The General Assembly passed SEA 217 which addresses “Dyslexia,” and adds a number of new requirements for both the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) and schools. The 2019 – 2020 school year was the first year this screening process was expected to be completed.

House Enrolled Act 1108 defines dyslexia as A specific learning disability that: • Is neurological in origin and characterized by: difficulties with accurate or fluent word recognition and poor spelling and decoding abilities • Typically results 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 • May include problems in reading comprehension and reduced reading experience that can impede the growth of vocabulary and background knowledge • May require the provision of special education services after an eligibility determination is made in accordance with Article 7.

Students in grades K – 2 and students new to the state of Indiana must be screened. Students in grades 3 and above may be screened if a teacher notes concerns in the following areas. Screeners approved by the state of Indiana are required to screen in the areas of:

· Phonological and phonemic awareness · Sound symbol recognition · Alphabet knowledge · Decoding skills · Rapid naming skills · Encoding skills

Students that are screened and found to be “at risk” or “at some risk” will be entitled to receive interventions approved by the state of Indiana and permission will be granted from parents for further screening results through the Level 1 screener. SENSE Charter School utilizes Orton Gillingham as an intervention that meets the criteria established by the state. The Response to Intervention Model will be used to support students found to be “at risk” or “at some risk” through the screening process. Students found to be at risk will receive a Level 1 Screener, which is a process of gathering ongoing information in the above areas.

Informational resources for Dyslexia:

DATA:
2022 - 2023

Universal Screener: 189 

Found at risk or at some risk: 82 (number of students screened that may have characteristics of dyslexia)

Interventions – 82 

Students SLD in reading – 2 students in grades K – 2 newly identified as having a learning disability in reading. 

DATA:
2023 - 2024

Universal Screener: 176

Found at risk or at some risk: 47 (number of students screened that may have characteristics of dyslexia)

Interventions – 47

Students SLD in reading – 0 students in grades K – 2 were identified as having a learning disability in reading.