Introduction
The Local Education Agencies are public authorities that legally provide administrative control and service functions for schools in a state, county, city, and school districts. LEAs provide services or employment for professionals who provide services to children included in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which may include occupational, physical, and speech therapy. TEA is the Texas Education Agency overseeing secondary public education by providing guidance, leadership, and support for school systems (“The Dyslexia Handbook,” 2021). This paper aims to analyze, how the Dyslexia program in the Houston school district can be aligned with the TEA’s latest requirements, and how this program correlates with IDEA.
How Students Are Referred to Suspected Dyslexia
Dyslexia is a reading disability when the student cannot map sounds into letters to read and spell the words automatically. Currently, if a student is referred for suspected dyslexia under IDEA particular tests or screening is made to determine the condition. Aspects like parental refusal to permit their child to further participate in dyslexia-related interventions can trigger a referral. The determinants of dyslexia and the procedures for its evaluation are described in the TEA Handbook, which is based on the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 Section 504 (2008), the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), and the Americans with Disabilities Amendments Act.
To be referred to suspected dyslexia, the students pass the screening and evaluation procedures. The evaluation process is based on federal and state requirements; the evaluation and identification of the condition are based on the guidance described in IDEA. No less important, the testing for dyslexia should be made under the program provided by the State Board of Education. The screening is usually performed at the end of the school year for students in kindergarten and first-grade students. According to the TEA Handbook, the screening is seen as “a universal measure administered to all students by qualified personnel to determine which students are at risk for dyslexia or reading difficulties and/or a related disorder” (“The Dyslexia Handbook,” 2021, p. 21). Noteworthy, the screening and its results are not considered as an automatic referral for suspected dyslexia.
The data obtained from screening and evaluation does not lead to suspicion if the evaluation team does not find enough evidence. Otherwise, if the IDEA-guided evaluation procedure based on the data collected regarding the student’s reading and comprehension abilities proves dyslexia, the student is then referred to participate in the instruction and intervention program based on their educational institution. The instruction and intervention may be provided by the student’s teacher, or by the employee specially trained to provide such instructions and interventions.
Parental Consent
Parental consent is required to submit the student with the suspected dyslexia to participation in intervention and instruction programs outlined by IDEA and Section 504. According to the TEA Handbook, if the LEA suspects that a student has dyslexia, it should seek parental informed consent to receive a Full Individual Initial Evaluation (FIIE) developed in the framework of IDEA (“The Dyslexia Handbook,” 2021). In particular, in the analysis showing that the student exhibits the features of reading or other learning disabilities, the educational service provider should seek parental consent.
If the school gets such consent, the FIIE is conducted within 45 school days, and the ARD committee that includes the parent meets and reviews the FIIE results. If the parent does not give consent for FIIE, the LEA should seek parental consent for a Section 504 evaluation. If the parent still does not give their consent both under FIIE and Section 504, dyslexia can still be identified through Section 504. Along with the evaluation, the LEA should continue providing educational services, including evidence-based core reading instruction and any other tiered interventions.
Criteria of Dyslexia under SPED
There are several simple criteria determined in the TEA Handbook that must be met to identify dyslexia. In particular, the students are evaluated, according to their academic skills – letter knowledge, reading words in isolation, decoding unfamiliar words accurately, reading fluency (rate, accuracy, and prosody), reading comprehension, and spelling. The cognitive processes are also seen as criteria for evaluation – phonological awareness and rapid naming of symbols or objects are required. No less important, there are possible additional areas that can be used as criteria – vocabulary, listening comprehension, verbal expression, written expression, handwriting, memory for a letter of symbol sequences (orthographic processing), mathematical calculation and reasoning, phonological memory, verbal working memory, and processing speed.
The criteria used for screening instruments also differ for first graders and kindergarten students. The kindergarten students should demonstrate phonological awareness, phonemic awareness, sound-symbol recognition, letter knowledge, decoding skills, spelling, and listening comprehension (“The Dyslexia Handbook,” 2021). At the same time, the first graders are required to show additionally the reading rate and reading accuracy. Behaviors like lack of automaticity, difficulty sounding out words left to right, guessing, self-correcting, inability to focus on reading, and avoidance behavior should be paid particular attention.
What Specific Data is Collected to Identify the Dyslexia
Various instruments are used to collect the data on which the evaluation will be based. The additional quantitative information is obtained from the current screening instruments, previous screening instruments, formal and informal classroom reading assessments, brief and targeted skill assessments (“The Dyslexia Handbook,” 2021). The qualitative information is retrieved from observations of students during screening, teacher observations, parent or guardian input, current student work samples, work samples from earlier grades, and intervention history.
It should be specifically mentioned that the data are reviewed by the qualified team that subsequently makes the informed decision if the student shows the characteristics of dyslexia. The team should include people who know the student and their abilities, are appropriately trained to administrate the screening tools, and interpret the results of the screening process, including the quantitative and qualitative results. The supposed participants of such a team are the classroom teacher, the screener, the Language Proficiency Assessment Committee representative, the administrator, and the parent if the evaluation is performed under the IDEA guidelines. The team may also include the dyslexia specialist or interventionist, parents, and a diagnostician who understands the testing and evaluation processes. Notably, the ARD provides another team of specialists, which is called the Section 504 committee, although these people from the evaluation team may take part in the ARD committee if the dyslexia is identified.
How the ARD/IEP Committee Determines Future Instructional Services
The ARD Committee is a special team that discusses which further interventions and instructions should be provided for the student with the identified dyslexia. The ARD Committee also develops an individualized educational program to determine the eligibility for dyslexia-targeted interventions. This committee must include the regular education teacher of the child, preferably the one who will be responsible for implementing a part of the educational program. Other parties that should be present are the parent, special education teacher of the child, the school representative, a person trained to interpret the instructional implications of the evaluation, and a child, if that is appropriate. After the parental consent was received to hold the FIIE, the ARD committee meets to review the results of the FIIE and determine the proper interventions.
Training for the Dyslexia Interventionists
The dyslexia interventionists should receive specific training to provide high-quality and adequate interventions. According to the TEA Handbook, the interventionist should be certified or licensed in dyslexia, or be a classroom teacher with a certificate for K and 1 (“The Dyslexia Handbook,” 2021). The best interventionist practice can be made in the student’s current classroom, by the teacher or other specialist; it is emphasized that screening is not enough intervention. The teachers providing the intervention educational service can be reading specialists, master reading teachers, special education teachers, and general education classroom teachers; notably, these specialists are not required to have a specific certificate.
Thus, it was analyzed, how the Dyslexia program in the Houston school district can be aligned with the TEA’s latest requirements, and how this program correlates with IDEA. IDEA regulates the procedures of the evaluation and identification of reading and learning disabilities in students of kindergarten and first grades. The TEA Handbook, which is mainly based on IDEA, presents the guidelines for dyslexia evaluation and describes the related procedures. Interestingly, dyslexia is approved by the ARD Committee that develops the interventions that are further implemented by certified specialists or general education teachers on the ground of the LEA.
Reference
The Dyslexia Handbook. (2018). Texas Education Agency. Web.