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Senate Bill 866 |
Senate Author: Deuell et al. |
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Effective: 6-17-11 |
House Sponsor: Jackson, Jim |
Senate Bill 866 amends the Education Code to require that any minimum academic qualifications for a certificate issued by the State Board for Educator Certification requiring a person to possess a bachelor's degree also require that the person receive, as part of the curriculum for that degree, instruction in detection and education of students with dyslexia and to set out requirements for the development of such instruction. This requirement does not apply to a person who obtains a certificate through an alternative certification program. The bill requires the continuing education requirements for an educator who teaches students with dyslexia to include training regarding new research and practices in educating students with dyslexia and authorizes such training to be offered in an online course. The bill prohibits a student determined to have dyslexia or accommodated because of dyslexia from being retested or reassessed by a school district or institution of higher education, as applicable, for the purpose of reassessing the student's need for accommodations until the district or institution reevaluates the information obtained from previous testing or assessments of the student.
Senate Bill 866 requires the Texas Education Agency to establish a committee to develop a plan for integrating technology into the classroom to help accommodate students with dyslexia and sets out plan requirements. The bill requires the agency to provide the plan and information about the availability and benefits of the effective technologies to school districts.