District Of Columbia 2023-2024 Regular Session

District Of Columbia Council Bill CER25-0129 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1		-	ENROLLED ORIGINAL
2	1		1
3		-
4		-
5		-
6		-	A CEREMONIAL RESOLUTION
7		-
8		-	25-129
9		-	IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
10		-
11		-	October 3, 2023
12		-	To recognize October as International Dyslexia Awareness Month, and to declare October 2023
13		-	as “Dyslexia Awareness Month” in the District of Columbia.
14		-
15		-	WHEREAS, dyslexia is a language-based learning disability that refers to a cluster of
16		-	symptoms, which result in people having difficulties with specific language skills, particularly
17		-	reading;
18		-
19		-	WHEREAS, dyslexia affects approximately 20 percent of the population and represents
20		-	nearly 90 percent of all those with learning disabilities. It is the most common of all neuro-
21		-	cognitive disorders;
22		-
23		-	WHEREAS, dyslexia affects all segments of society, regardless of race, income,
24		-	educational background or ability and is not an indication of a lack of intelligence or desire to
25		-	learn. Dyslexia is not rare, and affects individuals throughout their lives; however, its impact can
26		-	change at different stages in a person’s life;
27		-
28		-	WHEREAS, dyslexia occurs in people of all backgrounds and intellectual levels. People
29		-	with dyslexia are often gifted in areas such as art, computer science, design, drama, electronics,
30		-	mechanics, music, physics, sales, and sports; however, dyslexia also can be associated with other
31		-	learning challenges in areas such as writing, spelling, mathematics, speech, language processing,
32		-	executive function, fine motor skills, attention or mental health;
33		-
34		-	WHEREAS, literacy is a critical skill for educational success. Students who do not read
35		-	at grade level by third grade are four times more likely not to graduate from high school;
36		-
37		-	WHEREAS, early detection and proper diagnosis, structured scientifically- based
38		-	reading intervention supports, and the provision of necessary accommodations are critical to
39		-	ensure school and life success for those with dyslexia;
40		-
41		-	WHEREAS, teachers and students across the District of Columbia benefit from increased
42		-	educator professional training about dyslexia and scientifically- based teaching strategies designed
43		-	to better identify and educate students with dyslexia; ENROLLED ORIGINAL
44		-	2
45		-
46		-
47		-	WHEREAS, the District of Columbia is committed to equity in educational opportunities
48		-	through identifying obstacles to educational advancement and endeavoring to remove those
49		-	obstacles;
50		-
51		-	WHEREAS, to that end, the District of C olumbia Public Schools (DCPS) started a dyslexia
52		-	task force in January 2020;
53		-
54		-	WHEREAS, the Council also passed the Addressing Dyslexia and Other Reading
55		-	Difficulties Amendment Act of 2020 (D.C. Law 23-191) to require the Office of the State
56		-	Superintendent for Education (OSSE) to: (1) provide dyslexia awareness and other reading
57		-	difficulties training to all educators; (2) provide educators with professional development on
58		-	recognizing reading difficulties, screening for reading difficulties, and implementing instruction
59		-	that meet the needs of students with reading difficulties; (3) compile a list of recommended
60		-	screening instruments and protocols that LEAs may use to identify students who are at risk of
61		-	reading difficulties; and (4) provide guidance on specialized, multi-tiered remediation and
62		-	intervention instruction which is aligned to a science-based reading program; and
63		-
64		-	WHEREAS, Dyslexia Awareness Month is an opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate
65		-	the many achievements of children, adolescents, and adults with dyslexia, to foster awareness
66		-	across the District of Columbia with the goal of empowering families and educators who are aiding
67		-	students with dyslexia, and to continue to advocate for academic support in the District ’s public
68		-	schools so students with dyslexia can achieve overall success.
69		-
70		-	RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, T hat this
71		-	resolution may be cited as the “October is Dyslexia Awareness Month Recognition Resolution of
72		-	2023.”
73		-
74		-	Sec. 2. The Council of the District of Columbia honors those working to provide education
75		-	and treatment to individuals affected by dyslexia in the District of Columbia, recognizes the month
76		-	of October as International Dyslexia Awareness Month, and declares October 2023 as “Dyslexia
77		-	Awareness Month” in the District of Columbia.
78		-
79		-	Sec. 3. This r esolution shall take effect immediately .
	2	+	Chairman Phil Mendelson 2
	3	+	3
	4	+	4
	5	+	A CEREMONIAL RESOLUTION 5
	6	+	6
	7	+	IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 7
	8	+	8
	9	+	To recognize October as International Dyslexia Awareness Month, and to declare October 2023 9
	10	+	as “Dyslexia Awareness Month” in the District of Columbia. 10
	11	+	11
	12	+	WHEREAS, dyslexia is a language-based learning disability that refers to a cluster of 12
	13	+	symptoms, which result in people having difficulties with specific language skills, particularly 13
	14	+	reading; 14
	15	+	15
	16	+	WHEREAS, dyslexia affects approximately 20 percent of the population and represents 16
	17	+	nearly 90 percent of all those with learning disabilities. It is the most common of all neuro-17
	18	+	cognitive disorders; 18
	19	+	19
	20	+	WHEREAS, dyslexia affects all segments of society, regardless of race, income, 20
	21	+	educational background or ability and is not an indication of a lack of intelligence or desire to 21
	22	+	learn. Dyslexia is not rare, and affects individuals throughout their lives; however, its impact can 22
	23	+	change at different stages in a person’s life; 23
	24	+	24
	25	+	WHEREAS, dyslexia occurs in people of all backgrounds and intellectual levels. People 25
	26	+	with dyslexia are often gifted in areas such as art, computer science, design, drama, electronics, 26
	27	+	mechanics, music, physics, sales, and sports; however, dyslexia also can be associated with other 27
	28	+	learning challenges in areas such as writing, spelling, mathematics, speech, language processing, 28
	29	+	executive function, fine motor skills, attention or mental health; 29
	30	+	30
	31	+	WHEREAS, literacy is a critical skill for educational success. Students who do not read 31
	32	+	at grade level by third grade are four times more likely not to graduate from high school; 32
	33	+	33
	34	+	WHEREAS, early detection and proper diagnosis, structured scientifically-based 34
	35	+	reading intervention supports, and the provision of necessary accommodations are critical to 35
	36	+	ensure school and life success for those with dyslexia; 36
	37	+	37
	38	+	WHEREAS, teachers and students across the District of Columbia benefit from increased 38
	39	+	educator professional training about dyslexia and scientifically-based teaching strategies designed 39
	40	+	to better identify and educate students with dyslexia; 40
	41	+	41
	42	+	WHEREAS, the District of Columbia is committed to equity in educational opportunities 42
	43	+	through identifying obstacles to educational advancement and endeavoring to remove those 43
	44	+	obstacles; 44 45
	45	+	WHEREAS, to that end, the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) started a dyslexia 46
	46	+	task force in January 2020; 47
	47	+	48
	48	+	WHEREAS, the Council also passed the Addressing Dyslexia and Other Reading 49
	49	+	Difficulties Amendment Act of 2020 (D.C. Law 23-191) to require the Office of the State 50
	50	+	Superintendent for Education (OSSE) to: (1) provide dyslexia awareness and other reading 51
	51	+	difficulties training to all educators; (2) provide educators with professional development on 52
	52	+	recognizing reading difficulties, screening for reading difficulties, and implementing instruction 53
	53	+	that meet the needs of students with reading difficulties; (3) compile a list of recommended 54
	54	+	screening instruments and protocols that LEAs may use to identify students who are at risk of 55
	55	+	reading difficulties; and (4) provide guidance on specialized, multi-tiered remediation and 56
	56	+	intervention instruction which is aligned to a science-based reading program; and 57
	57	+	58
	58	+	WHEREAS, Dyslexia Awareness Month is an opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate 59
	59	+	the many achievements of children, adolescents, and adults with dyslexia, to foster awareness 60
	60	+	across the District of Columbia with the goal of empowering families and educators who are aiding 61
	61	+	students with dyslexia, and to continue to advocate for academic support in the District’s public 62
	62	+	schools so students with dyslexia can achieve overall success. 63
	63	+	64
	64	+	RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, that this 65
	65	+	resolution may be cited as the “October is Dyslexia Awareness Month Recognition Resolution of 66
	66	+	2023.” 67
	67	+	68
	68	+	Sec. 2. The Council of the District of Columbia honors those working to provide education 69
	69	+	and treatment to individuals affected by dyslexia in the District of Columbia, recognizes the month 70
	70	+	of October as International Dyslexia Awareness Month, and declares October 2023 as “Dyslexia 71
	71	+	Awareness Month” in the District of Columbia. 72
	72	+	73
	73	+	Sec. 3. This resolution shall take effect immediately. 74