Bill Text: IL HB4406 | 2019-2020 | 101st General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Amends the School Code. Provides for dyslexia screening guidelines and rules. Requires the State Board of Education to employ at least 5 dyslexia specialists or dyslexia therapists with a minimum of 5 years of field experience in screening, identifying, and treating dyslexia and related disorders to provide technical assistance and training. Provides that, beginning with the 2020-2021 school year, each school district must screen students in grades kindergarten through second (and in higher grades under certain circumstances) for the risk factors of dyslexia using a universal screener approved by the State Board. 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 a 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, 2020.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 9-3)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-06-23 - Rule 19(b) / Re-referred to Rules Committee [HB4406 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2019-HB4406-Introduced.html
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1 | AN ACT concerning education.
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2 | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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3 | represented in the General Assembly:
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4 | Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Section | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
5 | 2-3.161 and by adding Sections 10-20.73 and 34-18.66 as | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
6 | follows:
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7 | (105 ILCS 5/2-3.161) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
8 | Sec. 2-3.161. Definition of dyslexia; reading instruction | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
9 | advisory group; handbook ; screening rules; employment of | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
10 | specialists . | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
11 | (a) The State Board of Education shall incorporate, in both | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
12 | general education and special education, the following | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
13 | definition of dyslexia: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
14 | Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
15 | neurobiological in origin.
Dyslexia is characterized by | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
16 | difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word
recognition | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
17 | and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. These | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
18 | difficulties
typically result from a deficit in the | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
19 | phonological component of language
that is often | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
20 | unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities and the
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21 | provision of effective classroom instruction. Secondary | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
22 | consequences may
include problems in reading comprehension | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
23 | and reduced reading experience that
can impede growth of |
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1 | vocabulary and background knowledge. | ||||||
2 | (b) Subject to specific State appropriation or the | ||||||
3 | availability of private donations, the State Board of Education | ||||||
4 | shall establish an advisory group to develop a training module | ||||||
5 | or training modules to provide education and professional | ||||||
6 | development to teachers, school administrators, and other | ||||||
7 | education professionals regarding multi-sensory, systematic, | ||||||
8 | and sequential instruction in reading. This advisory group | ||||||
9 | shall complete its work before December 15, 2015 and is | ||||||
10 | abolished on December 15, 2015. The State Board of Education | ||||||
11 | shall reestablish the advisory group abolished on December 15, | ||||||
12 | 2015 to complete the abolished group's work. The reestablished | ||||||
13 | advisory group shall complete its work before December 31, 2016 | ||||||
14 | and is abolished on December 31, 2016. The provisions of this | ||||||
15 | subsection (b), other than this sentence, are inoperative after | ||||||
16 | December 31, 2016.
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17 | (c) The State Board of Education shall develop and maintain | ||||||
18 | a handbook to be made available on its Internet website that | ||||||
19 | provides guidance for pupils, parents or guardians, and | ||||||
20 | teachers on the subject of dyslexia. The handbook shall | ||||||
21 | include, but is not limited to: | ||||||
22 | (1) guidelines for teachers and parents or guardians on | ||||||
23 | how to identify signs of dyslexia; | ||||||
24 | (2) a description of educational strategies that have | ||||||
25 | been shown to improve the academic performance of pupils | ||||||
26 | with dyslexia; and |
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1 | (3) a description of resources and services available | ||||||
2 | to pupils with dyslexia, parents or guardians of pupils | ||||||
3 | with dyslexia, and teachers ; and . | ||||||
4 | (4) guidelines on the administration of a universal | ||||||
5 | screener and Level I dyslexia screening, the | ||||||
6 | interpretation of data from these screeners, and the | ||||||
7 | resulting appropriate instruction within a multi-tiered | ||||||
8 | system of support (MTSS) framework. | ||||||
9 | The State Board shall review the handbook on or before | ||||||
10 | January 1, 2021 and at least once every 4 years thereafter to | ||||||
11 | update , if necessary, the guidelines, educational strategies, | ||||||
12 | or resources and services made available in the handbook. | ||||||
13 | (d) The State Board of Education shall adopt any rules | ||||||
14 | necessary to ensure that a student will be screened, as | ||||||
15 | provided under Section 10-20.73 or 34-18.66, for the risk | ||||||
16 | factors of dyslexia using a universal screener: | ||||||
17 | (1) if a student is in any of grades kindergarten | ||||||
18 | through second in the public schools; | ||||||
19 | (2) if a student in any of grades kindergarten through | ||||||
20 | second: | ||||||
21 | (A) transfers to a new public school; and | ||||||
22 | (B) has not been screened previously during the | ||||||
23 | school year; | ||||||
24 | (3) if a student in grade 3 or higher in the public | ||||||
25 | schools has difficulty, as determined by a classroom | ||||||
26 | teacher, in: |
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1 | (A) phonological and phonemic awareness; | ||||||
2 | (B) sound symbol recognition; | ||||||
3 | (C) alphabet knowledge; | ||||||
4 | (D) decoding skills; | ||||||
5 | (E) rapid naming skills; | ||||||
6 | (F) encoding skills; or | ||||||
7 | (G) oral reading fluency; and | ||||||
8 | (4) if a student from another state enrolls for the | ||||||
9 | first time in any of grades kindergarten through second in | ||||||
10 | a school district in this State, unless the student | ||||||
11 | presents documentation that the student: | ||||||
12 | (A) had the dyslexia screening or a similar | ||||||
13 | screening during the school year; or | ||||||
14 | (B) is exempt from screening. | ||||||
15 | (e) The State Board of Education shall adopt any rules | ||||||
16 | necessary to ensure that a student receives dyslexia | ||||||
17 | intervention services under Section 10-20.73 or 34-18.66. | ||||||
18 | (f) No later than January 1, 2021, the State Board of | ||||||
19 | Education shall employ at least 5 dyslexia specialists or | ||||||
20 | dyslexia therapists with a minimum of 5 years of field | ||||||
21 | experience in screening, identifying, and treating dyslexia | ||||||
22 | and related disorders to provide both of the following: | ||||||
23 | (1) Technical assistance for dyslexia and related | ||||||
24 | disorders to the State Board and school districts. | ||||||
25 | (2) Training to school district employees in: | ||||||
26 | (A) administering a universal screener and Level I |
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1 | dyslexia screening; | ||||||
2 | (B) analyzing and interpreting screening data; and | ||||||
3 | (C) determining, within the MTSS framework, | ||||||
4 | appropriate dyslexia intervention services under | ||||||
5 | Section 10-20.73 or 34-18.66. | ||||||
6 | (Source: P.A. 99-65, eff. 7-16-15; 99-78, eff. 7-20-15; 99-602, | ||||||
7 | eff. 7-22-16; 99-603, eff. 7-22-16; 100-201, eff. 8-18-17; | ||||||
8 | 100-617, eff. 7-20-18.)
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9 | (105 ILCS 5/10-20.73 new) | ||||||
10 | Sec. 10-20.73. Dyslexia screening and support required. | ||||||
11 | (a) In this Section: | ||||||
12 | "Level I dyslexia screening" means a process, as determined | ||||||
13 | by the school district, for gathering additional information to | ||||||
14 | determine if the characteristics of dyslexia are present. | ||||||
15 | "Universal screener" means an assessment used to aid | ||||||
16 | educators in understanding the causes for student performance, | ||||||
17 | learning strengths, and the needs that underlie student | ||||||
18 | performance. The assessment is conducted to identify or predict | ||||||
19 | students who may be at risk for poor learning outcomes and is | ||||||
20 | typically brief and conducted with all students at a particular | ||||||
21 | grade level. | ||||||
22 | (b) Beginning with the 2020-2021 school year, each school | ||||||
23 | district must screen students in grades kindergarten through | ||||||
24 | second for the risk factors of dyslexia using a universal | ||||||
25 | screener approved by the State Board of Education. The |
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1 | screening of students must include, as developmentally | ||||||
2 | appropriate, all of the following: | ||||||
3 | (1) Phonological and phonemic awareness. | ||||||
4 | (2) Sound symbol recognition. | ||||||
5 | (3) Alphabet knowledge. | ||||||
6 | (4) Decoding skills. | ||||||
7 | (5) Rapid naming skills. | ||||||
8 | (6) Encoding skills. | ||||||
9 | (7) Oral reading fluency. | ||||||
10 | (c) If a student is determined to be at risk, or at some | ||||||
11 | risk, for dyslexia after the universal screener has been | ||||||
12 | administered under subsection (b), the school district must | ||||||
13 | administer a Level I dyslexia screening of the student. Through | ||||||
14 | the Level I dyslexia screening, the school district must gather | ||||||
15 | additional information to determine if the student has the | ||||||
16 | characteristics of dyslexia. The additional information may | ||||||
17 | include, but is not limited to, information from progress | ||||||
18 | monitoring data, work samples, additional age and | ||||||
19 | grade-appropriate assessments related to dyslexia, teacher | ||||||
20 | questionnaires, parent interviews, information regarding the | ||||||
21 | student's family history related to dyslexia, and speech and | ||||||
22 | language assessments. | ||||||
23 | (d) If the universal screener or the Level I dyslexia | ||||||
24 | screening indicates that a student has some risk factors for | ||||||
25 | dyslexia or the characteristics of dyslexia, the school must | ||||||
26 | use a multi-tiered system of support (MTSS) framework to |
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1 | address the needs of the student. | ||||||
2 | (e) Before a school district administers a Level I dyslexia | ||||||
3 | screening to a student, the parent or guardian of the student | ||||||
4 | must consent to the screening. A school district is not | ||||||
5 | required to administer a Level I dyslexia screening to a | ||||||
6 | student if: | ||||||
7 | (1) the parent or guardian of the student objects to | ||||||
8 | the screening; or | ||||||
9 | (2) the student is receiving dyslexia intervention | ||||||
10 | services. | ||||||
11 | (f) If a student's performance on a Level I dyslexia | ||||||
12 | screening indicates a need for dyslexia intervention services, | ||||||
13 | the school district must do both of the following: | ||||||
14 | (1) Notify the student's parent or guardian of the | ||||||
15 | results of all screenings. | ||||||
16 | (2) Provide the student's parent or guardian with | ||||||
17 | information and resource material that includes all of the | ||||||
18 | following: | ||||||
19 | (A) The characteristics of dyslexia. | ||||||
20 | (B) The appropriate classroom interventions and | ||||||
21 | accommodations for students with dyslexia. | ||||||
22 | (C) A statement that the parent or guardian may | ||||||
23 | elect to have the student receive an educational | ||||||
24 | evaluation by the school. | ||||||
25 | (g) If the student's Level I dyslexia screening indicates | ||||||
26 | that the student has characteristics of dyslexia and needs |
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1 | dyslexia intervention services, the dyslexia intervention | ||||||
2 | services provided to the student must be implemented using | ||||||
3 | diagnostic teaching guidelines outlined in the Knowledge and | ||||||
4 | Practice Standards for Teachers of Reading created by the | ||||||
5 | International Dyslexia Association. The dyslexia intervention | ||||||
6 | services must: | ||||||
7 | (1) provide explicit, direct, systematic, sequential, | ||||||
8 | and cumulative instruction that adheres to a logical plan | ||||||
9 | about the alphabetic principle and is designed to | ||||||
10 | accommodate the needs of each individual student without | ||||||
11 | presuming prior skills or knowledge; each teaching plan | ||||||
12 | must be flexible, must be based on the individualized | ||||||
13 | instructional needs of the student through continuous | ||||||
14 | assessment, and must include a periodic evaluation of the | ||||||
15 | student's progress; | ||||||
16 | (2) implement evidence-based practices that have been | ||||||
17 | proven effective in the treatment of dyslexia; | ||||||
18 | (3) engage the student in multi-sensory and hands-on | ||||||
19 | activities; | ||||||
20 | (4) include phonemic awareness activities to enable | ||||||
21 | the student to detect, segment, blend, and manipulate | ||||||
22 | sounds in the spoken language; | ||||||
23 | (5) provide graphophonemic knowledge for teaching the | ||||||
24 | letter sound plan of the English language; | ||||||
25 | (6) teach the structure and patterns of the English | ||||||
26 | language, including linguistic instruction in morphology, |
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| |||||||
1 | semantics, syntax, and pragmatics, that is directed toward | ||||||
2 | proficiency and fluency with the patterns of language so | ||||||
3 | that words and sentences are the carriers of meaning; | ||||||
4 | (7) develop strategies that advance the student's | ||||||
5 | ability in decoding, encoding, word recognition, fluency, | ||||||
6 | and comprehension; and | ||||||
7 | (8) provide meaning-based instruction directed at | ||||||
8 | purposeful reading and writing, with an emphasis on | ||||||
9 | comprehension and composition. | ||||||
10 | (h) On or before July 1, 2021 and on or before each July 1 | ||||||
11 | thereafter, each school district must report to the State Board | ||||||
12 | of Education the number of students who were: | ||||||
13 | (1) administered a universal screener during the | ||||||
14 | school year; and | ||||||
15 | (2) determined to be at risk, or at some risk, for | ||||||
16 | dyslexia. | ||||||
17 | (i) On or before July 1, 2021 and on or before each July 1 | ||||||
18 | thereafter, each school district must report on its Internet | ||||||
19 | website all of the following information: | ||||||
20 | (1) The dyslexia intervention services that were used | ||||||
21 | during the previous school year to assist students with | ||||||
22 | dyslexia. | ||||||
23 | (2) The number of students during the previous school | ||||||
24 | year who received dyslexia intervention services under | ||||||
25 | this Section. | ||||||
26 | (3) The total number of students identified with the |
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| |||||||
1 | characteristics of dyslexia during the school year.
| ||||||
2 | (105 ILCS 5/34-18.66 new) | ||||||
3 | Sec. 34-18.66. Dyslexia screening and support required. | ||||||
4 | (a) In this Section: | ||||||
5 | "Level I dyslexia screening" means a process, as determined | ||||||
6 | by the school district, for gathering additional information to | ||||||
7 | determine if the characteristics of dyslexia are present. | ||||||
8 | "Universal screener" means an assessment used to aid | ||||||
9 | educators in understanding the causes for student performance, | ||||||
10 | learning strengths, and the needs that underlie student | ||||||
11 | performance. The assessment is conducted to identify or predict | ||||||
12 | students who may be at risk for poor learning outcomes and is | ||||||
13 | typically brief and conducted with all students at a particular | ||||||
14 | grade level. | ||||||
15 | (b) Beginning with the 2020-2021 school year, the school | ||||||
16 | district must screen students in grades kindergarten through | ||||||
17 | second for the risk factors of dyslexia using a universal | ||||||
18 | screener approved by the State Board of Education. The | ||||||
19 | screening of students must include, as developmentally | ||||||
20 | appropriate, all of the following: | ||||||
21 | (1) Phonological and phonemic awareness. | ||||||
22 | (2) Sound symbol recognition. | ||||||
23 | (3) Alphabet knowledge. | ||||||
24 | (4) Decoding skills. | ||||||
25 | (5) Rapid naming skills. |
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| |||||||
1 | (6) Encoding skills. | ||||||
2 | (7) Oral reading fluency. | ||||||
3 | (c) If a student is determined to be at risk, or at some | ||||||
4 | risk, for dyslexia after the universal screener has been | ||||||
5 | administered under subsection (b), the school district must | ||||||
6 | administer a Level I dyslexia screening of the student. Through | ||||||
7 | the Level I dyslexia screening, the school district must gather | ||||||
8 | additional information to determine if the student has the | ||||||
9 | characteristics of dyslexia. The additional information may | ||||||
10 | include, but is not limited to, information from progress | ||||||
11 | monitoring data, work samples, additional age and | ||||||
12 | grade-appropriate assessments related to dyslexia, teacher | ||||||
13 | questionnaires, parent interviews, information regarding the | ||||||
14 | student's family history related to dyslexia, and speech and | ||||||
15 | language assessments. | ||||||
16 | (d) If the universal screener or the Level I dyslexia | ||||||
17 | screening indicates that a student has some risk factors for | ||||||
18 | dyslexia or the characteristics of dyslexia, the school must | ||||||
19 | use a multi-tiered system of support (MTSS) framework to | ||||||
20 | address the needs of the student. | ||||||
21 | (e) Before a school district administers a Level I dyslexia | ||||||
22 | screening to a student, the parent or guardian of the student | ||||||
23 | must consent to the screening. The school district is not | ||||||
24 | required to administer a Level I dyslexia screening to a | ||||||
25 | student if: | ||||||
26 | (1) the parent or guardian of the student objects to |
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1 | the screening; or | ||||||
2 | (2) the student is receiving dyslexia intervention | ||||||
3 | services. | ||||||
4 | (f) If a student's performance on a Level I dyslexia | ||||||
5 | screening indicates a need for dyslexia intervention services, | ||||||
6 | the school district must do both of the following: | ||||||
7 | (1) Notify the student's parent or guardian of the | ||||||
8 | results of all screenings. | ||||||
9 | (2) Provide the student's parent or guardian with | ||||||
10 | information and resource material that includes all of the | ||||||
11 | following: | ||||||
12 | (A) The characteristics of dyslexia. | ||||||
13 | (B) The appropriate classroom interventions and | ||||||
14 | accommodations for students with dyslexia. | ||||||
15 | (C) A statement that the parent or guardian may | ||||||
16 | elect to have the student receive an educational | ||||||
17 | evaluation by the school. | ||||||
18 | (g) If the student's Level I dyslexia screening indicates | ||||||
19 | that the student has characteristics of dyslexia and needs | ||||||
20 | dyslexia intervention services, the dyslexia intervention | ||||||
21 | services provided to the student must be implemented using | ||||||
22 | diagnostic teaching guidelines outlined in the Knowledge and | ||||||
23 | Practice Standards for Teachers of Reading created by the | ||||||
24 | International Dyslexia Association. The dyslexia intervention | ||||||
25 | services must: | ||||||
26 | (1) provide explicit, direct, systematic, sequential, |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | and cumulative instruction that adheres to a logical plan | ||||||
2 | about the alphabetic principle and is designed to | ||||||
3 | accommodate the needs of each individual student without | ||||||
4 | presuming prior skills or knowledge; each teaching plan | ||||||
5 | must be flexible, must be based on the individualized | ||||||
6 | instructional needs of the student through continuous | ||||||
7 | assessment, and must include a periodic evaluation of the | ||||||
8 | student's progress; | ||||||
9 | (2) implement evidence-based practices that have been | ||||||
10 | proven effective in the treatment of dyslexia; | ||||||
11 | (3) engage the student in multi-sensory and hands-on | ||||||
12 | activities; | ||||||
13 | (4) include phonemic awareness activities to enable | ||||||
14 | the student to detect, segment, blend, and manipulate | ||||||
15 | sounds in the spoken language; | ||||||
16 | (5) provide graphophonemic knowledge for teaching the | ||||||
17 | letter sound plan of the English language; | ||||||
18 | (6) teach the structure and patterns of the English | ||||||
19 | language, including linguistic instruction in morphology, | ||||||
20 | semantics, syntax, and pragmatics, that is directed toward | ||||||
21 | proficiency and fluency with the patterns of language so | ||||||
22 | that words and sentences are the carriers of meaning; | ||||||
23 | (7) develop strategies that advance the student's | ||||||
24 | ability in decoding, encoding, word recognition, fluency, | ||||||
25 | and comprehension; and | ||||||
26 | (8) provide meaning-based instruction directed at |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | purposeful reading and writing, with an emphasis on | ||||||
2 | comprehension and composition. | ||||||
3 | (h) On or before July 1, 2021 and on or before each July 1 | ||||||
4 | thereafter, the school district must report to the State Board | ||||||
5 | of Education the number of students who were: | ||||||
6 | (1) administered a universal screener during the | ||||||
7 | school year; and | ||||||
8 | (2) determined to be at risk, or at some risk, for | ||||||
9 | dyslexia. | ||||||
10 | (i) On or before July 1, 2021 and on or before each July 1 | ||||||
11 | thereafter, the school district must report on its Internet | ||||||
12 | website all of the following information: | ||||||
13 | (1) The dyslexia intervention services that were used | ||||||
14 | during the previous school year to assist students with | ||||||
15 | dyslexia. | ||||||
16 | (2) The number of students during the previous school | ||||||
17 | year who received dyslexia intervention services under | ||||||
18 | this Section. | ||||||
19 | (3) The total number of students identified with the | ||||||
20 | characteristics of dyslexia during the school year.
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21 | Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1, | ||||||
22 | 2020.
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