Higher Education and Employment Advancement Committee
JOINT FAVORABLE REPORT
Bill No.: HB-6517
AN ACT IMPLEMENTING THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE TASK FORCE
TO ANALYZE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF LAWS GOVERNING DYSLEXIA
Title: INSTRUCTION AND TRAINING.
Vote Date: 3/18/2021
Vote Action: Joint Favorable Substitute
PH Date: 3/2/2021
File No.:
Disclaimer: The following JOINT FAVORABLE Report is prepared for the benefit of the
members of the Ge neral Assembly, solely for purposes of information, summarization and
explanation and does not represent the intent of the General Assembly or either chamber
thereof for any purpose.
SPONSORS OF BILL:
THE TASK FORCE TO ANALYZE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF LAWS GOVERNING
DYSLEXIA INSTRUCTION AND TRAINING
REASONS FOR BILL:
To establish dyslexia education standards for teacher prep programs.
SUBSTITUTE LANGUAGE:
Secs. 1 & 2: shifts oversight of teacher prep programs and teacher certificate
applicants from SDE as a whole to a new Office of Training Compliance within SDE
Sec. 3: all new (see above)
Removes the requirement that out-of-state teacher certificate applicants complete
instruction in dyslexia detection and interventions (formerly Sec. 3)
Removes the requirement that SDE establish a dyslexia in-service training program
advisory council (formerly Sec. 4)
Sec. 6: requires the new office to train institutions on how to select qualified
supervisors of practicum hours, rather than require supervisors to present evidence of
their qualifications to SDE
Sec. 7: revises some measurements methods that SDE must incorporate into reading
assessments; removes the requirement that SDE make family history questionnaires
to pre-screen students for reading proficiency (reassigns to boards of education in
Sec. 8); requires the data center, if established, to track student information only by
disaggregated categories that keep student information nonidentifiable
Sec. 8: assigns family history questionnaire design to boards of education; makes the
survey voluntary and removes limitation to kindergarten
RESPONSE FROM ADMINISTRATION/AGENCY:
Deputy Commissioner Charlene Russell-Tucker, Connecticut State Department of
Education (CSDE):
Submitted written testimony in opposition. CSDE opposes the following sections for the
reasons listed.
Section 1
o CSDE lacks the resources and expertise to implement its provisions. They also
lack the capacity and expertise to audit each Educator Preparation Program
(EPP) and course syllabi.
Sections 2&3
o The language "will create barriers of entry to educators who served outside of
CT looking to obtain a CT certification."
Section 4
o CSDE "does not have the capacity to collect and evaluate training materials
from all local education agencies (LEAs). This will also be an added burden for
districts, that would be required to submit all in-house training materials to the
Department for our review and evaluation."
Section 5
o The language "will prevent the Department from allowing currently certified
educators with said endorsements, who hold an initial or provisional license, to
advance their license to the next level unless the EPP program they completed
at time of certification met the proposed bill requirements (which were not yet in
place)."
Section 6
o "The Department does not authorize university or practicum supervisors; this is
done at the EPP level. The requirements of this bill will significantly limit the
number of individuals who will be considered qualified to serve as university
supervisors; creating additional barriers of entry to the profession as potential
candidates will outpace qualified supervisors."
Section 7
o CSDE "cannot support all elements of this section with current staff capacity
and budget constraints." They list five additional components of reading which
they believe should be administered as a second tier and included in more
comprehensive exams of at-risk students.
NATURE AND SOURCES OF SUPPORT:
Allison M. Quirion, Co-Chair of The Task Force to Analyze the Implementation of Laws
Governing Dyslexia Instruction and Training, Founder of Decoding Dyslexia-CT:
Submitted written testimony in support with substitute language. Ms. Quirion explains what
the Task Force did and provides a summary of its recommendations. She says, "The findings
of the Task Force are clear: The dyslexia legislation has not been fully implemented due to
the lack of guardrails being established and accountability measures not being put in place."
She explains in detail what we need in order to change teacher preparation and professional
development and why this legislation is needed. Ms. Quirion addresses specific concerns
with the bill by section and highlights substitute language for sections 1(e) and 7.
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Jule McCombes-Tolis, Ph.D., Co-Chair of the Task Force to Analyze the
Implementation of Laws Governing Dyslexia Instruction and Training, Director of
Reading and Language Development at Fairfield University:
Submitted written testimony in support. Dr. McCombes-Tolis explains Connecticut's
Framework for Response to Intervention and the potential impact of state-wide
implementation. Dr. McCombes-Tolis also explains that current regulations are 23 years out
of date and are in many regards counter-productive to state goals. She asks, "that we remain
mindful of several equity and access issues that must be addressed simultaneously." Today
there are only 422 remedial reading specialists in our public schools, "despite ample in-state
public and private educator preparation programs," and this is a 12% decline over the last 3
years. Further, schools like Hartford have "no educators" for remedial reading while
Greenwich has 18.
Amy Geary, Director of Literacy Supports, ISAAC School, New London:
Submitted written testimony in support. Ms. Geary was a member of the Task Force to
Analyze the Implementation of Laws Governing Dyslexia Instruction and Training. She lists
her extensive special education training and shares her experiences with dyslexic students.
Yet despite her training, she says, "my special ed. and remedial reading degrees had not
prepared me to teach someone how to read." She continues:
"Many special education teachers and reading specialists are dedicated professionals who do
not have the tools needed to teach students with dyslexia. While they have spent years
obtaining a degree from a reputable CT university, they graduate with an understanding to
teach comprehension strategies or ill-equipped decoding strategies, such as guessing. Then
these same teachers are held accountable when their students score low on state tests. The
system of teaching and learning is failing both students and teachers. Unfortunately, special
education teachers and reading specialists/consultants enter into their new careers without
this knowledge."
She says, "early identification is key," but additional education costs both time and money.
Therefore, she urges you to support the bill.
Judith Rosenfield, M.A., CCC-SLP, King's Speech & Learning Center
Submitted written testimony in support. Ms. Rosenfeld is a speech language pathologist,
reading interventionist, and former member of the Task Force to Analyze the Implementation
of Laws Governing Dyslexia Instruction and Training. She says that the incidence rate of
dyslexia among children is one in five and that the state could make a huge difference by
graduating students at age appropriate reading levels.
Allison Van Etten, Director of Special Services, Stonington Public Schools:
Submitted written testimony in support. Ms. Van Etten served as Chair of the Higher
Education Subcommittee on the Task Force to Analyze the Implementation of Laws
Governing Dyslexia Instruction and Training. She explains that 15-20% of students display
symptoms of dyslexia and that teachers are not receiving the appropriate training in
structured literacy. In her own district, ensuring teachers have the training to help dyslexic
students has drained all professional development funds for the last five years. Further,
private sector consultants were required because the Connecticut State Department of
Education lacked in-service training models. Ms. Van Etten emphasizes the need for state-
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wide in-service training, since not all districts can afford the training like hers could, and
teachers are not adequately prepared by their undergraduate programming.
Laura Carl:
Submitted written testimony in support. Ms. Carl was a member of the Task Force to Analyze
the Implementation of Laws Governing Dyslexia Instruction and Training. Two of her five
children are dyslexic and require instruction at The Kildonan School an hour away from their
home because services were unavailable from the district.
Alissa Heizler-Mendoza
Submitted written testimony in support. Ms. Heizler-Mendoza was a member of the Task
Force to Analyze the Implementation of Laws Governing Dyslexia Instruction and Training
and served as the chair of the K-3 screening subcommittee. She says, "Although legislation is
in place, we still lack implementation and accountability in CT, resulting in our kids with
dyslexia still not learning to read." Current CSDE screenings, she continues, do not meet the
requirements in statute and do not reflect current research. Ms. Heizler-Mendoza says that
less than 1% of students are identified as dyslexic when we should expect 10-20%. She say,
"This data begs the question: how many students who are not meeting minimum reading
achievement thresholds today are undiagnosed?"
Fumiko Hoeft, M.D., Ph.D., Professor of Neurophysiology (UCONN), Director of the
Brain Imaging Research Center and Laboratory for Learning Engineering & Neural
Systems (UCONN), Adjunct Professor of Psychiatry (UCSF), Co-Founder of Haskins
Global Literacy Hub:
Submitted written testimony in support with substitute language. Dr. Hoeft was a member of
the Task Force to Analyze the Implementation of Laws Governing Dyslexia Instruction and
Training. She explains the universal screening process, the Assessment-Sub Committee's
findings and recommendations, and offers substitute language for Section 7 as follows:
Line 201-202 (1) measure phonics through DELETE nonword and sight word reading,
REPLACE WITH real and pseudo word reading
Line 218-219 students in kindergarten ADD or at the time of entry into the school
system
Line 219-220 delete identifying students who are below proficiency in reading.
REPLACE WITH identifying students who are at-risk for becoming a poor
reader.
Rachael Gabriel, PhD, Associate Professor of Literacy Education, UCONN:
Submitted written testimony in support. Dr. Gabriel was appointed by the governor to serve
on the Task Force to Analyze the Implementation of Laws Governing Dyslexia Instruction and
Training. She says, "there may be significant unintended consequences related to recent
dyslexia legislation," resulting in disproportionate impacts to under-resourced districts and
their students, and that an empirical evaluation is required to determine if legislation had the
intended impact. "Though all districts have been required to contract with one of three
vendors for universal screening tools," she continues, "our task force found that none of
these products offers a comprehensive approach to dyslexia screening." Dr. Gabriel explains
teacher preparation programs and personal development courses, lack evidence of efficacy.
"Therefore, teacher preparation programs and districts have made significant investments of
multiple resources without clear evidence that these investments serve the best interests of
students with dyslexia or their peers. This is especially troubling when considering districts
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whose resources are already stretched thin and whose achievement and equity require the
most rigorous support."
Steven Hernndez, Executive Director, Connecticut Commission on Women, Children,
Seniors, Equity & Opportunity (CWCSEO), Right to Read CT:
Submitted written testimony in support. Mr. Hernndez says, "every student has a right to
read, and we know that there's a right way to teach them." He explains that failure to address
this need has large negative impacts, "nearly half of Connecticuts public school students
arent meeting grade-level expectations in reading by third grade," and the state's data shows
wide gaps in literacy by race, "reflecting an ongoing civil rights injustice." Since reading is the
foundation of our education system, he says, students are likely to struggle across all
subjects, and denied opportunities, if they are unable to read. He says:
"To that end, our coalition aims to solve this problem by systemizing professional
development for in-service educators, sharing knowledge about evidence-based, structured
literacy instruction and interventions for students with reading difficulties, including those with
dyslexia. At the same time, however, Connecticut must also require teacher preparation
programs to include pre-service training for future educators that is aligned with the science
of reading. Thats precisely what H.B. 6517 seeks to do. It would also require measures to
screen for dyslexia, another concept we support because comprehensive assessments that
identify literacy difficulties help educators to intervene once they are appropriately trained on
the research of structured literacy."
Kristin Allen:
Submitted written testimony in support. Ms. Allen is a former special education teacher and
current literacy specialist and trainer. She has seen first-hand how the system is failing many
students due to a lack of understanding literacy education. She provides an example of a
student who did not receive proper diagnosis or education for dyslexia and how it affected he
school performance and outlook. Ms. Allen says, "the good news is, we have the ability to put
a solution in place to resolve this issue"
Luca Bacile
Submitted written testimony in support. Mr. Bacile is 14 years old and has dyslexia. He says,
"In my experience, teachers dont know what dyslexia is. They dont understand how it affects
your learning. Educating teachers will help identify younger kids who are dyslexic, helping
them early will make their lives a lot less stressful and easier and put the students on a path
to success"
Nicole Bacile:
Submitted written testimony in support. Ms. Bacile says, "Early identification is critical in the
learning of students with dyslexia." While her son, Luca, struggled with literacy from an early
age, she thought his skills would develop with time, and his teachers continued to promote
him to the next grade level. By 3rd grade, Luca tested at a kindergarten reading level, was
skipping certain classes to avoid embarrassment, shame, and anxiety related to required
reading, and there was no structured literacy program to meet his needs.
Robin Beauchemin:
Submitted written testimony in support. Mrs. Beauchemin's son, Riley, is 14, in 8 th grade, and
he is dyslexic. Throughout his academic career, he has been misdiagnosed, doctors and
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school professional said he would outgrow his struggles with school, and any problems were
just a result of ADHD. By fifth grade, he was only able to do half days, disrupted the
classroom, and hated everything about school. His struggles continued into 8th grade and at-
home learning due to the Pandemic. Tired of poor results from the school, the Beauchemins
"arranged for childcare for [their] other two children, made a payment of $4,300.00 and drove
to Ipswich, MA to have Riley formally evaluated." The psychologist confirmed that Riley was
dyslexic and dysgraphic.
"I will never in my life forget the feeling when the doctor sat us down to tell us that our son did
in fact have dyslexia and dysgraphia. I was heartbroken. How could I have missed this? How
could the school have missed this? Furthermore, she explained how the delay in diagnosis is
the root cause of his anxiety and depression. It became clear to me that all of this time we
had been focusing on his adhd and the reason we never had success in treating it is because
that wasnt the problem. The problem was that our 8th grade son was learning at a 5th grade
level. And yet somehow the school says he is on grade level and that his reading level is
where it should be.
"This is wrong. This has ruined my son's childhood, something he can never get back. His
memories of Elementary School are of having no friends, always getting yelled at for not
being good enough, always being the bad kid. When in reality, he was doing all he could to
avoid the work because he didnt understand it. Instead of trying to find the problem, he was
given a band aid over and over again. All of my concerns were swept under the rug by the
school and we were never offered a PPT."
She says if they didn't have the resources for an independent exam, her child would still be
struggling to learn in a failing system.
Siobhan Brearley:
Submitted written testimony in support. Ms. Brearley says she is "a 'fully' trained educator,"
got good grades, and was not prepared by her education to teach structured literacy. She has
seen both her students and her own children struggle with dyslexia. Her family's struggle
involved costly outside evaluations, missed school and work time, and "countless hours"
researching and talking to experts, all while being denied interventions and evaluations from
the public system. "I am grateful to those outside evaluators and people that helped along the
way," she says, "but precious time was wasted when my children needed help from their
school." She asks for support on HB 6517 "so that you can help all teachers get the training
that they need and deserve"
Laura Co