Schools; providing for the establishment of a dyslexia training pilot program through the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education; effective date; emergency.

From text of bill:

A. It is the intent of the Legislature that the Oklahoma State Regent for Higher Education establish a comprehensive dyslexia teacher training pilot program. The Regents shall select one or more institutions within The Oklahoma State System of Higher Education to participate in the pilot program.

B. The goal of the pilot program shall be to demonstrate and evaluate the effectiveness of having trained teachers who can provide early reading assistance programs for children with risk factors for dyslexia and to evaluate whether the early assistance programs can reduce future special education costs.

C. Each institution participating in the dyslexia teacher training pilot program shall provide:

1. Programs or institutes for teachers of grades kindergarten through fourth grade designed to train teachers on the indicators of dyslexia and the types of instruction that children with dyslexia need to learn, read, write and spell, including multisensory structured language programs; and

2. Instruction for teacher candidates enrolled in the elementary, early childhood education or special education program at the institution, which is incorporated into those programs and is designed to train the teacher candidates on the indicators of dyslexia and the type of instruction that children with dyslexia need to learn, read, write and spell, including multisensory structured language programs.

D. The State Regents shall establish guidelines and procedures for the pilot project.

E. Each participating institution shall report annually to the State Regents about the operation and results of the pilot program.

F. As used in this section, “dyslexia” means a specific learning disorder that is neurological in origin and that is characterized by unexpected difficulties with accurate or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities not consistent with the intelligence, motivation and sensory capabilities of the person, which difficulties typically result from a deficit in the phonological component of language.

Schools – establishing dyslexia teacher training pilot program – requiring State Regents to promulgate rules.

From bill text:

A. It is the intent of the Legislature that the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education establish a comprehensive dyslexia teacher training pilot program. The Regents shall select one or more institutions within The Oklahoma State System of Higher Education to participate in the pilot program.

B. The goal of the pilot program shall be to demonstrate and evaluate the effectiveness of having trained teachers who can provide early reading assistance programs for children with risk factors for dyslexia and to evaluate whether the early assistance programs can reduce future special education costs.

C. Each institution participating in the dyslexia teacher training pilot program shall provide:

1. Programs or institutes for teachers of grades kindergarten through fourth grade designed to train teachers on the indicators of dyslexia and the types of instruction that children with dyslexia need to learn, read, write and spell, including multisensory structured language programs; and

2. Instruction for teacher candidates enrolled in the elementary, early childhood education or special education program at the institution, which is incorporated into those programs and is designed to train the teacher candidates on the indicators of dyslexia and the type of instruction that children with dyslexia need to learn, read, write and spell, including multisensory structured language programs.

D. The State Regents shall promulgate rules and establish guidelines and procedures for the pilot project.

E. Each participating institution shall report annually to the State Regents about the operation and results of the pilot program.

F. As used in this section, “dyslexia” means a specific learning disorder that is neurological in origin and that is characterized by unexpected difficulties with accurate or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities not consistent with the intelligence, motivation and sensory capabilities of the person, which difficulties typically result from a deficit in the phonological component of language.

Amends the School Code. Requires the State Board of Education to establish a pilot project to provide early screening and intervention services for children with risk factors for dyslexia, subject to appropriation. Requires the State Superintendent of Education to select 3 school districts to participate in the pilot project. Sets forth provisions concerning district qualifications and requirements, the duration and goal of the pilot project, consultation, reporting, and rules. Beginning with the 2012-2013 school year, allows teachers institutes to include instruction on the indicators of dyslexia, which instruction must be provided by a dyslexia specialist. Effective immediately.

AN ACT relating to early education assessment and intervention. Create a new section of KRS Chapter 158 to define “aphasia,” “dyscalculia,” dyslexia,” “phonemic awareness,” and “scientifically based research”; require the Kentucky Board of Education to promulgate administrative regulations for district-wide reporting on the use of K-3 response-to-intervention implementation in reading by August 1, 2013, in mathematics by August 1, 2014, and behavior by August 1, 2015; require the Department of Education 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. sec. 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, 2013, and annually thereafter; amend KRS 157.200 to conform with the federal definition of a “specific learning disability.”

HOUSE AMENDMENTS:

 - Retain original provisions except to clarify that the promulgation of administrative regulations for district-wide implementation of response-to-intervention applies only to kindergarten through grade three.

Authorizes educational service centers to provide teacher professional development on dyslexia.

Provides that the governing board of any educational service center may engage the services of a dyslexia specialist to provide training for teachers of grades kindergarten to four on the indicators of dyslexia and the types of instruction that children with dyslexia need to learn, read, write, and spell. 

If a service center provides this training, it shall make the training available to local school districts within the service center’s territory and to other school districts, community schools, and STEM schools that have contracted for the training from the service center.

If a governing board of any educational service center does not provide the training, a group of local school districts within the service center’s territory may engage the services of a dyslexia specialist to provide training for teachers independently.

A school district or school may require the training authorized under this section for its teachers as part of the district’s or school’s regular in-service training programs.

“Dyslexia” is defined as a specific learning disorder that is neurological in origin and that is characterized by difficulties with accurate or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities, which difficulties typically result from a deficit in the phonological component of language.

“Dyslexia specialist” is defined as a person who is trained and certified in a multisensory structured language program that meets the level II specialist criteria set by the international dyslexia association’s knowledge and practice standards, or any subsequent standards adopted by the association.

Provides that a student with learning disabilities who fails to satisfy the requirements of the competency determination may nonetheless receive a  high school diploma if specified requirements are met. Any “School Age Child with a Disability,”  who fails to satisfy the requirements of the competency determination may nonetheless receive a  high school diploma if the following requirements are met:-

He has been measured by the assessment instruments, has pursued the appeals process, and has failed to achieve the required competency level in one or more subjects;

The superintendent of schools in the student’s district has certified to the commissioner that the student’s “Specific Learning Impairment” is the proximate cause of his failure to achieve the required competency levels and that there is no generally accepted remediation for such disability that would result in the student’s achieving the required competency levels;

The student has participated in and satisfactorily completed an educational proficiency plan, as defined by the department of elementary and secondary education, in all subjects in which he has failed to achieve the required competency levels;

The student has met all other requirements for graduation, both district and state, and has completed the goals of his Individualized Education Program (IEP) to the satisfaction of the IEP team, the student, and his parent or guardian; and

The student has received preliminary or final acceptance into any accredited 2, 3, or 4 year-long post-secondary educational program at a technical school, vocational school, college, or university.

Any diploma awarded pursuant to this section shall be known as a “standard” diploma but shall be considered evidence of high school graduation for all purposes, including but not limited to, post-secondary school admission, eligibility for state and federal post-secondary financial aid, and eligibility for employment.

An act to ensure that children with dyslexia have their needs met by the public school system; and for other purposes.  Requires that all public school children in grades K-2 be screened for dyslexia; and that school districts implement strategies for treating dyslexia and related disorders.

Definitions:

“Dyslexia” means a disorder of constitutional origin  manifested by a difficulty in learning to read, write, or spell despite  conventional instruction, adequate intelligence, and social opportunity.

“Related disorders” means disorders similar to or related to  dyslexia, including without limitation developmental auditory imperception, dysphasia, specific developmental dyslexia, developmental dysgraphia, and  developmental spelling disability.

Requires that public schools test all students in kindergarten through grade two (K-2) for dyslexia and related disorders. The results of such testing must be reported to the individual student’s parents or guardians, as district-wide results must be reported to the State Board of Education.

The State Board of Education shall develop recommendations to school districts to administer reading instruments designed to diagnose student 16 reading development and comprehension; train teachers in the use of such instruments, and apply the results of the the instruments to the instructional program.

The state board shall adopt a list of reading instruments that a school district may use to diagnose student reading development and comprehension. A school district may adopt its own supplemental list of reading instruments.  Each reading instrument adopted by a state board or school district shall be based on scientific research concerning reading skills development and reading comprehension, and provide for diagnosing the reading development and comprehension of a student participating in a specialized reading program.

School districts must notify parents in writing, in English or the parents native language, before an identification or assessment procedure is used with their child, and of all services and options available to the student under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, § 504, if the student is eligible.

School districts must implement strategies approved by the State Board of Education for screening and techniques for treating dyslexia and related disorders, and purchase or develop a reading program for students with dyslexia and related disorders approved by the state board.

A teacher who screens and treats students with dyslexia and related disorders shall be trained in instructional strategies that utilize individualized, intensive, multisensory, phonetic methods, and a variety of writing and spelling techniques.

Relating to testing accommodations for a person with dyslexia taking a licensing examination administered by a state agency.

Relating to testing accommodations for a person with dyslexia taking a licensing examination administered by a state agency.

Relating to the education of public school students with dyslexia, the education and training of educators who teach students with dyslexia, and the assessment of students with dyslexia attending an institution of higher education.