Texas
State Education Agency (SEA) Dyslexia Legislation
Has Legislation?YesTexas has numerous laws concerning dyslexia, including Texas Education Code 8.061, 21.044, 21.054, 20.0112, 29.011, 29.017, 38.003, 38.0031, 48.103, 51.9701, and Occupations Code, Ch. 403
HB1886 relates to “dyslexia screening and testing in public schools, the employment of dyslexia specialists by regional education service centers, the development of a list of training opportunities for educators regarding dyslexia, and transition planning for students enrolled in a special education program.”
Texas Administrative Code, Texas Education Code, and Texas Occupations Code all have provisions concerning the education of students with dyslexia. Consult Texas Education Agency’s handbook for more information about laws and regulations.
Screening
Required?Yes- 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 and Other permitted only by guidelines (ambiguity in guideline noted)
Texas has a number of regulations concerning the screening of students with dyslexia. Guidelines are described in the latest version of the Texas Dyslexia Handbook.
HB1886 states, “Unless otherwise provided by law, a student determined to have dyslexia during screening or testing under Subsection (a) or accommodated because of dyslexia may not be rescreened or retested for dyslexia for the purpose of reassessing the student's need for accommodations until the district reevaluates the information obtained from previous screening or testing of the student.”
State Recognized Screeners
Please refer to the state handbook for guidance on selecting screeners.
Pre-service
Required?YesTEC §21.044(b) describes various pre-service requirements related to dyslexia.
In-service
Required?YesHB1886 states, the state education agency “shall annually develop a list of training opportunities regarding dyslexia that satisfy the requirements of Section 21.054(b). The list of training opportunities must include at least one opportunity that is available online. (b) A training opportunity included in the list developed under Subsection (a) must: (1) comply with the knowledge and practice standards of an international organization on dyslexia; and (2) enable an educator to: (A) understand and recognize dyslexia; and (B) implement instruction that is systematic, explicit, and evidence-based to meet the educational needs of a student with dyslexia.”
TEC §21.054(b) also describes various in-service requirements related to dyslexia.
Intervention
Required?YesTexas has a number of regulations concerning the interventions for students with dyslexia. Guidelines are described in the latest version of the Texas Dyslexia Handbook. The above components are described as “standard protocol.” We therefore coded them as required.
Literacy State-identified Measurable Result (SIMR) - Part B
Has Literacy SIMR?Yes
Resources
Texas State Education Agency’s Dyslexia Page
International Dyslexia Association Austin
International Dyslexia Association Dallas
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?Yes
Pre-service Requirement?Yes
In-service Requirement?Yes
Intervention Requirement?Yes
Has Literacy SIMR?Yes
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