher preparation programs at the University of Hawaii and other institutions of higher education in the State.

(c) The provision of any technical assistance and training pursuant to this section shall not preclude the department from using federal funds to implement the technical assistance and training. The availability of federal funds shall be construed as a proportionate reduction of state costs whenever possible.

For purposes of this section, “students with dyslexia” means students that the department has determined to be dyslexic through evaluations described in the department’s administrative rules, pursuant to section 302A-1112.”

US – 2009-2010 – HR4247 – Keeping All Students Safe in School Act

admin — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 00:59:57 +0000

Formerly called “Preventing Harmful Restraint and Seclusion in Schools Act”. Directs the Secretary of Education (Secretary) to establish minimum standards that: (1) prohibit elementary and secondary school personnel from managing any student by using any mechanical or chemical restraint, physical restraint or escort that restricts breathing, or aversive behavioral intervention that compromises student health and safety; (2) prohibit such personnel from using physical restraint or seclusion, unless such measures are required to eliminate an imminent danger of physical injury to the student or others and certain precautions are taken; (3) require states and local educational agencies (LEAs) to ensure that a sufficient number of school personnel receive state-approved training and certification in first aid and certain safe and effective student management techniques; (4) prohibit physical restraint or seclusion from being written into a student’s education plan, individual safety plan, behavioral plan, or individual education program as a planned intervention; and (5) require schools to establish procedures to notify parents in a timely manner if physical restraint or seclusion is imposed on their child.

Kentucky 2010 HB109 Early Education Assessment and Intervention

admin — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 08:09:21 +0000

Create a new section of KRS Chapter 158 to define “aphasia,” dyscalculia,” “dysgraphia,” “dyslexia,” “phonemic awareness,” and “scientifically based research”; require the Kentucky Board of Education to promulgate administrative regulations to implement district-wide use of K-3 response-to-intervention system in reading by August 1, 2011, in mathematics by August 1, 2012, and behavior by August 1, 2013; require the Department of Education, on or before January 1, 2011, to make available technical assistance, training and a Web-based resource to assist all local school districts in the implementation of the system and instructional tools based on scientifically based research; require the department to collaborate with other state agencies and organizations; require conformity with 20 U.S.C. 1414(a)(1)(E) for initial evaluations of students with suspected disabilities; require the department to report to the Interim Joint Committee on Education on implementation by November 30, 2011, and annually thereafter; amend KRS 157.200 to conform with the federal definition of a “specific learning disability.

Virginia 2010 SJR 87 Dyslexia Screening

admin — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 07:57:04 +0000

Study; dyslexia screening in kindergarten; report. Requests the Department of Education to study dyslexia screening for kindergarteners.
In conducting its study, the Department shall
(i) examine available scientific data on the success of early screening for dyslexia,
(ii) consider the cost-effectiveness of such strategy, and
(iii) make recommendations as to whether such screening is advisable and, if so, the particular method that is most effective.

New Jersey 2010-2011 AB 811 Dyslexia Awareness Instruction

admin — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 04:21:38 +0000

Provides for instruction in dyslexia awareness and methods of teaching students with dyslexia for candidates for teaching certificates and current teachers and paraprofessionals.
This bill directs the Commissioner of Education to:
(1) develop recommendations for dyslexia awareness instruction and methods of teaching students with dyslexia for teacher preparation programs; and
(2) develop recommendations to incorporate dyslexia awareness instruction and methods of teaching students with dyslexia for teacher and paraprofessional in-service and other training programs. The recommendations must be submitted to the State Board of Education. In developing the recommendations, the commissioner must consult with the Commissioner of Health and Senior Services, representatives from organizations that promote dyslexia awareness and provide programs and services to people with dyslexia, and representatives of the education community.