A Legislative Task Force on Dyslexia has completed its work and released recommendations for having Missouri public school students screened for dyslexia.
The Task Force’s report to legislative leaders and the governor recommends that all students in kindergarten through grade three be screened for dyslexia and related disorders beginning in the 2018-19 school year. It also recommends that students who have not been previously screened, and who have been identified as “struggling” in literacy, be screened.
The Task Force was chaired by Cape Girardeau representative Kathy Swan (R), who said early identification of reading difficulties is key to helping children get the education they need.
It is also recommended that schools require two hours of in-service training in assessing reading difficulties. Currently schools are required only to offer such training.
Swan said it is also important that Missouri colleges’ and universities’ teacher education programs address dyslexia characteristics, identification, and intervention.
Task Force member Erica Lembke chairs the Department of Special Education at the University of Missouri. She said she is excited about what the recommendations could mean for teacher education programs.
The Task Force’s report says the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) should recommend a process for universal screening that includes a multi-tiered support system. It stresses that districts should make clear to parents that a positive screening for dyslexia is not a diagnosis.
The Task Force was created with the passage of House Bill 2379 in 2016. It required that public schools in Missouri screen for dyslexia and related disorders, and established that DESE would develop rules for screenings based on the Task Force’s recommendations.
Earlier story: Legislative Task Force on Dyslexia holds first hearing, Rep. Swan selected as chair