This bill establishes new requirements for determining whether a student has a specific learning disability under the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). It mandates that the State criteria allow for the use of a process based on the student's response to scientific, research-based intervention and other alternative research-based procedures. Notably, effective in the fourth full school year following the enactment of this act, the bill prohibits the use of a severe discrepancy between intellectual ability and achievement as a criterion for identifying a specific learning disability. This change addresses longstanding criticisms of the severe discrepancy model, which many experts believe should no longer be utilized.

Additionally, the bill stipulates that boards of education cannot rely on a single procedure as the sole criterion for determining a student's specific learning disability or for developing an appropriate educational program. It requires that evaluations be comprehensive and include assessments of basic psychological processes to identify the student's special education and related service needs based on current evidence-based research. The State Board of Education is tasked with promulgating regulations to implement these provisions, ensuring that methodologies for identifying specific learning disabilities align with the updated criteria established by this bill.