HB3 Update: Dyslexia Allotment
HB3 introduced the Dyslexia Allotment to be available for the 2019-2020 school year. Dyslexia is comprised of two primary components: Decoding and Language Comprehension which equate to a person’s reading comprehension ability. TEA has stated that 80% of students who read below grade level demonstrate decoding or word reading weaknesses often attributed to Dyslexia. The new allotment is meant to fund services that will help eligible dyslexia students or students with related disorders.
Texas Education Code (TEC) 308.003 requires that all students enrolling in public schools shall be tested for dyslexia and related disorders at an appropriate time. TEC 308.003 defines dyslexia and related disorders as:
- “Dyslexia” means a disorder of constitutional origin manifested by a difficulty in learning to read, write, or spell, despite conventional instruction, adequate intelligence, and sociocultural opportunity.
- “Related disorders” includes disorders similar to or related to dyslexia, such as developmental auditory imperception, dysphasia, specific developmental dyslexia, developmental dysgraphia, and developmental spelling disability.
- Please note that dyscalculia is not a related disorder to dyslexia.
Identify, Services & Monitoring
The Dyslexia Allotment adds an additional .10 weight per ADA ($616) for those who are eligible. Charters are entitled to receive IDEA-B Special Education Funds and the Dyslexia Allotment for students receiving special education and dyslexia services. To first be eligible, schools must first identify students who are needing services. Once identified, HB3, Section 48.103 states:
- (b) A school district is entitled to the allotment under Subsection(a) only for a student who:
- (1) is receiving instruction that:
- (A) meets applicable dyslexia program criteria established by the agency; and
- (B) is provided by a person with specific training in providing that instruction; or
- (2) has received the instruction described by Subdivision(1) and is permitted, on the basis of having dyslexia or a related disorder, to use modifications in the classroom and accommodations in the administration of assessment instruments under Section 39.023.
- (1) is receiving instruction that:
After a student has been identified, the charter should begin to provide services and should also code the student as such in the TSDS PEIMS. Students with related disorders are eligible for the allotment as long as they receive one or more of the services noted in TSDS PEIMS. It is very important the student is coded in PEIMS as soon as they have been identified.
Part of TEA’s monitoring process is making sure that the educators providing services to students with dyslexia meet the training requirements. Page 44 of the Dyslexia Handbook provides a list of requirements for Educators Providing Dyslexia Services.
Spending
There is no spending requirement, but rather provisions on how to use the funds.
- Cannot use more than 20% of the allotment to contract with a private provider for services.
- Students who miss school to receive private services will not be considered excused.
- Schools can use the allotment funds towards meeting their MOE requirement.
TEA has listed the following items as examples on how to spend the Dyslexia Allotment.
- Dyslexia therapist training for teachers
- Dyslexia screening, progress monitoring, and/or evaluation tools
- Evidence-based dyslexia intervention materials and/or curriculum
- Dyslexia identification training for evaluation personnel
- Evidence-based early intervention programs in reading
- Professional development in the science of teaching reading
- Dyslexia specialist positions
- Stipends for dyslexia therapist
To read more on Dyslexia and Related Disorders, TEA has made a handbook available to provide guidance on early identification, instruction, and accommodations for students with dyslexia and related disorders. See the handbook here.
State Compensatory Education Update
Funding is broken out into 5 tiers ranging from an additional weight of 0.225 – 0.275 and is based on a student’s residential address. TEA has released two tools to help LEAs with determining their student’s census block group information. See more here.