BILL ANALYSIS

 

 

Senate Research Center	H.B. 1886
85R11769 GCB-D	By: Miller et al. (Huffman)
	Education
	5/16/2017
	Engrossed

 

 

 

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

 

Dyslexia is widely accepted to be one of the most common learning disabilities. Studies indicate the prevalence of dyslexia in school-aged children is between five and 17 percent. Early identification and intervention improve a child's academic success. Many children miss early opportunities for assistance due to not being identified soon enough. H.B. 1886 provides for the early identification of and intervention for a child with dyslexia to improve the child's academic success. H.B. 1886 requires that students enrolled in Texas public schools be screened or tested, as appropriate, for dyslexia and related disorders at the end of the kindergarten and first grade school years. H.B. 1886 requires regional service centers to employ a licensed dyslexia therapist to support students and teachers in the school districts served by the center. H.B. 1886 also directs the Texas Education Agency to annually develop and publish online a list of training opportunities related to recognizing and instructing students with dyslexia.

 

H.B. 1886 amends current law relating to dyslexia screening and testing, the employment of dyslexia specialists by regional education service centers, and the development by the Texas Education Agency of a list of training opportunities for educators regarding dyslexia.

 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

 

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

 

SECTION 1. Amends Subchapter B, Chapter 8, Education Code, by adding Section 8.061, as follows:

 

Sec. 8.061.� DYSLEXIA SPECIALIST. Requires that each regional education service center employ as a dyslexia specialist a person licensed as a dyslexia therapist under Chapter 403 (Licensed Dyslexia Practitioners and Licensed Dyslexia Therapists), Occupations Code, to provide school districts served by the center with support and resources that are necessary to assist students with dyslexia and the families of students with dyslexia.

 

SECTION 2. Amends Sections 38.003(a) and (b-1), Education Code, as follows:

 

(a) Requires students enrolling in public schools in this state to be screened or tested, as appropriate, rather than tested, for dyslexia and related disorders at appropriate times in accordance with a program approved by the State Board of Education. Requires that the program include screening at the end of the school year of each student in kindergarten and each student in the first grade.

 

(b-1) Prohibits a student determined to have dyslexia during screening or testing, rather than testing, under Subsection (a) or accommodated because of dyslexia, unless otherwise provided by law, from being rescreened or retested, rather than retested, for dyslexia for the purpose of reassessing the student's need for accommodations until the district reevaluates the information obtained from previous screening or testing of the student. Makes a conforming change.

 

SECTION 3. Amends Subchapter A, Chapter 38, Education Code, by adding Section 38.0032, as follows:

 

Sec. 38.0032.� DYSLEXIA TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES. (a) Requires the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to annually develop a list of training opportunities regarding dyslexia that satisfy the requirements of Section 21.054(b) (relating to continuing education requirement for an educator who teaches students with dyslexia). Requires that the list of training opportunities include at least one opportunity that is available online.

 

(b) Requires that a training opportunity included in the list developed under Subsection (a) comply with the knowledge and practice standards of an international organization on dyslexia and enable an educator to understand and recognize dyslexia and implement instruction that is systematic, explicit, and evidence-based to meet the educational needs of a student with dyslexia.

 

SECTION 4.� Provides that Section 38.003, Education Code, as amended by this Act, applies beginning with the 2017-2018 school year.

 

SECTION 5. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2017.