EDUCATION Dyslexia testing changes increase access to services statewide
Dyslexia
Changes to the way Texas public schools test dyslexic students came about last fall when the Texas State Board of Education unani- mously voted Sept. 3 to adopt an amendment to the Texas Education Agency’s Dyslexia Handbook align- ing dyslexia testing guidelines with federal guidelines. According to the SBOE, a more thorough evaluation for dyslexia will BY ALLY BOLENDER & DANICA LLOYD
through the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. SBOE officials said a benefit to aligning dyslexia with the special education program is students may have the option to receive an individ- ualized education plan. According to the U.S. Department of Education, an IEP is created and monitored by teachers, parents, school administra- tors and related services personnel to guide special education services. Local effects Cy-Fair ISD Chief
RATES RISING The reported dyslexia rate in Texas has increased on average by 0.35 percentage points each school year since the Texas Education Agency began collecting data. The dyslexia rate in Cy-Fair ISD has increased each year since the 2016-17 school year, according to the TEA.
detect learning disabilities that would have otherwise gone undiagnosed. The proposed amend- ment was led by SBOE member Audrey Young.
PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTSWITH DYSLEXIA
“THEMOST COMMON MISCONCEPTION IS THAT THE STUDENTS WITHDYSLEXIAARE NOT SMART ANDWILL NOT BE SUCCESSFUL. OUR STUDENTS HAVE PROVED THIS MISCONCEPTION TO
6% 5% 4% 3% 2% 1% 0%
Cy-Fair ISD Texas
Academic Officer Linda Macias said this change provides more comprehensive data about students and provides infor- mation about needs beyond dyslexia. “Dyslexia is a neurological and language-based disorder that is remediated through systematic and
4.49%
4.09%
3.58%
3.13%
2.88%
2.66%
2.4%
“The committee
0.83%
1.93% 2.1%
has taken a huge step to move dyslexia forward and ensure the students are identified early and that they are properly identified for services,” Young said at a Sept. 3 SBOE meeting. Previously, students suspected of having dyslexia were given a dyslexia-specific evaluation. If the student was dyslexic, they would be protected under Section 504 of the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The Section 504 plan provides a blueprint for how schools support students with disabilities. The change requires districts to instead test suspected dyslexic students with a special education evaluation, which is conducted
1.50% 1.61%
1.35% 1.06%
BE INCORRECT.” LINDA MACIAS, CY-FAIR ISD CHIEF ACADEMIC OFFICER
2014-15
2015-16 2016-17
2017-18
2018-19 2019-20 2020-21
ACADEMIC YEAR
SOURCE: TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY/COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER
students are required to be screened for dyslexia, a process that lets educators know whether a dyslexia evaluation is needed. Factors such as difficulty with phonics, reading flu- ency and spelling may be considered at all grade levels, Macias said. The reported percentage of dyslexic students in Texas is lower than the national dyslexia estimates reported, according to the TEA. Although the precise prevalence of dyslexia in the U.S. has not been determined, according to a 2019 TEA dyslexia report, conservative
estimates put the prevalence at 4% with higher estimates reaching 20%. Macias said she expects to con- tinue to see the district’s dyslexia rate rise as campuses use data and better understand dyslexia characteristics. As of January, 241 of CFISD’s teachers served as dyslexia interventionists, who receive intense training and deliver multisensory instruction. “The most common misconception is that the students with dyslexia are not smart and will not be successful,” she said. “Our students have proved this misconception to be incorrect.”
explicit instruction that rewires the brain to improve the student’s ability to read fluently,” Macias said. “Students with dyslexia are provided services and accommodations based on their individual needs.” CFISD’s dyslexia rate has grown every year since 2016-17, when 0.83%—or less than 1,000 students—in the district had dyslexia. Macias said the district’s current dyslexia rate is 2.7%, or more than 3,000 students. She attributes the increase to early screening and staff awareness of dys- lexia. Kindergarten and first-grade
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CY-FAIR EDITION • FEBRUARY 2022
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