House Bill 272 builds on a previous measure that required districts to create a dyslexia "toolkit" to help educators identify and get services to students with the learning disorder. But representative Samara Hevrin said a provision allowing school systems to create policies regarding the disability received next to no buy in.
"Please note in 2018, the Kentucky General Assembly passed legislation on dyslexia. In seven years, one school district out of 171 has worked to develop a policy addressing this," she noted.
Heavrin's bill would make it a requirement and mandate that districts gather data on the prevalence of dyslexia with the goal of ensuring students don't fall through the cracks.
"And it would make school districts actually recognize that this is a problem for students," she said. "The data shows that children are not on reading level by third grade. And so this is another way to help those students that don't have an IEP or 504 plan."
The bill cleared a House committee and advances to the full chamber.
