Pennsylvania
State Education Agency (SEA) Dyslexia Legislation
Has Legislation?YesAct 69 (24 P.S. Article XVII-C)
Act 69 provides for a pilot program for dyslexia screening and intervention. The pilot program recognizes IDA’s definition of dyslexia. It also promotes evidence-based core reading programs and screening, and multisensory and structured interventions.
Screening
Required?No- Response to Intervention for Student Learning Disability Eligibility in 2010?
- Permitted by law
- Severe Discrepancy for Student Learning Disability Eligibility in 2010?
- Permitted by guidelines
- Student Learning Disability Eligibility (Zirkel & Thomas 2010 Classification)?
- RTI permitted, SD permitted only by guidelines
Act 69 created a dyslexia pilot program, but screening is not required by law. The Act specifies that, within the pilot program, schools must notify parents when their child is suspected of having a learning disability. Similarly, schools in the pilot program must report results to the SEA
Pre-service
Required?NoPennsylvania does not have pre-service legislation related to dyslexia.
In-service
Required?NoPennsylvania does not have in-service legislation related to dyslexia.
Intervention
Required?NoPennsylvania does not require dyslexia intervention. However, guidelines and procedures for the pilot program shall include: “(1) Evidence-based core reading programs that incorporate systematic phonemic instruction and develop basic reading skills for all students in the pilot program to use. (2) An evidence-based screening for low phonemic awareness and other evidence-based risk factors for early reading deficiencies and dyslexia. The screening shall be given to all kindergarten students enrolled in the school district three times per school year. The first screening shall be at the beginning of the school year, the second screening during the middle of the school year and the third screening in the final quarter of the school year. (3) Intervention measures, including multisensory structured language programs for students scoring below the benchmark that provide timely targeted instruction and strategic reteaching and intensive intervention in identified areas. (4) Diagnostic assessments for students scoring below the benchmark that are nationally standardized, norm-referenced screening assessments of phonological awareness, alphabetic knowledge, concept of word and grapheme phoneme correspondence. The screening shall be demonstrated to have predictive validity and classification accuracy.
Literacy State-identified Measurable Result (SIMR) - Part B
Has Literacy SIMR?No
Resources
Decoding Dyslexia Pennsylvania
International Dyslexia Association Pennsylvania
Citations
Zirkel, P. A., & Thomas, L. B. (2010). State laws for RTI: An updated snapshot. Teaching Exceptional Children, 42(3), 56-63.
Gearin, B., Turtura, J., Kame’enui, E. J., Nelson, N. J., & Fien, H. (2018). A Multiple Streams Analysis of Recent Changes to State-Level Dyslexia Education Law. Educational Policy, 0895904818807328.
Disclaimer: We cannot guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this page. If you see missing or incorrect information, let us know!
Has Dyslexia Legislation?Yes
Screening Requirement?No
Pre-service Requirement?No
In-service Requirement?No
Intervention Requirement?No
Has Literacy SIMR?No
The research reported here is funded by awards to the National Center on Improving Literacy from the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, in partnership with the Office of Special Education Programs (Award #: S283D160003). The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not represent views of OESE, OSEP, or the U.S. Department of Education. Copyright © 2024 National Center on Improving Literacy. https://www.improvingliteracy.org