Bill Text: CA SB237 | 2021-2022 | Regular Session | Introduced
NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Special education: dyslexia risk screening.
Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 14-3)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2021-06-28 - From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on ED. [SB237 Detail]
Download: California-2021-SB237-Introduced.html
A (1) (A) On or before June 30, 2022, the board shall establish an approved list of screening instruments to be used by a local educational agency to screen pupils for risk of dyslexia. The areas to be screened by approved instruments shall include, but not be limited to, all of the following as developmentally appropriate:
Bill Title: Special education: dyslexia risk screening.
Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 14-3)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2021-06-28 - From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on ED. [SB237 Detail]
Download: California-2021-SB237-Introduced.html
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE—
2021–2022 REGULAR SESSION
Senate Bill
No. 237
| Introduced by Senator Portantino |
January 21, 2021 |
An act to amend Section 56337.5 of the Education Code, relating to special education.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SB 237, as introduced, Portantino.
Special education: dyslexia screening.
Existing law requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to develop program guidelines for dyslexia to be used to assist regular education teachers, special education teachers, and parents to identify and assess pupils with dyslexia, as provided. Existing law requires a pupil who is assessed as being dyslexic and meets specified eligibility criteria to be entitled to special education and related services.
This bill would require, on or before June 30, 2022, the State Board of Education to establish an approved list of screening instruments to be used by a local educational agency, as defined, to screen pupils for risk of dyslexia, as provided. The bill would require, beginning in the 2022–23 school year, and annually thereafter, a local educational agency serving pupils in any of the grades kindergarten to grade 2,
inclusive, to screen each pupil in those grades for risk of dyslexia by using the screening instrument or instruments identified above, as provided. The bill would require results from the screening, among other things, to be made available to a pupil’s parent or guardian in a timely manner, but no more than 45 calendar days from administering the screening. By expanding the duties of a local educational agency, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted
above.
Digest Key
Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: YESBill Text
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Section 56337.5 of the Education Code is amended to read:56337.5.
(a)(i) Phonological and phonemic awareness, including phoneme blending, phoneme segmenting, and phoneme manipulation tasks.
(ii) Sound-symbol recognition and symbol-sound recognition.
(iii) Letter naming fluency.
(iv) Decoding skills, including real and nonsense words.
(v) Rapid automatized naming, with letters, digits, objects, or colors.
(B) This paragraph does not prohibit the board from periodically adding to the list described in subparagraph (A).
(2) Beginning in the 2022–23 school year, and annually thereafter, a local educational agency serving pupils in any of the grades kindergarten to grade 2, inclusive, shall screen each pupil in kindergarten to grade 2, inclusive, for risk of dyslexia by using a state-approved instrument or instruments
with fidelity, as identified in paragraph (1), within 90 calendar days from the start of instruction for the school year, unless objected to in writing by the pupil’s parent or guardian.
(3) Results from the screening shall be made available to the pupil’s parent or guardian in a timely manner, but no more than 45 calendar days from administering the screening, and shall include information as to how the parent or guardian can access, on the department’s internet website, information about the California Dyslexia Guidelines developed by the Superintendent pursuant to Section 56335.
(4) If a pupil from another state enrolls for the first time in any of the grades kindergarten to grade 2, inclusive, in the middle of the school year, the local educational agency shall screen the pupil for risk of dyslexia by using a state-approved instrument or instruments with fidelity, as
identified in paragraph (1), within 30 calendar days of enrollment, unless the parent or guardian objects in writing or presents documentation that the pupil had a similar screening in their prior state of residence and the parent or guardian was made aware of the results.
(5) For purposes of this subdivision, a “local educational agency” means a school district, county office of education, or charter school.
(b) A pupil who is assessed as being dyslexic and meets eligibility criteria specified in Section 56337 and paragraph (10) of subdivision (b) of Section 3030 of Title 5 of the California Code of Regulations for the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20
U.S.C. Sec. 1400 et seq.) category of specific learning disabilities is entitled to special education and related services.
(b)
(c) (1) If a pupil who exhibits the characteristics of dyslexia or another related reading dysfunction is not found to be eligible for special education and related services pursuant to subdivision (a),
(b), the pupil’s instructional program shall be provided in the regular education program.
(c)It is the intent of the Legislature that the program guidelines developed pursuant to Section 2 of Chapter 1501 of the Statutes of 1990, for specific learning disabilities, including dyslexia and other related disorders, be available for use by teachers and parents in order for them to have knowledge of the strategies that can be utilized with pupils for the remediation of the various types of specific learning disabilities.
(2) Local educational agencies are encouraged to use structured literacy instruction and progress
monitoring recommended in the California Dyslexia Guidelines, as appropriate, for these pupils in the regular education program.
(d) It is the intent of the Legislature that results from the screening pursuant to subdivision (a) and the California Dyslexia Guidelines developed pursuant to Section 56335 be available for use by teachers and by parents and guardians in order to provide knowledge of the characteristics exhibited by pupils with dyslexia and related learning differences, to provide knowledge of the instructional strategies that can be successfully used with pupils at risk for dyslexia, and to help parents and guardians understand their rights.
