Bill Text: MS HC72 | 2010 | Regular Session | Enrolled

Mississippi House Concurrent Resolution 72 (Prior Session Legislation)

Bill Title: The 3-D School; commend continuing efforts to reduce the rate of dyslexia in the State of Mississippi.

Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Republican 1)

Status: (Passed) 2010-03-09 - Enrolled Bill Signed [HC72 Detail]

Download: Mississippi-2010-HC72-Enrolled.html

MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

2010 Regular Session

To: Rules

By: Representative Byrd

House Concurrent Resolution 72

(As Adopted by House and Senate)

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION COMMENDING THE CONTINUING EFFORTS OF THE 3-D SCHOOL TO IMPROVE THE LITERACY FUNCTIONS AND CAPABILITIES OF INDIVIDUALS WITH DYSLEXIA THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, AND DESIGNATING OCTOBER AS DYSLEXIA AWARENESS MONTH IN THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI.

WHEREAS, dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is neurobiological in origin and is characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities; and

WHEREAS, these difficulties typically are caused by a deficit in the phonological component of language that is unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities and to the provision of effective classroom instruction; and

WHEREAS, secondary consequences may include problems in reading comprehension and reduced reading experience that can impede growth of vocabulary and background knowledge; and

WHEREAS, dyslexia, which occurs on a continuum of severity, affects between 10 and 20 percent of the population according to the National Institutes of Health; and

WHEREAS, citizens throughout the State of Mississippi will benefit from increased awareness of the nature of dyslexia, the early warning signs of dyslexia, and the value of multisensory structured language interventions for students with dyslexia; and

WHEREAS, greater recognition and understanding are necessary to ensure that individuals with dyslexia living in our state and all other Americans with dyslexia are accurately identified and provided with appropriate services so they might lead maximally productive lives; and

WHEREAS, individuals with dyslexia are visual, multi-dimensional thinkers that are intuitive, highly creative, and excel at hands-on learning, who think in pictures, making it sometimes hard for them to understand letters, numbers, symbols and written words; and

WHEREAS, The 3-D School located in Petal, Mississippi, the only school in the state designed to meet the specific needs of high potential dyslexic students in a full day comprehensive program, has clearly demonstrated its ability to provide the specialized instruction and individual differentiated learning opportunities to students with dyslexia that allows them to become fully functional members of our community, our state and our nation; and

WHEREAS, established on December 26, 2007, by Cena Holifield and Dr. Trudy Abel, due to the need for services to appropriately meet the learning needs of children with dyslexia in the Pine Belt Area of Mississippi, the mission for Dynamic Dyslexia Design (The 3-D School and Evaluation Center) is to identify children with the characteristics of dyslexia and provide an educational environment designed to include research-based multisensory intervention, academic enrichment and positive educational experiences that challenge students by building necessary skills for academic and personal success; and

WHEREAS, in its efforts to adhere to its mission, The 3-D School seeks to fulfill its vision of raising the standard of care for Mississippi students who struggle with dyslexia through positive out-reach experiences with educators that include the sharing of professional knowledge, collaboration in the service of children and providing a working model of quality appropriate instruction; and

WHEREAS, The 3-D School creates an atmosphere in which students have the opportunity to learn that they are uniquely designed, as they are instructed to acquire knowledge of their learning differences and develop an appreciation for their abilities; therefore, strengthening their feelings of self worth and motivation to persevere; and

WHEREAS, students in attendance are provided with daily opportunities to develop self-discipline and personal responsibility by being made aware of the rights and privileges of others in relation to their own rights through the development of social awareness and mutual respect, which enables the students to interact with their peers; and

WHEREAS, The 3-D School has remained a priority for its board of directors, which has advocated incessantly for the expansion of services provided and funding for the program to aid those members of Mississippi's dyslexic population, and which is made up of seven zealous members, including: Andy Stetelman, Bill Hudson, Howard Kerce, J.W. Fagan, Dr. Lara Otaigbe, Nancy Steen and Martha Sibley; and

WHEREAS, it was due to the growing and important need for awareness about the effects of dyslexia and the critical nature of early detection and corrective measures to be taken that Governor Haley Barbour designated the entire month of October 2009 as Dyslexia Awareness Month in the State of Mississippi; and

WHEREAS, it is the policy of this Legislature to recognize the great strides made by organizations such as The 3-D School to provide every reasonable opportunity to increase the learning capacity of individuals with dyslexia by reducing their cognitive deficiencies in reading:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, THE SENATE CONCURRING THEREIN, That we do hereby commend the continuing efforts of The 3-D School to improve the literacy functions and capabilities of individuals with dyslexia throughout the State of Mississippi, and designate that October 2010 and every October thereafter as Dyslexia Awareness Month in the State of Mississippi.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be furnished to The 3-D School, the board of directors and to the members of the Capitol Press Corps.