Ohio Dyslexia Guidebook Approved: School District Dyslexia Obligations Near

May 16, 2022

As the current school year comes to a close, Ohio’s State Board of Education has approved the Ohio Dyslexia Committee’s Ohio Dyslexia Guidebook. This guidebook stems from the requirements in House Bill 436.

Initial school district obligations for the 2022-2023 school year include:

• Annual dyslexia screenings: Tier I screenings must be used to identify each student at risk of dyslexia There are also requirements to screen some transfer students who enter the school district mid-year. The review process for the list of screeners approved by the Ohio Department of Education is not yet complete; however, basic criteria can be found in the Ohio Dyslexia Guidebook
• Student progress monitoring: Districts must institute progress monitoring for students who are identified as at risk for dyslexia at certain intervals for at least six weeks. Tier II screenings are required for at-risk students who do not show significant progress toward attaining grade-level reading and writing skills by the sixth week after the student is identified as at risk.
• Parent reporting obligations: Parents whose children are identified as at risk based on the results of Tier I and Tier II screenings must be notified by the school district.
• Teacher certification process: Districts must establish a multi-sensory structured literacy certification process for teachers that aligns with the Ohio Dyslexia Guidebook.
• Professional development requirement: Educators who provide instruction in kindergarten through first grade, including special education teachers, must obtain professional development in dyslexia instruction (additional grade levels will be phased in over the 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 school years).

As school districts ramp up strategic plans for the 2022-2023 school year, the new dyslexia obligations will require attention. School districts will have the school year to get these initial obligations up and running.

If you have questions, please reach out (contact information is below). We are happy to help with any challenges your district may be experiencing.

Lisa Woloszynek is an associate at Walter Haverfield who focuses her practice on education law. She can be reached at lwoloszynek@walterhav.com and at 216-619-7835.