Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 1, Part 2.

This bill revises provisions governing dyslexia screenings, as discussed below.<br /> <br /> Present law requires the department of education to develop procedures for identifying characteristics of dyslexia through the universal screening process required by the existing RTIý framework or other available means, and requires LEAs to implement the screening procedures. <br /> <br /> Under present law, if the dyslexia screening conducted by the LEA indicates that a student has characteristics of dyslexia, the LEA must, among other things, provide the student with appropriate tiered dyslexia-specific intervention through its RTI2 framework. This bill removes the specification that the intervention be through the RTI2 framework and instead requires that the intervention be through services provided by a teacher trained in dyslexia intervention. <br /> <br /> This bill defines "teacher trained in dyslexia intervention" as a K-12 teacher who provides direct instruction to students identified pursuant to this section as students with characteristics of dyslexia, and who:<br /> <br /> (1) Is endorsed in the appropriate general education area or holds the appropriate special education endorsement; and<br /> (2) Has completed at least six semester hours of postsecondary education coursework, or the equivalent contact hours, related to teaching students with dyslexia, as approved by the department of education; or has completed at least six hours of professional development on evidence-based interventions and accommodations for students with dyslexia, as approved by the department of education.<br /> <br /> This bill requires:<br /> <br /> (1) Beginning with the 2019-2020 fiscal year, the department of education to employ at least one dyslexia specialist with at least three years of field experience in screening, identifying, and treating dyslexia and related disorders to provide technical assistance to LEAs in screening, identifying, and treating dyslexia and related disorders; and<br /> (2) Beginning with the 2020-2021 school year, each LEA that serves students in grades K-12 to employ at each public school located in the LEA at least one teacher trained in dyslexia intervention.<br /> <br />