ATLANTA (December 17, 2018) | On Wednesday, December 12th, Senator Fran Millar (R – Dunwoody) and members of the Senate Study Committee on Dyslexia adopted three committee recommendations aimed at helping the state of Georgia better inform teachers on how to help dyslexic students and to better identify dyslexic students at an early age.
The recommendations are:
- Post-secondary Curriculum: The study committee recommends that the University System of Georgia offer a dyslexia and language disorders course for college students who are studying to become teachers. The curriculum in these courses should help to identify early signs of dyslexia such as language delays in speaking and understanding, difficulty learning letters and associated sounds as well as rhyming.
- Screening in Schools and Approved Screeners: It should be mandatory to screen all kindergarten students, as well as students K-2nd grade who have transferred from a different school or state. Screeners should be approved by the Georgia Department of Education, funded by the state and conducted by teachers or support staff including school nurses, psychologists and speech and language pathologists.
- Statewide Guidance, Teacher Training and Evaluation: The Georgia Department of Education should provide an informational handbook on dyslexia, reading and language disorders for the public to gain an understanding on dyslexia and similar disorders with information provided by dyslexia and language experts. The Department should also require teacher training on dyslexia and related disorders. In addition, Georgia Professional Standards Commission should create a Dyslexia Endorsement for teachers and staff to help recognize and respond to dyslexia and language disorders. This Endorsement should include universal screening measures with data from teacher-student contact, examination of reading and math readiness and receptive and excessive language processing errors.
If the recommendations are turned into legislation and passed by the General Assembly, it is estimated that the policies will take effect in the fall of 2020.
The Senate Study Committee on Dyslexia was created by the passage of Senate Resolution 761 during the 2018 Legislative Session. As stated in the resolution, the committee shall be comprised of three senators appointed by the President of the Senate and two members, one of whom shall be an employee of the Department of Education and one of whom shall be a medical doctor with a specialty in dyslexia, appointed by the Governor. Sens. Fran Millar, Matt Brass and Gloria Butler were appointed as well as Dr. Gary McGiboney with the Department of Education and Dr. Leslie Stuart, a licensed clinical psychologist. The Senate Study Committee on Dyslexia studied the impact of dyslexia on children and adults in Georgia.
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For Immediate Release:
Dec. 17, 2018
Elisabeth Fletcher, Communications Specialist
elisabeth.fletcher@senate.ga.gov
404.656.0028