S.F. 2235 Section 1. Section 256.7, subsection 3, Code 2020, is 1 amended to read as follows: 2 3. a. Prescribe standards and procedures for the approval 3 of practitioner preparation programs and professional 4 development programs offered in this state by practitioner 5 preparation institutions located within or outside this state 6 and by area education agencies. 7 b. Procedures provided for approval of programs shall 8 include procedures for enforcement of the prescribed standards 9 and, except as provided in section 256.16, subsection 3 , shall 10 not include a procedure for the waiving of any of the standards 11 prescribed. 12 c. By July 1, 2022, the board, in collaboration with the 13 Iowa reading research center, shall adopt rules under chapter 14 17A prescribing standards and procedures for the approval of 15 practitioner preparation programs that are affiliated with 16 the Iowa reading research center and that offer practitioner 17 preparation for the advanced dyslexia specialist endorsement 18 issued by the board of educational examiners pursuant to 19 section 272.2, subsection 23. The department shall not approve 20 programs that prepare practitioners for such an endorsement if 21 the programs are not affiliated with the Iowa reading research 22 center. 23 d. The board may establish by rule and collect from 24 practitioner preparation institutions located outside this 25 state an amount equivalent to the department’s necessary 26 travel and actual expenses incurred while engaged in the 27 program approval process for the institution located outside 28 this state. Amounts collected under this subsection shall be 29 deposited in the general fund of the state. 30 Sec. 2. Section 256.9, Code 2020, is amended by adding the 31 following new subsection: 32 NEW SUBSECTION . 60. By July 1, 2024, dedicate at least one 33 of the department’s authorized full-time equivalent positions 34 to maintain a dyslexia consultant to provide technical guidance 35 -1- LSB 6089XS (4) 88 kh/jh 1/ 8

S.F. 2235 and assistance, including but not limited to professional 1 development, strategies, and materials, to the department, area 2 education agencies, school districts, and accredited nonpublic 3 schools relating to the identification of and instruction for 4 students with characteristics of dyslexia. The consultant 5 shall be highly trained in dyslexia and have a minimum of 6 three years of field experience in screening, identifying, and 7 treating dyslexia and related disorders. 8 Sec. 3. NEW SECTION . 256.32A Iowa dyslexia board. 9 1. An Iowa dyslexia board is established to guide, 10 facilitate, and oversee implementation of dyslexia instruction 11 in Iowa and make recommendations for continued improvement of 12 such instruction. The Iowa dyslexia board shall also submit 13 recommendations as follows: 14 a. To the department regarding the required and preferred 15 qualifications for a dyslexia consultant position required in 16 accordance with section 256.9, subsection 60. 17 b. To the area education agencies regarding the required and 18 preferred qualifications for dyslexia specialists required in 19 accordance with section 273.2, subsection 11. 20 2. The Iowa dyslexia board shall consist of the following 21 members: 22 a. The director of the department or the director’s 23 designee. 24 b. A representative of the Iowa reading research center. 25 c. A representative of an area education agency. 26 d. One school administrator. 27 e. One reading specialist. 28 f. One special education teacher. 29 g. An elementary core literacy teacher. 30 h. Two representatives of decoding dyslexia who are parents 31 of children with dyslexia. 32 i. One representative of decoding dyslexia who is an 33 individual with dyslexia. 34 j. One provider certified in a structured literacy reading 35 -2- LSB 6089XS (4) 88 kh/jh 2/ 8

S.F. 2235 program. 1 k. One psychologist or speech language pathologist licensed 2 in the state of Iowa with experience in diagnosing dyslexia. 3 l. A representative of an institution of higher education 4 in Iowa with documented expertise in dyslexia and reading 5 instruction. 6 m. The department dyslexia consultant if maintained by the 7 department pursuant to section 256.9, subsection 60. 8 3. The term of membership is three years. The terms shall 9 be staggered so that at least four of the terms end each year, 10 but no member serving on the initial board shall serve less 11 than one year. The governor shall determine the length of the 12 initial terms of office. 13 4. The Iowa dyslexia board shall submit its findings and 14 recommendations in a report to the general assembly by November 15 15 annually. 16 Sec. 4. Section 272.2, Code 2020, is amended by adding the 17 following new subsection: 18 NEW SUBSECTION . 23. By July 1, 2021, adopt rules pursuant 19 to chapter 17A, developed in collaboration with the Iowa 20 reading research center, establishing an advanced dyslexia 21 specialist endorsement. The endorsement shall require a 22 strong understanding of structured literacy instruction; the 23 neurobiological nature, cognitive-linguistic correlates, 24 developmental indicators, compensatory behaviors, potential 25 psychological factors, and co-occurring disorders of dyslexia; 26 demonstrated skill in administering informal and formal 27 assessments related to dyslexia; demonstrated skill in delivery 28 of explicit, systematic literacy intervention; demonstrated 29 skill in developing and supporting services for students 30 with characteristics of dyslexia including those who are 31 eligible for services under chapter 256B or section 504 of 32 the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 29 U.S.C. §794, as 33 amended; demonstrated skill in the design and implementation 34 of accommodations and modifications; demonstrated competence 35 -3- LSB 6089XS (4) 88 kh/jh 3/ 8

S.F. 2235 in creating a dyslexia-friendly learning environment; and 1 demonstrated skill in the use and integration of assistive 2 technology. This endorsement shall, at a minimum, require 3 three years of prior teaching experience and completion of a 4 supervised practical experience. 5 Sec. 5. Section 273.2, Code 2020, is amended by adding the 6 following new subsection: 7 NEW SUBSECTION . 11. Subject to an appropriation by the 8 general assembly for such purpose, the area education agency 9 board shall, by July 1, 2024, dedicate at least one full-time 10 equivalent position to maintain a dyslexia specialist. The 11 area education agency board may hire such a specialist or may 12 provide appropriate training to qualify an existing employee 13 as a specialist on dyslexia. The specialist shall provide 14 technical guidance and assistance, including but not limited 15 to professional development, strategies, and materials to 16 school districts and accredited nonpublic schools relating 17 to identification of and instruction for students with 18 characteristics of dyslexia. The specialist shall be highly 19 trained in dyslexia and have a minimum of three years of field 20 experience in screening, identifying, and treating dyslexia and 21 related disorders. In the absence of an appropriation, each 22 area education agency board is encouraged to employ a highly 23 qualified dyslexia specialist. 24 Sec. 6. Section 273.3, Code 2020, is amended by adding the 25 following new subsection: 26 NEW SUBSECTION . 25. Require, by July 1, 2024, any person 27 employed by the area education agency who holds a license, 28 certificate, statement of recognition, or authorization 29 other than a coaching authorization, issued by the board of 30 educational examiners under chapter 272, to complete the Iowa 31 reading research center dyslexia overview module. Such persons 32 employed after July 1, 2024, shall complete the module within 33 one year of the employee’s initial date of hire. 34 Sec. 7. Section 279.68, subsection 2, paragraph d, 35 -4- LSB 6089XS (4) 88 kh/jh 4/ 8

S.F. 2235 subparagraph (3), subparagraph division (a), Code 2020, is 1 amended to read as follows: 2 (a) Assists students who are persistently at risk in reading 3 to develop the skills to read at grade level. Assistance 4 shall include but not be limited to strategies that formally 5 address dyslexia, when appropriate. For purposes of this 6 subparagraph division (a), “dyslexia” means a specific and 7 significant impairment in the development of reading, including 8 but not limited to phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, 9 vocabulary, and comprehension, that is not solely accounted 10 for by intellectual disability, sensory learning disability 11 or impairment, or lack of appropriate instruction that is 12 neurobiological in origin, is characterized by difficulties 13 with accurate or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling 14 and decoding abilities, and may include difficulties that 15 typically result from a deficit in the phonological component 16 of language that is often unexpected in relation to other 17 cognitive abilities and the provision of effective classroom 18 instruction, as well as secondary consequences such as problems 19 in reading comprehension and reduced reading experience that 20 can impede growth of vocabulary and background knowledge . 21 Sec. 8. NEW SECTION . 279.72 Training on dyslexia. 22 By July 1, 2024, the board of directors of a school district 23 shall require all persons employed by the school district who 24 hold a teaching license or endorsement for special education or 25 prekindergarten through grade three levels issued under chapter 26 272 to complete the Iowa reading research center dyslexia 27 overview module. Such persons employed by the school district 28 after July 1, 2024, shall complete the module within one year 29 of the employee’s initial date of hire. 30 Sec. 9. STATE MANDATE FUNDING SPECIFIED. In accordance 31 with section 25B.2, subsection 3, the state cost of requiring 32 compliance with any state mandate included in this Act shall 33 be paid by a school district from state school foundation aid 34 received by the school district under section 257.16. This 35 -5- LSB 6089XS (4) 88 kh/jh 5/ 8

S.F. 2235 specification of the payment of the state cost shall be deemed 1 to meet all of the state funding-related requirements of 2 section 25B.2, subsection 3, and no additional state funding 3 shall be necessary for the full implementation of this Act 4 by and enforcement of this Act against all affected school 5 districts. 6 EXPLANATION 7 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 8 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 9 This bill relates to the education of students with 10 characteristics of dyslexia and to the preparation and 11 licensure of practitioners who provide instruction to such 12 students, and establishes an Iowa dyslexia board. 13 STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION —— PRACTITIONER PREPARATION 14 INSTITUTIONS. The bill requires the state board of education, 15 in collaboration with the Iowa reading research center, 16 to adopt rules by July 1, 2022, prescribing standards and 17 procedures for the approval of practitioner preparation 18 programs that are affiliated with the Iowa reading research 19 center and that offer practitioner preparation for the 20 advanced dyslexia specialist endorsement issued by the board of 21 educational examiners. The bill prohibits the department of 22 education from approving programs that prepare practitioners 23 for such an endorsement if the programs are not affiliated with 24 the Iowa reading research center. 25 DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION —— DYSLEXIA CONSULTANT. The 26 director of the department must, by July 1, 2024, maintain 27 a dyslexia consultant to provide technical guidance and 28 assistance, including but not limited to professional 29 development, strategies, and materials, to the department, area 30 education agencies, school districts, and accredited nonpublic 31 schools relating to the identification of and instruction for 32 students with characteristics of dyslexia. 33 IOWA DYSLEXIA BOARD. An Iowa dyslexia board is established 34 to guide, facilitate, and oversee implementation of dyslexia 35 -6- LSB 6089XS (4) 88 kh/jh 6/ 8

S.F. 2235 instruction in Iowa and make recommendations for continued 1 improvement of such instruction. The bill lists the 2 recommendations the board is required to make to the department 3 and area education agencies. 4 Membership on the board consists of persons representing the 5 department, the Iowa reading research center, area education 6 agencies, practitioners, decoding dyslexia, a structured 7 literacy reading program, dyslexia diagnosticians, and higher 8 education. Members serve staggered three-year terms. 9 The board shall submit its findings and recommendations in a 10 report to the general assembly by November 15 annually. 11 BOARD OF EDUCATIONAL EXAMINERS —— ENDORSEMENT. By July 12 1, 2021, the board of educational examiners must adopt 13 rules, developed in collaboration with the Iowa reading 14 research center, establishing an advanced dyslexia specialist 15 endorsement. The bill identifies the skill, knowledge, and 16 experience requirements that must be met before the endorsement 17 may be issued to an applicant. 18 AREA EDUCATION AGENCIES —— PERSONNEL REQUIREMENTS. Subject 19 to an appropriation by the general assembly for such purpose, 20 each area education agency must, by July 1, 2024, maintain 21 a dyslexia specialist. The specialists may be hired or an 22 existing employee may be provided the appropriate training to 23 qualify as a dyslexia specialist. The specialist must provide 24 technical guidance and assistance to school districts and 25 accredited nonpublic schools relating to identification of and 26 instruction for students with characteristics of dyslexia. In 27 the absence of an appropriation, each area education agency is 28 encouraged to employ a highly qualified dyslexia specialist. 29 By July 1, 2024, any person employed by an area education 30 agency who holds a license, certificate, authorization other 31 than a coaching authorization, or statement of recognition 32 issued by the board of educational examiners must complete the 33 Iowa reading research center dyslexia overview module. Such 34 persons employed after July 1, 2024, must complete the module 35 -7- LSB 6089XS (4) 88 kh/jh 7/ 8

S.F. 2235 within one year of the employee’s initial date of hire. 1 SCHOOL DISTRICTS —— K-3 STUDENT READING PROGRESSION AND 2 TRAINING. The bill modifies the definition of “dyslexia” used 3 for purposes of the assistance school districts must provide 4 to students who are persistently at risk in reading to develop 5 the skills to read at grade level. Under the bill, “dyslexia” 6 means a specific learning disability that is neurobiological 7 in origin, is characterized by difficulties with accurate or 8 fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding 9 abilities, and may include difficulties that typically result 10 from a deficit in the phonological component of language that 11 is often unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities 12 and the provision of effective classroom instruction, as 13 well as secondary consequences such as problems in reading 14 comprehension and reduced reading experience that can impede 15 growth of vocabulary and background knowledge. 16 By July 1, 2024, all persons employed by a school district 17 who hold a teaching license or endorsement for special 18 education or prekindergarten through grade three levels must 19 complete the Iowa reading research center dyslexia overview 20 module. Such persons employed by the school district after 21 July 1, 2024, shall complete the module within one year of the 22 employee’s initial date of hire. 23 The bill may include a state mandate as defined in Code 24 section 25B.3. The bill requires that the state cost of 25 any state mandate included in the bill be paid by a school 26 district from state school foundation aid received by the 27 school district under Code section 257.16. The specification 28 is deemed to constitute state compliance with any state mandate 29 funding-related requirements of Code section 25B.2. The 30 inclusion of this specification is intended to reinstate the 31 requirement of political subdivisions to comply with any state 32 mandates included in the bill. 33 -8- LSB 6089XS (4) 88 kh/jh 8/ 8