BILL NUMBER: S6780
SPONSOR: JACKSON
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the education law, in relation to curricula for students
identified as dyslexic or as having any other phonological learning
difference or disability
 
PURPOSE:
This bill sets forth specific curricula requirements for the teaching of
students with dyslexia or other related phonological disabilities or
differences.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 amends the Education Law by adding a new section 4407-A that
requires that the board of education or trustees of each school district
provide intervention services for students identified to have dyslexia
or a related phonological difference or disability. It also sets the
requirements for the curricula a school adopts and requires each school
to inform parents about the services given to their child and requires
each school district to submit an annual report to the Department of
Education and Board of Regents. This report must include information on
their curriculum and invention services.
Section 2 is the effective date.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
One in five students has dyslexia or another phonemic awareness issue
that requires them to learn to read through a directed multi-sensory
sequential phonics or Orton-Gillingham approach. The current education
system teaches reading with a balanced literacy approach, which is
essentially the whole language by another name and ineffective at teach-
ing reading to the roughly 200 of students who have dyslexia or another
phonemic based learning difference. This bill will require schools to
give those students who need specialized instruction in reading the
resources they need to read comprehensively and effectively. This bill
lays out specific guidelines for the instruction of students with dysle-
xia. It also requires that schools inform parents of the intervention
services their student is receiving. This allows parents to ensure their
child is being given the education that they are entitled to.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2023-2024: S.1038 - Referred to Disabilities/A.460Referred to Education
2021-2022: S.1926 - Referred to Disabilities/A.556Referred to Education
2019-2020: S.5608 - Referred to Education/A.7210 - Referred to Education
 
STATE AND LOCAL FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
To be determined.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.