New Jersey – 2012-2013 – A3605/S2442 – Dyslexia Screening

identificationRequires all public school kindergarten students to be screened for dyslexia and other reading disabilities.

1.    a.  The Commissioner of Education shall distribute to each board of education information on screening instruments available to identify students who exhibit potential indicators of dyslexia and other reading disabilities pursuant to section 2 of this act.  The commissioner shall provide information on the screening instruments appropriate for kindergarten students and on screening instruments that may be suitably used for older students.  A board of education shall select and implement age-appropriate screening instruments for the early diagnosis of dyslexia and other reading disabilities.

b.    The commissioner shall develop and distribute to each board of education guidance on appropriate intervention strategies for students diagnosed with dyslexia or other reading disabilities.

2.    a.  A board of education shall ensure that each kindergarten student enrolled in the school district is screened for dyslexia and other reading disabilities using a screening instrument selected pursuant to section 1 of this act.

b.    In the event that a student who would have been enrolled in kindergarten during or after the 2013-2014 school year enrolls in the district in grades one through six on or after the effective date of this act and has no record of being previously screened for dyslexia or other reading disabilities pursuant to this act, the board of education shall ensure that the newly-enrolled student is screened for dyslexia and other reading disabilities using a screening instrument selected pursuant to section 1 of this act.

c.     The screening shall be administered by a teacher or other teaching staff member properly trained in the screening process for dyslexia and other reading disabilities.

3.    In the event that a student is determined through the screening conducted pursuant to section 2 of this act to exhibit potential indicators of dyslexia or other reading disability, the board of education shall ensure that the student receives a comprehensive assessment for the learning disorder.  In the event that a diagnosis is confirmed, the board of education shall provide appropriate intervention strategies to the student, including intense instruction on phonemic awareness, phonics and fluency, vocabulary, and reading comprehension.

4.    This act shall take effect immediately and shall first apply to the 2013-2014 school year.

Update:  The committee amended the bill to require that a board of education screen all students for dyslexia and other reading disabilities by the student’s completion of the first grade, rather than during kindergarten.