SSHB69 224 4045
HOUSE SUMMARY OF SENATE AMENDMENTS
HB 69 2023 Regular Session Marino
STUDENTS: Provides for the screening of students with respect to dyslexia
Synopsis of Senate Amendments
1.Add a requirement that the state Dept. of Education select a dyslexia screener
with an area under the curve of 0.80 or above and provide the screener, at no
cost, to each public school.
2.Add a requirement that parents be notified if screener results indicate students
are at risk for dyslexia.
3.Remove proposed law relative to diagnosis and subsequent assessments
following the screener.
4.Add that implementation of proposed law requiring administration of the
screener is subject to the appropriation of funds by the legislature for this
purpose.
Digest of Bill as Finally Passed by Senate
Dyslexia Generally
Present law, relative to dyslexia, provides the following:
(1)Requires the State Bd. of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) to adopt a
program for testing students for dyslexia and related disorders and requires school
boards to provide remediation for dyslexic students in accordance with the program.
(2)Requires every child in grades K-3 to be screened at least once for dyslexia.
(3)Requires a student to be referred for dyslexia testing upon request of a parent,
student, school nurse, classroom teacher, or other school personnel.
(4)Provides for implementation of a pilot program relative to dyslexia screening.
Proposed law repeals present law and provides the following relative to dyslexia:
Screening
Proposed law requires the state Dept. of Education to select a dyslexia screener with an area
under the curve of 0.80 or above and provide the screener, at no cost, to each public school.
Requires the screener to be administered to each student by a classroom teacher in the second
half of kindergarten or at any time it is requested by a teacher or a parent or guardian.
Prohibits the screener from being a progress monitoring tool and requires that it be developed
solely for dyslexia; be evidence-based with proven, published psychometric validity; and be
used for the purpose of determining whether a student is at-risk for dyslexia. Requires the
parent to be notified within 30 days if the results indicate that a student is at risk for dyslexia.
Implementation of proposed law is subject to the appropriation of funds by the legislature
for this purpose.
Definitions, Reporting, and Ancillary Certification
Present law defines "dyslexia" as an unexpected difficulty in reading for an individual who
has the intelligence to be a much better reader, most commonly caused by a difficulty in
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phonological processing, which affects the ability of an individual to speak, read, and spell.
Defines "phonological processing" as meaning the appreciation of the individual sounds of
spoken and written language. Proposed law retains present law.
Present law provides for reporting relative to students with dyslexia and provides for the
issuance of an ancillary certificate to a teacher for service as a dyslexia practitioner or
dyslexia therapist. Proposed law retains present law but recodifies it for purposes of
statutory organization.
Applicability
Proposed law applies proposed law (relative to dyslexia screening) and present law (relative
to dyslexia reporting) to all public schools, including charter schools.
Rules
Proposed law requires BESE to promulgate rules in accordance with the Administrative
Procedure Act.
(Amends R.S. 17:7.2(A)(8)(a)(iii), 392.1(D), and 2112(Section heading); Adds R.S.
17:392.11-392.13 and 3996(B)(75); Repeals R.S. 17:7(11), 392.1(B)(2)(a) and (3) and (F),
392.2, and 2112(A)(2) and (B)
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