Oregon Dyslexia Legislation Implementation: 2019 Update

In 2017, the Oregon legislature passed dyslexia legislation including two explicit requirements for Oregon school districts:

(1)     conduct universal screening for risk factors of dyslexia in kindergarten using an assessment identified by the Oregon Department of Education; and

(2)     ensure that at least one K–5 teacher in each K–5 school complete dyslexia-related training by July 1, 2018.

As Oregon schools progress through the first full year of implementation of this important legislation, the International Dyslexia Association – Oregon Branch (IDA-OR) is pleased to collaborate with the Oregon Department of Education (ODE) to bring you an informational video featuring Dr. Carrie Thomas Beck answering questions about the new requirements.

In the video, Dr. Thomas Beck:

-- highlights the importance of early intervention as being critical to the success of struggling readers.
-- explains that universal screening for risk factor of dyslexia in the earliest grades is just the first step in a longer process that involves providing instructional support, monitoring progress, and offering increasingly intensive interventions based on student need.
-- provides information on evidence-based approaches for teaching reading to all students and outlines the role of the school based, dyslexia-trained teacher.

It is our hope that this video serves as a valuable resource to help teachers, administrators, and parents work in partnership to better understand and put into practice the requirements of Oregon’s dyslexia legislation with the goal that every child in Oregon learns to read.

Questions answered in this video::

1) What are the new dyslexia screening requirements?
2) How does screening differ from identification?
3) Will parents be notified if their child shows risk factors on the screening?
4) What type of support will a student receive if he/she shows risk factors on the screening?
5) What does good instruction look like for students with dyslexia? Does it have to be a particular program?
6) What are best practices for schools that have a large percentage of incoming kindergarten students who show risk factors for reading difficulties?
7) What are the responsibilities of the teacher from each K-% school who completed the dyslexia training?
8) How will general educators be trained to work with students with dyslexia? 9) Is there funding available to train additional staff members?
10) How does the legislation apply to older students? How will these students be supported?
11) Do districts test for dyslexia?
12) If a parent receives and outside diagnosis of dyslexia, does this mean that the student is entitled to special education sec=vices?
13) Where can state-level guidance on dyslexia screening and instructional support be found?

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