Ohio’s dyslexia support laws (ORC 3323.25 and 3323.251) define dyslexia as “a specific learning disorder that is neurological in origin and that is characterized by unexpected difficulties with accurate or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities not consistent with the person’s intelligence, motivation, and sensory capabilities, which difficulties typically result from a deficit in the phonological component of language.” 

Students with dyslexia tend to have difficulty processing speech sounds, decoding words, and reading fluently. Such difficulties often lead to slow and inaccurate reading, inadequate comprehension, and difficulty with written and/or spoken language. 

For more information, refer to Ohio’s Dyslexia Guidebook.

Dyslexia Screening Service Plan 

Tier 1 Universal Screener Administration- 2023-2024 School Year:  

• All students in grades K-3 will be administered a state-approved dyslexia screener. 

  •  Note: The law requires kindergarten students to be screened for dyslexia between January of their kindergarten year and December 31st of their 1st grade year. 

• Students in grades 4-6 whose parent/guardian requests screening, or if a teacher requests screening and the parent/guardian gives permission, a state-approved dyslexia screener will be administered.

• Each student in grades 1-6 who transfers into the district midyear will be administered a state-approved dyslexia screener within 30 days of enrollment. 

Tier II (Intervention-Based Diagnostic) Screener

• Students determined to be at risk from the tier 1 dyslexia screener will be progress-monitored for up to six weeks. Students who do not make progress will be administered a tier 2 dyslexia screener to determine the next steps regarding intervention. 

GENERAL QUESTIONS:

1. What is dyslexia?

Ohio law defines dyslexia as a specific learning disorder that is neurological in origin. Dyslexia is characterized by unexpected difficulties with accurate or fluent word recognition and poor spelling and decoding abilities not consistent with the person's intelligence, motivation, and sensory capabilities. Difficulties typically result from a deficit in the phonological component of language.

2. What assessment will be used in grades K-3 for dyslexia screening? 

According to Ohio law, all students in kindergarten through third grade are required to be screened for characteristics of dyslexia using an Ohio-approved screener.  Bloom-Carroll Local School will utilize the NWEA Map Reading Fluency assessment. The NWEA Map Reading Fluency assessment is used in Ohio by the Ohio Dyslexia Committee.

The screener is designed to identify the areas of concern and components of reading that may suggest characteristics of dyslexia.  The screener will be used to identify your child’s strengths and weaknesses and may be used to design specialized instruction (i.e., individual support using learning styles, student interests, and visuals), interventions (intentional instruction that is aimed at a specific identified area), and classroom supports for your child which may include the three tiers of support. 

*This is NOT a comprehensive dyslexia assessment designed to diagnose your child with dyslexia. 

3. What areas are assessed at each grade level?

4. What students will be administered the dyslexia screener during the 2023-2024 school year? 

• All 1-3 Students: All students in grades 1-3 will be a tier one screening assessment during the 2023-2024 school year.  

  • Grade K: TBD.  *Note: The law requires the K screener to be administered between January of their kindergarten year and December 31st of 1st grade year. 

  • Grade 1:  Tuesday, October 24, 2023

  • Grade 2: Wednesday, October 25, 2023

  • Grade 3: Monday, October 30, 2023 

• Grades 4-6 by Request: Screen students in grades 4-6 upon request of a student’s parent or guardian or request of a student’s teacher with the permission of the student’s parent or guardian.

• Transfer Students: 

  1. Kindergarten Transfers: Administer a tier one dyslexia screening measure to each kindergarten student who transfers into the district or school midyear during the school's regularly scheduled screening of the kindergarten class or within 30 days after the student's enrollment if the screening has already been completed.

  2. Grades 1-6 Transfers: Screen each student in grades 1-6 who transfers into the district or school midyear within 30 days after the student's enrollment.

5.  What must a district do if a student is identified as at risk for dyslexia according to a tier-one screening measure?

If a student is identified as at risk for dyslexia based on the student’s tier-one screening measure results, districts are required to do the following:

• Notify the student’s parent, guardian, or custodian that the student has been identified as being at risk for dyslexia;

• Monitor the progress of each at-risk student toward attaining grade-level reading and writing skills for up to six weeks.

• If no progress is observed during the monitoring period, the district or school shall notify the parent, guardian or custodian of the student and administer a tier-two dyslexia screening measure to the student.

• Report to the student’s parent, guardian, or custodian the tier two screening measure results within 30 days after the screening measure’s administration.

6.  Will an individualized education program (IEP) need to be written if a child is identified as “at risk” by the dyslexia screener?

No. The determination of “at risk” by a dyslexia screener is not a diagnosis. If a parent or guardian thinks his or her child may have a disability affecting the child’s education, a request can be made to the district to evaluate the child to determine whether he or she would be eligible for special education.

7. Will dyslexia become one of the disability categories for special education?

No. Dyslexia will not be added as a disability category for special education.

TIER TWO SCREENING:  Students identified as “at-risk” who are not showing significant progress toward attaining grade-level reading and writing skills by the sixth week after the student is identified as at risk will be administered a tier-two screener. 

• At-Risk Students: Screen each at-risk student who does not show significant progress toward attaining grade-level reading and writing skills by the sixth week after the student is identified as at risk.

• At-Risk Transfer Students: In the case of a transfer student identified as at risk of dyslexia, a tier two dyslexia screening must be administered “in a timely manner.”
  
  

8. Does this law replace the Third Grade Reading Guarantee requirements for screening and providing Reading Improvement and Monitoring Plans?

No, it does not replace the Third Grade Reading Guarantee requirements. The Third Grade Reading Guarantee continues to require K-3 Reading Diagnostic Assessment and Reading Improvement and Monitoring Plans (RIMP) for students who score “not on track."

Districts will be required to report the results to a student's parent or guardian on a tier two screening measure approved by the Ohio Dyslexia Committee within 30 days after the measure's administration.