Bill Text: IL SB0343 | 2023-2024 | 103rd General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Amends the School Code. Provides that the dyslexia handbook developed by the State Board of Education shall include guidelines on the administration of a universal screener and dyslexia screening, the interpretation of data from these screeners, and the resulting appropriate instruction within a multi-tiered system of support framework. Provides that the State Board of Education shall adopt any rules necessary to ensure that a student will be screened for the risk factors of dyslexia using a universal screener. Sets forth guidelines for developing a universal screening. Sets forth which students are required to be screened. Provides that no later than January 1, 2025, the State Board of Education shall 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. Provides that beginning with the 2024-2025 school year, each school district must screen students in grades kindergarten through 2 for the risk factors of dyslexia using a universal screener approved by the State Board of Education. Provides that if a student is determined to be either at risk or at some risk for dyslexia after the universal screener has been administered, the school district must administer a dyslexia screening of the student. Provides that if a student's dyslexia screening indicates that the student has characteristics of dyslexia, the dyslexia intervention services provided to the student must utilize a structured literacy approach as outlined in the State Board of Education's handbook. Makes other changes.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 9-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2023-03-10 - Rule 3-9(a) / Re-referred to Assignments [SB0343 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2023-SB0343-Introduced.html

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103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2023 and 2024 SB0343 Introduced 2/2/2023, by Sen. Christopher Belt SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
105 ILCS 5/2-3.161
105 ILCS 5/10-20.85 new
105 ILCS 5/34-18.82 new
Amends the School Code. Provides that the dyslexia handbook developed by the State Board of Education shall include guidelines on the administration of a universal screener and dyslexia screening, the interpretation of data from these screeners, and the resulting appropriate instruction within a multi-tiered system of support framework. Provides that the State Board of Education shall adopt any rules necessary to ensure that a student will be screened for the risk factors of dyslexia using a universal screener. Sets forth guidelines for developing a universal screening. Sets forth which students are required to be screened. Provides that no later than January 1, 2025, the State Board of Education shall 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. Provides that beginning with the 2024-2025 school year, each school district must screen students in grades kindergarten through 2 for the risk factors of dyslexia using a universal screener approved by the State Board of Education. Provides that if a student is determined to be either at risk or at some risk for dyslexia after the universal screener has been administered, the school district must administer a dyslexia screening of the student. Provides that if a student's dyslexia screening indicates that the student has characteristics of dyslexia, the dyslexia intervention services provided to the student must utilize a structured literacy approach as outlined in the State Board of Education's handbook. Makes other changes.
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STATE MANDATES ACT MAY REQUIRE REIMBURSEMENT MAY APPLY
A BILL FOR
SB0343 LRB103 26220 RJT 52579 b
AN ACT concerning education.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Section
2-3.161 and by adding Sections 10-20.85 and 34-18.82 as
follows:
(105 ILCS 5/2-3.161)
Sec. 2-3.161. Definition of dyslexia; reading instruction
advisory group; handbook; screening rules; employment of
specialists.
(a) In this Section, "universal screener" means an
assessment used to aid educators in understanding the causes
for student performance, learning strengths, and the needs
that underlie student performance. The assessment is conducted
to identify or predict which students may be at risk for poor
learning outcomes and is typically brief and conducted with
all students at a particular grade level.
(a-5) The State Board of Education shall incorporate, in
both general education and special education, the following
definition of dyslexia:
Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is
neurobiological in origin. Dyslexia is characterized by
difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition

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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 growth of vocabulary and background knowledge.
(b) (Blank).
(c) The State Board of Education shall develop and
maintain a handbook to be made available on its Internet
website that provides guidance for pupils, parents or
guardians, and teachers on the subject of dyslexia. The
handbook shall include, but is not limited to:
(1) guidelines for teachers and parents or guardians
on how to identify signs of dyslexia;
(2) a description of educational strategies that have
been shown to improve the academic performance of pupils
with dyslexia; and
(3) a description of resources and services available
to pupils with dyslexia, parents or guardians of pupils
with dyslexia, and teachers; and .
(4) guidelines on the administration of a universal
screener and dyslexia screening, the interpretation of
data from these screeners, and the resulting appropriate
instruction within a multi-tiered system of support

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framework.
The State Board shall review the handbook on or before
January 1, 2025 and at least once every 4 years to update, if
necessary, the guidelines, educational strategies, or
resources and services made available in the handbook.
(d) The State Board of Education shall adopt any rules
necessary to ensure that a student will be screened, as
provided under Section 10-20.85 or 34-18.82, for the risk
factors of dyslexia using a universal screener. A student
shall be screened:
(1) if a student is enrolled in a public school in any
of grades kindergarten through 2;
(2) if a student in any of the grades kindergarten
through 2:
(A) transfers to a new public school; and
(B) has not been screened previously during the
school year;
(3) if a teacher, parent, or guardian of a student in
grade 3 or higher requests the student be screened for the
risk factors of dyslexia using a universal screener; and
(4) if a student from another state enrolls for the
first time in any of grades kindergarten through 2 in a
school district in this State, unless the student, the
student's parent, or the student's guardian presents
documentation that the student:
(A) was screened for dyslexia using the screening

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under this Section or was screened using another
similar screening during the school year; or
(B) is exempt from screening.
(e) The guidelines for the universal screener must
include, as developmentally appropriate, all of the following:
(1) phonological and phonemic awareness;
(2) sound symbol recognition;
(3) alphabet knowledge;
(4) decoding skills;
(5) rapid naming skills;
(6) encoding skills; and
(7) oral reading fluency.
(f) No later than January 1, 2025, the State Board of
Education shall 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 both of the following:
(1) technical assistance for dyslexia and related
disorders to the State Board of Education and school
districts; and
(2) training to school district employees in:
(A) administering a universal screener and
dyslexia screening;
(B) analyzing and interpreting screening data; and
(C) determining, within the multi-tiered system of
support framework, appropriate dyslexia intervention

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services in accordance with Sections 10-20.85 and
34-18.82.
(g) The State Board of Education shall adopt any rules
necessary to ensure that a student receives dyslexia
intervention services under Section 10-20.85 or 34-18.82.
(Source: P.A. 102-539, eff. 8-20-21.)
(105 ILCS 5/10-20.85 new)
Sec. 10-20.85. Dyslexia screening and support.
(a) In this Section:
"Dyslexia screening" means a process, as determined by a
school district, for gathering additional information to
determine if the characteristics of dyslexia are present.
"Universal screener" means an assessment used to aid
educators in understanding the causes for student performance,
learning strengths, and the needs that underlie student
performance. The assessment is conducted to identify or
predict which students may be at risk for poor learning
outcomes and is typically brief and conducted with all
students at a particular grade level.
(b) Beginning with the 2024-2025 school year, each school
district must screen students in grades kindergarten through 2
for the risk factors of dyslexia using a universal screener
approved by the State Board of Education.
(c) If a student is determined to be either at risk or at
some risk for dyslexia after the universal screener has been

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administered under subsection (b), the school district must
administer a dyslexia screening of the student. Through the
dyslexia screening, the school district must gather additional
information to determine if the student has the
characteristics of dyslexia. The additional information may
include, but is not limited to, information from progress
monitoring data, work samples, additional age and grade
appropriate assessments related to dyslexia, teacher
questionnaires, parent interviews, information regarding the
student's family history related to dyslexia, and speech and
language assessments.
(d) If the universal screener or the dyslexia screening
indicates that a student has some risk factors for dyslexia or
the characteristics of dyslexia, the school must use a
multi-tiered system of support framework within the guidelines
provided by the State Board of Education to address the needs
of the student.
(e) Before a school district administers a dyslexia
screening to a student, the parent or guardian of the student
must consent to the screening. A school district is not
required to administer a dyslexia screening to a student if:
(1) the parent or guardian of the student objects to
the screening; or
(2) the student is already receiving dyslexia
intervention services.
(f) If a student's performance on a dyslexia screening

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indicates a need for dyslexia intervention services, the
school district must:
(1) notify the student's parent or guardian of the
results of all screenings; and
(2) provide the student's parent or guardian with
information and resource material that includes all of the
following:
(A) the characteristics of dyslexia;
(B) the appropriate classroom interventions and
accommodations for students with dyslexia; and
(C) a statement that the parent or guardian may
elect to have the student receive an educational
evaluation by the school.
(g) If a student's dyslexia screening indicates that the
student has characteristics of dyslexia, the dyslexia
intervention services provided to the student must utilize a
structured literacy approach as outlined in the State Board of
Education's handbook under subsection (c) of Section Sec.
2-3.161. The dyslexia intervention services must:
(1) provide explicit, direct, systematic, sequential,
and cumulative instruction that adheres to a logical plan
about the alphabetic principle and is designed to
accommodate the needs of each individual student without
presuming prior skills or knowledge;
(2) implement evidence-based practices that have been
proven effective in the treatment of dyslexia;

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(3) engage the student in multi-modal language
learning techniques;
(4) include phonemic awareness activities to enable
the student to detect, segment, blend, and manipulate
sounds in the spoken language;
(5) provide graphophonemic knowledge for teaching the
letter sound plan of the English language;
(6) teach the structure and patterns of the English
language, including linguistic instruction in morphology,
semantics, syntax, and pragmatics, that are directed
toward proficiency and fluency with the patterns of
language so that words and sentences are the carriers of
meaning;
(7) develop strategies that advance the student's
ability in decoding, encoding, word recognition, fluency,
and comprehension; and
(8) provide meaning-based instruction directed at
purposeful reading and writing, with an emphasis on
comprehension and composition.
(h) On or before July 1, 2025 and on or before each July 1
thereafter, each school district must report to the State
Board of Education:
(1) the number of students who were administered a
universal screener under this Section for the risk factors
of dyslexia during the school year;
(2) the number of students who were determined to be

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at risk or at some risk for dyslexia;
(3) the number of students identified with the
characteristics of dyslexia during the school year;
(4) the number of students during the previous school
year who received dyslexia intervention under this
Section; and
(5) the dyslexia intervention services that were used
during the previous school year under this Section.
The State Board of Education shall publish the information
collected from the report on its Internet website.
(105 ILCS 5/34-18.82 new)
Sec. 34-18.82. Dyslexia screening and support.
(a) In this Section:
"Dyslexia screening" means a process, as determined by the
school district, for gathering additional information to
determine if the characteristics of dyslexia are present.
"Universal screener" means an assessment used to aid
educators in understanding the causes for student performance,
learning strengths, and the needs that underlie student
performance. The assessment is conducted to identify or
predict which students may be at risk for poor learning
outcomes and is typically brief and conducted with all
students at a particular grade level.
(b) Beginning with the 2024-2025 school year, the school
district must screen students in grades kindergarten through 2

SB0343 - 10 - LRB103 26220 RJT 52579 b
for the risk factors of dyslexia using a universal screener
approved by the State Board of Education.
(c) If a student is determined to be either at risk or at
some risk for dyslexia after the universal screener has been
administered under subsection (b), the school district must
administer a dyslexia screening of the student. Through the
dyslexia screening, the school district must gather additional
information to determine if the student has the
characteristics of dyslexia. The additional information may
include, but is not limited to, information from progress
monitoring data, work samples, additional age and grade
appropriate assessments related to dyslexia, teacher
questionnaires, parent interviews, information regarding the
student's family history related to dyslexia, and speech and
language assessments.
(d) If the universal screener or the dyslexia screening
indicates that a student has some risk factors for dyslexia or
the characteristics of dyslexia, the school must use a
multi-tiered system of support framework within the guidelines
provided by the State Board of Education to address the needs
of the student.
(e) Before the school district administers a dyslexia
screening to a student, the parent or guardian of the student
must consent to the screening. The school district is not
required to administer a dyslexia screening to a student if:
(1) the parent or guardian of the student objects to

SB0343 - 11 - LRB103 26220 RJT 52579 b
the screening; or
(2) the student is already receiving dyslexia
intervention services.
(f) If a student's performance on a dyslexia screening
indicates a need for dyslexia intervention services, the
school district must:
(1) notify the student's parent or guardian of the
results of all screenings; and
(2) provide the student's parent or guardian with
information and resource material that includes all of the
following:
(A) the characteristics of dyslexia;
(B) the appropriate classroom interventions and
accommodations for students with dyslexia; and
(C) a statement that the parent or guardian may
elect to have the student receive an educational
evaluation by the school.
(g) If a student's dyslexia screening indicates that the
student has characteristics of dyslexia, the dyslexia
intervention services provided to the student must utilize a
structured literacy approach as outlined in the State Board of
Education's handbook under subsection (c) of Section Sec.
2-3.161. The dyslexia intervention services must:
(1) provide explicit, direct, systematic, sequential,
and cumulative instruction that adheres to a logical plan
about the alphabetic principle and is designed to

SB0343 - 12 - LRB103 26220 RJT 52579 b
accommodate the needs of each individual student without
presuming prior skills or knowledge;
(2) implement evidence-based practices that have been
proven effective in the treatment of dyslexia;
(3) engage the student in multi-modal language
learning techniques;
(4) include phonemic awareness activities to enable
the student to detect, segment, blend, and manipulate
sounds in the spoken language;
(5) provide graphophonemic knowledge for teaching the
letter sound plan of the English language;
(6) teach the structure and patterns of the English
language, including linguistic instruction in morphology,
semantics, syntax, and pragmatics, that are directed
toward proficiency and fluency with the patterns of
language so that words and sentences are the carriers of
meaning;
(7) develop strategies that advance the student's
ability in decoding, encoding, word recognition, fluency,
and comprehension; and
(8) provide meaning-based instruction directed at
purposeful reading and writing, with an emphasis on
comprehension and composition.
(h) On or before July 1, 2025 and on or before each July 1
thereafter, the school district must report to the State Board
of Education:

SB0343 - 13 - LRB103 26220 RJT 52579 b
(1) the number of students who were administered a
universal screener under this Section for the risk factors
of dyslexia during the school year;
(2) the number of students who were determined to be
at risk or at some risk for dyslexia;
(3) the number of students identified with the
characteristics of dyslexia during the school year;
(4) the number of students during the previous school
year who received dyslexia intervention under this
Section; and
(5) the dyslexia intervention services that were used
during the previous school year under this Section.
The State Board of Education shall publish the information
collected from the report on its Internet website.