SL 2017-127 (HB 149) — Foundational Dyslexia Definition

Plain English summary

This 2017 law requires North Carolina's State Board of Education to officially define dyslexia in its special education policies and to make professional development and parent information available to schools before the 2017-2018 school year. Local school districts must review and evaluate the screening and diagnostic tools they use for dyslexia and related learning disabilities to make sure they are age-appropriate and effective. The law also states the General Assembly's clear intent that all students with dyslexia and other specific learning disabilities receive proper screenings, assessments, and special education services.

Key requirements

• State Board of Education must define dyslexia in its specific learning disability policies as: 'a specific learning disability that is neurobiological in origin, characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities' — no statute citation provided in text, mandate appears in Section 2
• State Board of Education must include the dyslexia definition in SLD policies no later than June 30, 2017 (Section 2)
• State Board of Education must ensure ongoing professional development opportunities for teachers and school personnel on identification of and intervention strategies for students with dyslexia, dyscalculia, or other specific learning disabilities, prior to the start of the 2017-2018 school year (Section 3)
• State Board of Education must develop and make available electronically to parents, educators, and other concerned groups information on dyslexia characteristics, educational methodologies, screenings, and available supports, prior to the start of the 2017-2018 school year (Section 3)
• Local boards of education must review diagnostic tools and screening instruments used for dyslexia, dyscalculia, or other specific learning disabilities to ensure they are age-appropriate and effective, and must determine if additional tools are needed, prior to the start of the 2017-2018 school year (Section 4)

Affected parties

• State Board of Education — must comply by adopting definition and ensuring PD and parent resources
• Local boards of education — must comply by reviewing and evaluating screening and diagnostic tools
• Teachers and school personnel — benefit from professional development opportunities
• Parents and concerned groups — benefit from electronically available dyslexia information
• Students with dyslexia, dyscalculia, or other specific learning disabilities — intended beneficiaries of improved identification and intervention services

Advocacy note

This law establishes the foundational neurobiological definition of dyslexia — explicitly rooted in phonological processing deficits — that North Carolina's State Board of Education is required to embed in its special education policies, giving practitioners and parents a codified, science-aligned definition they can reference directly when advocating for dyslexia identification and services in IEP or evaluation meetings.

Official source

https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/SessionLaws/PDF/2017-2018/SL2017-127.pdf