Screening for Dyslexia and Related Disorders; Training and Professional Development; Pilot Program Evaluating Early Intervention; Data Reporting

  1. Law
  2. Georgia Code
  3. Education
  4. Elementary and Secondary Education
  5. Quality Basic Education
  6. Educational Programs
  7. Screening for Dyslexia and Related Disorders; Training and Professional Development; Pilot Program Evaluating Early Intervention; Data Reporting

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  1. As used in this Code section, the term:
    1. "Aphasia" means a condition characterized by either partial or total loss of the ability to communicate verbally or through written words. A person with aphasia may have difficulty speaking, reading, writing, recognizing the names of objects, or understanding what other people have said. The condition may be temporary or permanent and shall not include speech problems caused by loss of muscle control.
    2. "Dyscalculia" means the inability to understand the meaning of numbers, the basic operations of addition and subtraction, or the complex operations of multiplication and division or to apply math principles to solve practical or abstract problems.
    3. "Dysgraphia" means difficulty in automatically remembering and mastering the sequence of muscle motor movements needed to accurately write letters or numbers.
    4. "Dyslexia" means a specific learning disability that is neurological in origin. Dyslexia is characterized by difficulties with accurate or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. These difficulties typically result from a deficit in the phonological component of language that is often unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities and the provision of effective classroom instruction. Secondary consequences may include problems in reading comprehension and reduced reading experience that can impede the growth of vocabulary and background knowledge.
    5. "Other disorders" means aphasia, dyscalculia, and dysgraphia.
    6. "Parent" means a parent, legal agent, legal guardian, or kinship caregiver.
    7. "Phonemic awareness" means the ability to recognize that a spoken word consists of a sequence of individual sounds and the ability to manipulate individual sounds when speaking.
    8. "Qualified dyslexia screening tool" means an assessment that measures a student's ability to demonstrate phonological awareness skills, phonemic decoding efficiency skills, sight word reading efficiency skills, rapid automatic naming skills, and accuracy of word reading on grade-level text.
  2. No later than July 1, 2020, the State Board of Education shall develop policies for referring students in kindergarten and grades one through three for screening who have been identified through the response-to-intervention process as having characteristics of dyslexia, other disorders, or both. Such policies shall include but are not limited to:
    1. The definition and characteristics of dyslexia and related disorders;
    2. A list of approved qualified dyslexia screening tools that address the following components:
      1. Phonological awareness and phonemic awareness;
      2. Sound symbol recognition;
      3. Alphabet knowledge;
      4. Decoding skills;
      5. Encoding skills; and
      6. Rapid naming;
    3. The process for referring students in kindergarten and grades one through three for screening in collaboration with the local school system's response-to-intervention programs;
    4. A process for parents to provide informed consent for use of a qualified dyslexia screening tool and notification of the results of the screening;
    5. A process for parents to decline dyslexia screening for their child;
    6. A process for providing the parents of students identified as having characteristics of dyslexia with information and resource material regarding dyslexia; and
    7. A process for monitoring the student's progress after the positive identification of characteristics of dyslexia.
  3. No later than December 1, 2019, the Department of Education shall make available a dyslexia informational handbook that includes guidance, technical assistance, and training to assist all local school systems in the implementation of evidence based practices for instructing students with characteristics of dyslexia. Such handbook shall include, but not be limited to, the following information for local school systems screening students in kindergarten and grades one through three who have been identified through the response-to-intervention process as having characteristics of dyslexia:
    1. Evidence based practices designed specifically for students with characteristics of dyslexia;
    2. Characteristics of targeted instruction for dyslexia;
    3. Guidance on developing instructional plans for students with characteristics of dyslexia;
    4. Best practices toward meaning-centered reading and writing;
    5. Developmentally appropriate curricula and engaging instructional materials and practices;
    6. Structured multisensory approaches to teach language and reading skills; and
    7. Suggested training programs.
  4. The Department of Education shall collaborate with the Professional Standards Commission to improve and update professional development opportunities for teachers specifically relating to dyslexia. The training shall focus on:
    1. Development and ongoing implementation of training and coaching for teachers regarding dyslexia and other disorders;
    2. Identifying high-quality trainers to provide support to local school systems utilizing a coaching model to develop school level dyslexia experts;
    3. Developing awareness training modules for all instructional staff to include information about dyslexia;
    4. Evidence based interventions, structured multisensory approaches to teach language and reading skills, and accommodations for students with characteristics of dyslexia and other disorders; and
    5. School and school system policies and procedures related to the response-to-intervention framework addressing reading, writing, mathematics, and behavior. Teachers shall be notified annually of any changes in policy, procedures, and specific instructional methodologies.
    1. Beginning with the 2020-2021 school year, the State School Superintendent shall establish a three-year pilot program to demonstrate and evaluate the effectiveness of early reading assistance programs for students with risk factors for dyslexia. The State School Superintendent shall select at least three local school systems, preferably at least one of which is located in an urban setting, one of which is located in a suburban setting, and one of which is located in a rural setting. The State School Superintendent shall consult with recognized organizations that specialize in structured literacy programs for the instruction of students with characteristics of dyslexia in establishing and operating the pilot program.
    2. To be considered by the State School Superintendent to be in the pilot program, a local school system shall submit a proposal to the Department of Education that:
      1. Identifies a method of screening students for low phonemic awareness, rapid automatic naming skills, and characteristics of dyslexia;
      2. Provides for the enrollment of students with characteristics of dyslexia in an International Dyslexia Association (IDA) approved reading program staffed by teachers trained in structured literacy programs as outlined in IDA's Knowledge and Practice Standards; and
      3. Includes a methodology for evaluating the effects of the reading program on the student's identified characteristics.
    3. Local school systems selected to participate in the pilot program shall screen all kindergarten students for characteristics of dyslexia and may screen kindergarten students for other disorders. Further, such participating local school systems shall screen students in grades one through three for characteristics of dyslexia, and may screen such students for other disorders, who have been identified through the response-to-intervention process. Participating local school systems shall also provide appropriate reading intervention services for such students and administer assessments to ascertain whether the intervention services improve such students' language processing and reading skills.
    4. Each local school system chosen to participate in the pilot program shall comply with all applicable state and federal laws and require the parent of students suspected of having characteristics of dyslexia to indicate in writing that the parent voluntarily and knowingly consents to the student's participation in the pilot program for the provision of reading intervention services. Each participating local school system shall provide to the parents of students suspected of having characteristics of dyslexia information about dyslexia and recommended interventions.
    5. Each participating local school system shall report to the Department of Education data about the operation and results of the pilot program, as required by the department's guidelines and procedures.
    6. Not later than December 1 of the third school year in which the pilot program is operating, the State School Superintendent shall submit a report to the House Education Committee and the Senate Committee on Education and Youth that contains the superintendent's evaluation of the results of the pilot program and any legislative recommendations regarding the identification of and interventions for students with characteristics of dyslexia, including recommendations regarding screening of all kindergarten students.
    7. This subsection shall be subject to appropriations by the General Assembly.
    1. Beginning with the 2024-2025 school year, local school systems shall screen all kindergarten students for characteristics of dyslexia and may screen kindergarten students for other disorders. Further, local school systems shall screen students in grades one through three for characteristics of dyslexia, and may screen such students for other disorders, who have been identified through the response-to-intervention process. Screening shall be conducted in accordance with the policies developed by the State Board of Education pursuant to subsection (b) of this Code section and the dyslexia informational handbook produced by the Department of Education pursuant to subsection (c) of this Code section, including policies and information developed relating to universal screening of kindergarten students for characteristics of dyslexia.
    2. By June 30 of each year, local school systems shall provide the following data to the Department of Education:
      1. The number of students in kindergarten through grade three who were identified as having characteristics of dyslexia through screening;
      2. The number of students in kindergarten through grade three who were screened for characteristics of dyslexia in a school year;
      3. The number of students in kindergarten through grade three who were newly identified as having characteristics of dyslexia in a school year;
      4. The process or tool used to evaluate student progress;
      5. The number of students in kindergarten through grade three who were participating in interventions within the school setting and the number participating in interventions outside the school setting; and
      6. The number of trained school system personnel or licensed professionals used to administer the qualified dyslexia screening tool.
    3. This subsection shall be subject to appropriations by the General Assembly.

(Code 1981, §20-2-159.6, enacted by Ga. L. 2019, p. 324, § 1/SB 48.)

Editor's notes.

- Pursuant to subsection (e) of this Code section, funds ($750,000) were appropriated for fiscal year 2020. Pursuant to subsection (f) of this Code section, funds ($100,000) were appropriated for fiscal year 2020.

PART 4 FINANCING

20-2-160. Determination of enrollment by institutional program; determination of funds to be appropriated.

  1. The State Board of Education shall designate the specific dates upon which two counts of students enrolled in each instructional program authorized under this article shall be made each school year and by which the counts shall be reported to the Department of Education. The initial enrollment count shall be made after October 1 but prior to November 17 and the final enrollment count after March 1 but prior to May 1. The report shall indicate the student's specific assigned program for each one-sixth segment of the school day on the designated reporting date. No program shall be indicated for a student for any one-sixth segment of the school day that the student is assigned to a study hall; a noncredit course; a course recognized under this article or by state board policy as an enrichment course, except a driver education course; a course which requires participation in an extracurricular activity for which enrollment is on a competitive basis; a course in which the student serves as a student assistant to a teacher, in a school office, or in the media center, except when such placement is an approved work site of a recognized career, technical, and agricultural education laboratory program; an individual study course for which no outline of course objectives is prepared in writing prior to the beginning of the course; or any other course or activity so designated by the state board. For the purpose of this Code section, the term "enrichment course" means a course which does not dedicate a major portion of the class time toward the development and enhancement of one or more content standards as adopted by the state board under Code Section 20-2-140. A program shall not be indicated for a student for any one-sixth segment of the school day for which the student is not enrolled in an instructional program or has not attended a class or classes within the preceding ten days; nor shall a program be indicated for a student for any one-sixth segment of the school day for which the student is charged tuition or fees or is required to provide materials or equipment beyond those authorized pursuant to Code Section 20-2-133. A student who is enrolled in a dual credit course pursuant to Code Section 20-2-161.3 shall be counted for the high school program or other appropriate program for each segment in which the student is attending such dual credit course. The state board shall adopt such regulations and criteria as necessary to ensure objective and true counts of students in state approved instructional programs. The state board shall also establish criteria by which students shall be counted as resident or nonresident students, including specific circumstances which may include, but not be limited to, students attending another local school system under court order or under the terms of a contract between two local school systems. If a local school system has a justifiable reason, it may seek authority from the state board to shift full-time equivalent program counts from the designated date to a requested alternate date.
  2. The full-time equivalent (FTE) program count for each local school system shall be obtained in the following manner:
    1. Count the number of one-sixth segments of the school day for which each student is enrolled in each program authorized under Code Section 20-2-161; and
    2. Divide the total number of segments counted for each program by six. The result is the full-time equivalent program count for each respective state recognized program.
  3. For the purpose of initially determining the amount of funds to be appropriated to finance each respective program for the ensuing fiscal year, a projection of the second full-time equivalent program count shall be calculated as follows:
    1. Divide the first total full-time equivalent count for the current fiscal year by the first total full-time equivalent count for the immediately preceding fiscal year;
    2. Multiply the quotient obtained in paragraph (1) of this subsection by the second total full-time equivalent count for the immediately preceding fiscal year. The result shall be the projected second total full-time equivalent count for the current fiscal year;
    3. Divide the average of the local school system's two most recent full-time equivalent program counts by the average of the two most recent total full-time equivalent counts; and
    4. Multiply the quotient obtained in paragraph (3) of this subsection by the product obtained in paragraph (2) of this subsection. The result shall be the projected second full-time equivalent program count for the current fiscal year.
  4. The average of the first full-time equivalent program count, weighted two parts, and the projected second full-time equivalent program count, weighted one part, shall be used to initially determine the funds needed to finance the program for the ensuing fiscal year.
  5. For purposes of calculating allotments for a new or revised instructional program for which the full-time equivalent program counts provided for in subsections (a) through (d) of this Code section do not exist, the most recent full-time equivalent program count shall be used until such time as the full-time equivalent program counts provided for in subsections (a) through (d) of this Code section do exist.
  6. The allotments for the alternative education program shall be calculated as provided in subsection (h) of Code Section 20-2-154.1.

(Code 1981, §20-2-160, enacted by Ga. L. 1985, p. 1657, § 1; Ga. L. 1987, p. 1169, § 1; Ga. L. 1988, p. 1991, § 1; Ga. L. 1990, p. 1354, § 2; Ga. L. 1992, p. 462, § 1; Ga. L. 1992, p. 1335, § 1; Ga. L. 1993, p. 1693, § 1; Ga. L. 1996, p. 494, § 1; Ga. L. 2000, p. 618, § 20; Ga. L. 2001, p. 148, § 4; Ga. L. 2005, p. 795, § 1/SB 33; Ga. L. 2006, p. 743, § 2/SB 515; Ga. L. 2011, p. 635, § 6/HB 186; Ga. L. 2012, p. 893, § 2/SB 289; Ga. L. 2013, p. 1061, § 8/HB 283; Ga. L. 2015, p. 120, § 4/SB 132; Ga. L. 2015, p. 1376, § 12/HB 502.)

The 2015 amendments. The first 2015 amendment, effective July 1, 2015, substituted "Code Section 20-2-161.3" for "Code Section 20-2-159.5" near the end of the seventh sentence in subsection (a). The second 2015 amendment, effective July 1, 2015, substituted "content standards" for "student competencies" near the middle of the fifth sentence in subsection (a).


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