Guidelines And Procedures

1 Dyslexia Program Guidelines And Procedures June 2016 North East Independent School District 8961 Tesoro Drive San Antonio, TX 78217 Dyslexia Office (210) 407- 0283 Section 504 & Dyslexia i ASSURANCE OF NONDISCRIMINATION North East ISD does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sex, or disability in providing education services, activities, and programs, including vocational programs in accordance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended; Title IX of the Educational Amendments Act of 1972; and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1972, as amended. The following district staff members have been designated to coordinate compliance with these legal requirements: Tammy Gomez, ADA Coordinator Gerard Cortez, Executive Director of Special Education Janice Greer DeHaven, Director for 504 Services If you need assistance of the Office of Civil Rights (OCR of the Department of Education, the address of the OCR Regional Office that covers Texas is: Dallas Office for Civil Rights, Department of Education 1999 Bryan Street, Suite 1620, Dallas, TX 75201-6810 Telephone: (214) 661-9600 Fax: (214) 661-9587 Email: ii North East Independent School District Board of Trustees: Ms.)

2 Shannon Grona President Ms. Brigitte Perkins Vice-President Ms. Sandy Hughey Secretary Mr. Tony Jaso Member Ms. Sandi Wolff Member Mr. Jim Wheat Member Mr. Edd White Member District Administration: Dr. Brian Gottardy Superintendent of Schools Dr. Pauline Dow Associate Superintendent for Instruction and Technology Services, Chief Instructional Officer Dr. Donna Newman Associate Superintendent Division of Campus Administration and Human Resources Mr. Dan Villarreal Associate Superintendent / Chief Financial Officer, Division for Business Services Mr. Ron Clary Associate Superintendent for Operations Department of Special Education: Section 504 Supports Gerard Cortez Executive Director Janice Greer DeHaven Director Janet Tracy Program Coordinator iii Table of Contents Page NEISD Dyslexia Program Compliance 1 Definition and Characteristics of Dyslexia 1 Procedures Required by State and Federal Law Prior to Formal Assessment 2 Response to Intervention 3 District Process for Determinations for Students with Dyslexia 3 Dyslexia Assessment Procedures 4 Parental Requests 6 Special Education Students 6 Assessment and Test Measures 6 English Language Learners 7 Students who struggle in their native language 7 Native English Speakers in Dual Language 8 Identification of students with Dyslexia 8 Placement after

3 Identification 10 Intervention for Students with Dyslexia 11 Qualifications of Teachers of Students with Dyslexia 11 Appendix 12 Checklist for Parents 13 Checklist for Teachers 14 Dyslexia Profile Form English Assessment 15 Dyslexia Profile Form Spanish Assessment 17 NEISD Board Policy: Education Code ; 19 TAC 19 North East ISD Dyslexia Program Compliance The North East ISD Dyslexia Program follows the structure as set forth in Texas Education Code (TEC) and Chapter 19 of the Texas Administrative Code (TAC) In addition, Guidelines in The Dyslexia Handbook, Revised 2014 are followed in establishing district Procedures for assessment, identification, and placement of students. Procedures for assessing students for dyslexia, and for identification and placement of these students have been established under 504 Guidelines .

4 Procedures are implemented when it is determined that dyslexia substantially limits learning for the identified student. Definition and Characteristics of Dyslexia: Texas Education Code Dyslexia means a disorder of constitutional origin manifested by a difficulty in learning to read, write, or spell, despite conventional instruction, adequate intelligence, and sociocultural opportunity. Related disorders include disorders similar to or related to dyslexia such as developmental auditory imperception, dysphasia, specific developmental dyslexia, developmental dysgraphia, and developmental spelling disability. The current definition from the International Dyslexia Association states: Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is neurological in origin.

5 It is characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. These difficulties typically result from a deficit in the phonological component of language that is often unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities and the provision of effective classroom instruction. Secondary consequences may include problems in reading comprehension and related reading experience that can impede growth of vocabulary and background knowledge. (Adopted by the International Dyslexia Association Board of Directors, November 12, 2002) The primary difficulties of a student identified as having dyslexia occur in phonemic awareness and manipulation, single-word decoding, reading fluency and spelling.

6 Secondary consequences of dyslexia may include difficulties in reading comprehension and written expression. These difficulties are unexpected for the student s age, educational level, or cognitive abilities. Additionally, there is often a family history of similar difficulties. 1 2 The following are the reading/spelling characteristics of dyslexia: Difficulty reading single words in isolation; Difficulty accurately decoding nonsense or unfamiliar words; Slow, inaccurate, or labored oral reading; (lack of reading fluency) Difficulty with learning to spell. The reading/spelling characteristics are the result of difficulty with the following: The development of phonological awareness, including segmenting, blending, and manipulating sounds in words; Learning the names of letters and their associated sounds; Phonological memory (holding information about sounds and words in memory); and/or Rapid naming of familiar objects, colors, or letters of the alphabet.

7 Secondary consequences of dyslexia may include the following: Variable difficulty with aspects of reading comprehension; Variable difficulty with aspects of written composition; A limited amount of time spent in reading activities Procedures Required by State and Federal Law Prior to Formal Assessment TEC requires school districts and charter schools to administer early reading instruments to all students in kindergarten, grade 1, and grade 2 to assess their reading development and comprehension. If, on the basis of the reading instrument results, students are determined to be at risk of dyslexia or other reading difficulties, the district must inform parents of results and implement an accelerated (intensive) reading program that appropriately addresses the students reading difficulties and enables them to catch up with their typically performing peers.

8 School districts implement reading programs using scientifically based reading research in accordance with NCLB requirements. The most recent reauthorization of the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEIA), passed in 2004, is consistent with NCLB in emphasizing the quality of instruction and documentation of student progress. A process based on the student s response to scientific, research-based intervention is one of the criteria used to determine whether a student has a specific learning disability including dyslexia (The Dyslexia Handbook, Texas Education Agency, 2010). The definition of dyslexia adopted by the International Dyslexia Association (IDA) indicates that the unexpected difficulties that students demonstrate in the area of reading are seen despite the provision of effective, scientifically based, classroom instruction.

9 3 Response to Intervention The interventions provided to students who are reported to be at risk for dyslexia or other reading difficulties should align with the requirements of NCLB legislation that requires that districts and charter schools implement reading programs using scientifically based reading research (SBRR). Additionally, the most recent reauthorization of the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEIA), passed in 2004, is consistent with NCLB in emphasizing quality of instruction and documentation of student progress. A process based on the student s response to scientific, research-based intervention is one of the criteria included in IDEIA 2004 that States may use in determining whether a student has a specific learning disability, including dyslexia.

10 Districts and charter schools are strongly recommended to implement an RTI process for students who are at risk for dyslexia or other reading difficulties, as they would with any student exhibiting learning difficulties. Ongoing assessment and progress monitoring of reading achievement gains are required for students at risk for dyslexia or other reading difficulties. Additional information pertaining to initiatives that support the reading achievement of Texas students is available on TEA s website: Regardless of the process in place, the parents or guardians always have the right to request a referral for assessment at any time. Students enrolling in public school in this RTI shall be assessed for dyslexia and related disorders at appropriate times.