2462 - DYSLEXIA SCREENING AND INTERVENTION

The School Corporation shall provide dyslexia screening and intervention as required by State law. The following procedures shall be utilized in complying with State law.

Screening Process:

The Corporation's reading plan developed under 511 IAC 6.2-3.1 shall include indicators to screen for risk factors of dyslexia, using a screening tool approved by the Indiana Department of Education that screens for characteristics of dyslexia. The mandatory universal screener approved by the IDOE that includes indicators for dyslexia shall be reported in the Corporation’s kindergarten through grade 2 reading plan. Until the IDOE approves the mandatory universal screener, the School Board directs the Superintendent to develop and utilize an appropriate screener that includes indicators for dyslexia which shall include, as developmentally appropriate, the following:

1. Phonological and phonemic awareness

2. Sound symbol recognition

3. Alphabet knowledge

4. Decoding skills

5. Rapid naming skills

6. Encoding skills

Students shall be screened for risk factors for dyslexia using the aforementioned screening tool:

1. in kindergarten, grade 1, and grade 2;

2. when a student in kindergarten through grade 2:

   1. transfers to a new school; and

   2. has not been screened previously during the school year;

3. when a student in grade 3 or higher has difficulty, as noted by a classroom teacher, in:

   1. phonological and phonemic awareness;

   2. sound symbol recognition;

   3. alphabet knowledge;

   4. decoding skills;

   5. rapid naming skills; and

   6. encoding skills;

4. when a student from another state enrolls for the first time in kindergarten through grade 2 in Indiana unless the student presents documentation that the student:

   1. had the dyslexia screening or a similar screening during the school year; or

   2. is exempt from screening.

If a student is determined to be at risk, or at some risk, for dyslexia after this screening, the Corporation shall administer a level I dyslexia screening of the student, as defined below. If the Corporation determines that a level II dyslexia screening should be administered, the Corporation may administer a level II dyslexia screening to the student, as defined below. A level II dyslexia screening shall be completed consistent with the Indiana dyslexia resource guide developed by the IDOE.

The level I dyslexia screening and the level II dyslexia screening of a student shall include the following components, as developmentally appropriate:

1. Phonological and phonemic awareness.

2. Sound symbol recognition.

3. Alphabet knowledge.

4. Decoding skills.

5. Rapid naming skills.

6. Encoding skills.

If a universal screener, level I dyslexia screening, or level II dyslexia screening indicates that a student has characteristics of dyslexia, the Corporation shall use the response to intervention process to address the needs of the student.

Exceptions:

The Corporation is not required to administer a universal screener to a student if:

1. the parent of the student objects to the screening; or

2. the student is receiving intervention services for dyslexia.

Before the Corporation administers a level I dyslexia screening or level II dyslexia screening to a student, the parent of the student shall consent to the screening.

If a parent objects to an initial dyslexia screening or does not consent to a level I dyslexia screening or level II dyslexia screening, the Corporation may not administer the initial dyslexia screening, level I dyslexia screening, or level II dyslexia screening, whichever is applicable, to the student.

Notification and Services:

If a student's performance on an initial dyslexia screening, level I dyslexia screening, or level II dyslexia screening indicates a need for dyslexia intervention services, the Corporation shall:

1. Notify the student's parent of the results of the dyslexia screening.

2. Provide the student's parent with information and resource material that includes the following:

   1. Characteristics of dyslexia.

   2. Appropriate classroom interventions and accommodations for students with dyslexia.

   3. A statement that the parent may elect to have the student receive an educational evaluation by the school.

Instructional Approaches:

If a student's level I dyslexia screening or level II dyslexia screening indicates the need for dyslexia intervention services for the student, the dyslexia intervention may include:

1. explicit, direct instruction that is systematic, sequential, and cumulative and follows a logical plan of presenting the alphabetic principle that targets the specific needs of the student without presuming prior skills or knowledge of the student;

2. individualized instruction to meet the specific needs of the student in a setting that uses intensive, highly concentrated instruction methods and materials that maximize student engagement;

3. meaning based instruction directed at purposeful reading and writing with an emphasis on comprehension and composition;

4. instruction that incorporates the simultaneous use of two or more sensory pathways during teacher presentations and student practice; and

5. other instructional approaches as determined appropriate by the Corporation.

Reporting:

In accordance with the Corporation’s reading plan developed under 511 IAC 6.2-3.1, the Superintendent shall report annually to the IDOE the number of students who were:

1. administered an initial dyslexia screening during the school year; and

2. determined to be at risk, or at some risk, for dyslexia.

Before July 15, 2019, and before July 15 of each year thereafter, the Corporation shall report on its Internet website the following information:

1. The dyslexia intervention programs that were used during the previous school year to assist students with dyslexia.

2. The number of students during the previous school year who received dyslexia intervention under this article.

3. The total number of students identified with dyslexia during the previous school year.

Reading Specialist Trained in Dyslexia:

Not later than the 2019-2020 school year, the Corporation shall employ at least one individual to serve as an authorized reading specialist trained in dyslexia. The Corporation may enter into an agreement with a service provider or another school corporation or charter school to obtain or share services provided by an authorized reading specialist trained in dyslexia.

The Corporation may petition the secretary of education, or the secretary's designee, for a waiver necessary to hire an individual that does not meet the training requirements established by the IDOE to be an authorized reading specialist trained in dyslexia. The written petition shall be submitted to the IDOE on a form and in a manner prescribed by the IDOE and shall specify the reasons the Corporation is seeking the waiver. A waiver may be sought if:

1. the individual is unable to meet the training requirements to become an authorized reading specialist trained in dyslexia within the required time period; or

2. an authorized reading specialist trained in dyslexia leaves the specialist's position with the Corporation and the Corporation is not able to timely employ or designate another authorized reading specialist trained in dyslexia.

Definitions:

"Authorized reading specialist trained in dyslexia" means an employee of a school corporation or public school, including a charter school, who has successfully completed training in a dyslexia program approved by the IDOE. The term includes:

1. a reading specialist trained in dyslexia;

2. a teacher who has successfully completed the training in a dyslexia program approved by the IDOE; and

3. a tutor or paraprofessional working under the supervision of a teacher described in section (2) above.

"Dyslexia program" means explicit, direct instruction that is:

1. systematic, sequential, and cumulative and follows a logical plan of presenting the alphabetic principle that targets the specific needs of a student without presuming prior skills or knowledge of the student;

2. research based; and

3. offered in a setting to teach a student the components of reading instruction, including:

   1. phonemic awareness to enable a student to detect, segment, blend, and manipulate sounds in spoken language;

   2. graphophonemic knowledge for teaching the letter sound plan of English;

   3. the structure of the English language that includes morphology, semantics, syntax, and pragmatics;

   4. linguistic instruction directed toward proficiency and fluency with the patterns of language so that words and sentences are carriers of meaning; and

   5. strategies that a student uses for decoding, encoding, word recognition, fluency, and comprehension.

"Level I dyslexia screening" means a process, as determined by the Corporation, for gathering additional information to determine if characteristics of dyslexia are present.

"Level II dyslexia screening" means a detailed process, as determined by the Corporation, for identifying a pattern of strengths and weaknesses documenting the characteristics of dyslexia and includes the administration of diagnostic tools designed to measure the underlying cause, characteristics, and outcomes to identify the characteristics of dyslexia.

"Reading specialist trained in dyslexia" means a professional who:

1. has expertise in and either has or is working toward an endorsement or certification, as determined by the IDOE, in providing training for:

   1. phonological and phonemic awareness;

   2. sound and symbol relationships;

   3. alphabet knowledge;

   4. decoding skills;

   5. rapid naming skills; and

   6. encoding skills;

2. is fluent in the response to intervention process; and

3. has been trained in the identification of and intervention for dyslexia.

"Universal screener" means a diagnostic assessment used to aid educators in understanding the causes for student performance, learning strengths, and the needs that underlie student performance. The diagnostic assessment is conducted to identify or predict students who may be at risk for poor learning outcomes and is typically brief and conducted with all students at a particular grade level.

T.C. 6/13/23

© Neola 2023