Dyslegia: A Legislative Information Site

Louisiana – 2010 – SCR 62 – Dyslexia Regulations

admin — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 02:34:15 +0000

Requests BESE to study and review the clarity of board regulations and guidelines relative to the education of dyslexic students and the effectiveness of procedures for monitoring the compliance of public schools and school districts when implementing such regulations and related state law.

Louisiana – 2010 – HR 185 – Dyslexia Study

admin — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 02:07:04 +0000

Requests the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) to study issues relative to dyslexia and related disorders including current methods for the identification of students with dyslexia or related disorders, the adequacy of educational programs and services provided to such students, the adequacy of funding provided for such programs and services, appropriate training for teachers and other school employees in providing instruction to such students, and the extent to which local school systems in the state are in compliance with current state laws and policies of BESE relative to these issues. Provides for a written report to the House education committee by Oct. 1, 2010, and provides for participation by educators and others with expertise in dyslexia and related disorders.

Louisiana – 2010 – SR 164 – Dyslexia Study

admin — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 01:55:48 +0000

Requests the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) to study issues relative to dyslexia and related disorders including current methods for the identification of students with dyslexia or related disorders, the adequacy of educational programs and services provided to such
students, the adequacy of funding provided for such programs and services, appropriate training for teachers and other school employees in providing instruction to such students, and the extent to which local school systems in the state are in compliance with current state laws and policies of BESE relative to these issues.

Provides for a written report to the Senate education committee by Oct. 1, 2010, and provides for participation by educators and others with expertise in dyslexia and related disorders.

Illinois – 2009-2010 – HR1067 – Recording for Blind and Dyslexic Week

admin — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 22:45:51 +0000

Declares the week of April 16-30, 2010 as Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic Week in the State of Illinois.

Virginia – 2010 – HB 558 – Early Intervention

admin — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 22:54:29 +0000

Provides for (i) early reading intervention services for students in grades K-3 who demonstrate deficiencies; (ii) mathematics intervention services to students in grades 6, 7, 8, and 9 who are at risk of failing the Algebra I end-of-course test; and (iii) local school division flexibility in the use of state funding designated for Standards of Learning Algebra Readiness; Standards of Quality Prevention, Intervention, and Remediation; Early Reading Intervention; and instructional technology resource teachers.
The bill codifies staffing standards for special education, gifted education, and career and technical education. Finally, the bill amends the definition of “support services” and requires local school divisions to report annually the amount of state and local funds budgeted and expended for each category of support services and the amounts received for support services that were used by the local school division to provide additional instructional services.

Georgia – 2010 – HR1480 – Lottery funds for learning disabilities

admin — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 22:32:00 +0000

A RESOLUTION proposing an amendment to the Constitution of Georgia so as to provide that lottery funds may be used for programs within the public schools to assist children with diagnosed learning disabilities.

Georgia – 2010 – SB361 – Georgia Early HOPE Scholarship

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

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.