102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2021 and 2022
HB4632

 

Introduced 1/21/2022, by Rep. Jackie Haas

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
105 ILCS 5/2-3.161
105 ILCS 5/10-20.84 new
105 ILCS 5/34-18.78 new

    Amends the School Code. Provides for dyslexia screening guidelines and rules. Requires the State Board of Education to provide technical assistance for specific learning disabilities to school districts. Provides that, beginning with the 2022-2023 school year, each school district must screen students in grades kindergarten through second for the risk factors of dyslexia using a universal screener. Sets forth what the screening must include. Provides for additional screening for a student who is determined to be at risk, or at some risk, for dyslexia to determine if the student has the characteristics of dyslexia. Requires the use of a multi-tiered system of support framework if screening indicates that a student has some risk factors for dyslexia or has the characteristics of dyslexia. Sets forth provisions concerning exceptions to screening, dyslexia intervention services, and reporting. Effective July 1, 2022.


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STATE MANDATES ACT MAY REQUIRE REIMBURSEMENT
MAY APPLY

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB4632LRB102 22907 CMG 32060 b

1    AN ACT concerning education.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Section
52-3.161 and by adding Sections 10-20.84 and 34-18.78 as
6follows:
 
7    (105 ILCS 5/2-3.161)
8    Sec. 2-3.161. Definition of dyslexia; reading instruction
9advisory group; handbook; screening rules.
10    (a) The State Board of Education shall incorporate, in
11both general education and special education, the following
12definition of dyslexia:
13        Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is
14    neurobiological in origin. Dyslexia is characterized by
15    difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition
16    and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. These
17    difficulties typically result from a deficit in the
18    phonological component of language that is often
19    unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities and
20    the provision of effective classroom instruction.
21    Secondary consequences may include problems in reading
22    comprehension and reduced reading experience that can
23    impede growth of vocabulary and background knowledge.

 

 

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1    (b) (Blank).
2    (c) The State Board of Education shall develop and
3maintain a handbook to be made available on its Internet
4website that provides guidance for pupils, parents or
5guardians, and teachers on the subject of dyslexia. The
6handbook shall include, but is not limited to:
7        (1) guidelines for teachers and parents or guardians
8    on how to identify signs of dyslexia;
9        (2) a description of educational strategies that have
10    been shown to improve the academic performance of pupils
11    with dyslexia; and
12        (3) a description of resources and services available
13    to pupils with dyslexia, parents or guardians of pupils
14    with dyslexia, and teachers; and .
15        (4) guidelines on the administration of a universal
16    screener and Level I dyslexia screening, the
17    interpretation of data from the screener or screening, and
18    the resulting appropriate instruction within a
19    multi-tiered system of support (MTSS) framework.
20    The State Board shall review the handbook once every 4
21years to update, if necessary, the guidelines, educational
22strategies, or resources and services made available in the
23handbook.
24    (d) The State Board of Education shall adopt any rules
25necessary to ensure that a student is screened, as provided
26under Section 10-20.84 or 34-18.78, for the risk factors of

 

 

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1dyslexia using a universal screener:
2        (1) if a student is in any of grades kindergarten
3    through second in the public schools;
4        (2) if a student in any of grades kindergarten through
5    second:
6            (A) transfers to a new public school; and
7            (B) has not been screened previously during the
8        school year; and
9        (3) if a student from another state enrolls for the
10    first time in any of grades kindergarten through second in
11    a school district in this State, unless the student
12    presents documentation that the student:
13            (A) had the dyslexia screening or a similar
14        screening during the school year; or
15            (B) is exempt from screening.
16    (e) The State Board of Education shall adopt any rules
17necessary to ensure that (i) a student is screened, as
18provided under Section 10-20.84 or 34-18.78, for the
19characteristics of dyslexia using a Level I dyslexia screening
20and (ii) a student receives dyslexia intervention services
21under Section 10-20.84 or 34-18.78.
22    (f) The State Board of Education shall provide technical
23assistance for specific learning disabilities to school
24districts, including assistance with universal screeners and
25Level I dyslexia screenings.
26(Source: P.A. 102-539, eff. 8-20-21.)
 

 

 

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1    (105 ILCS 5/10-20.84 new)
2    Sec. 10-20.84. Dyslexia screening and support required.
3    (a) In this Section:
4    "Level I dyslexia screening" means a process, as
5determined by the school district, for gathering additional
6information to determine if the characteristics of dyslexia
7are present.
8    "Universal screener" means an assessment used to aid
9educators in understanding the causes for student performance,
10learning strengths, and the needs that underlie student
11performance. The assessment is conducted to identify or
12predict students who may be at risk for poor learning outcomes
13and is typically brief and conducted with all students at a
14particular grade level.
15    (b) Beginning with the 2022-2023 school year, each school
16district must screen students in grades kindergarten through
17second for the risk factors of dyslexia using a universal
18screener. The screening of students must include, as
19developmentally appropriate, all of the following:
20        (1) Phonological and phonemic awareness.
21        (2) Sound symbol recognition.
22        (3) Alphabet knowledge.
23        (4) Decoding skills.
24        (5) Rapid naming skills.
25        (6) Encoding skills.

 

 

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1        (7) Oral reading fluency.
2    (c) If a student is determined to be at risk, or at some
3risk, for dyslexia after the universal screener has been
4administered under subsection (b), the school district must
5administer a Level I dyslexia screening of the student.
6Through the Level I dyslexia screening, the school district
7must gather additional information to determine if the student
8has the characteristics of dyslexia. The additional
9information may include, but is not limited to, information
10from progress monitoring data, work samples, additional age
11and grade-appropriate assessments related to dyslexia, teacher
12questionnaires, parent interviews, information regarding the
13student's family history related to dyslexia, and speech and
14language assessments.
15    (d) If the universal screener or the Level I dyslexia
16screening indicates that a student has some risk factors for
17dyslexia or the characteristics of dyslexia, the school must
18use a multi-tiered system of support (MTSS) framework to
19address the needs of the student.
20    (e) A school district is not required to administer a
21Level I dyslexia screening to a student if the student is
22receiving dyslexia intervention services.
23    (f) If a student's performance on a Level I dyslexia
24screening indicates a need for dyslexia intervention services,
25the school district must do both of the following:
26        (1) Notify the student's parent or guardian of the

 

 

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1    results of all screenings.
2        (2) Provide the student's parent or guardian with
3    information and resource material that includes all of the
4    following:
5            (A) The characteristics of dyslexia.
6            (B) The appropriate classroom interventions and
7        accommodations for students with dyslexia.
8            (C) A statement that the parent or guardian may
9        elect to have the student receive an educational
10        evaluation by the school.
11    (g) If the student's Level I dyslexia screening indicates
12that the student has characteristics of dyslexia, the dyslexia
13intervention services provided to the student must be
14implemented using diagnostic teaching guidelines described in
15the handbook developed under Section 2-3.161.
16    (h) On or before July 1, 2023 and on or before each July 1
17thereafter, each school district must report all of the
18following information to the State Board of Education:
19        (1) The number of students who were administered a
20    universal screener during the school year.
21        (2) The number of students who were determined to be
22    at risk, or at some risk, for dyslexia.
23        (3) The number of students during the previous school
24    year who received dyslexia intervention services under
25    this Section.
26        (4) The total number of students identified with the

 

 

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1    characteristics of dyslexia during the school year.
2The State Board of Education shall publish the information
3collected from the reports submitted by school districts on
4its Internet website.
 
5    (105 ILCS 5/34-18.78 new)
6    Sec. 34-18.78. Dyslexia screening and support required.
7    (a) In this Section:
8    "Level I dyslexia screening" means a process, as
9determined by the school district, for gathering additional
10information to determine if the characteristics of dyslexia
11are present.
12    "Universal screener" means an assessment used to aid
13educators in understanding the causes for student performance,
14learning strengths, and the needs that underlie student
15performance. The assessment is conducted to identify or
16predict students who may be at risk for poor learning outcomes
17and is typically brief and conducted with all students at a
18particular grade level.
19    (b) Beginning with the 2022-2023 school year, the school
20district must screen students in grades kindergarten through
21second for the risk factors of dyslexia using a universal
22screener. The screening of students must include, as
23developmentally appropriate, all of the following:
24        (1) Phonological and phonemic awareness.
25        (2) Sound symbol recognition.

 

 

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1        (3) Alphabet knowledge.
2        (4) Decoding skills.
3        (5) Rapid naming skills.
4        (6) Encoding skills.
5        (7) Oral reading fluency.
6    (c) If a student is determined to be at risk, or at some
7risk, for dyslexia after the universal screener has been
8administered under subsection (b), the school district must
9administer a Level I dyslexia screening of the student.
10Through the Level I dyslexia screening, the school district
11must gather additional information to determine if the student
12has the characteristics of dyslexia. The additional
13information may include, but is not limited to, information
14from progress monitoring data, work samples, additional age
15and grade-appropriate assessments related to dyslexia, teacher
16questionnaires, parent interviews, information regarding the
17student's family history related to dyslexia, and speech and
18language assessments.
19    (d) If the universal screener or the Level I dyslexia
20screening indicates that a student has some risk factors for
21dyslexia or the characteristics of dyslexia, the school must
22use a multi-tiered system of support (MTSS) framework to
23address the needs of the student.
24    (e) The school district is not required to administer a
25Level I dyslexia screening to a student if the student is
26receiving dyslexia intervention services.

 

 

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1    (f) If a student's performance on a Level I dyslexia
2screening indicates a need for dyslexia intervention services,
3the school district must do both of the following:
4        (1) Notify the student's parent or guardian of the
5    results of all screenings.
6        (2) Provide the student's parent or guardian with
7    information and resource material that includes all of the
8    following:
9            (A) The characteristics of dyslexia.
10            (B) The appropriate classroom interventions and
11        accommodations for students with dyslexia.
12            (C) A statement that the parent or guardian may
13        elect to have the student receive an educational
14        evaluation by the school.
15    (g) If the student's Level I dyslexia screening indicates
16that the student has characteristics of dyslexia, the dyslexia
17intervention services provided to the student must be
18implemented using diagnostic teaching guidelines described in
19the handbook developed under Section 2-3.161.
20    (h) On or before July 1, 2023 and on or before each July 1
21thereafter, the school district must report all of the
22following information to the State Board of Education:
23        (1) The number of students who were administered a
24    universal screener during the school year.
25        (2) The number of students who were determined to be
26    at risk, or at some risk, for dyslexia.

 

 

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1        (3) The number of students during the previous school
2    year who received dyslexia intervention services under
3    this Section.
4        (4) The total number of students identified with the
5    characteristics of dyslexia during the school year.
6The State Board of Education shall publish the information
7collected from the report on its Internet website.
 
8    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1,
92022.