Legislation to Develop a Reading & Dyslexia Handbook Introduced by Delegate Eric Luedtke & Senator Katie Fry Hester

On January 31, 2020, Delegate Eric Luedtke and Senator Katie Fry Hester introduced HB 718 and SB 575, the Reading and Dyslexia Handbook bills.  

• Maryland’s 2017 Legislative Dyslexia Task Force Report includes a recommendation to create a Dyslexia Handbook as a result of the findings from the Dyslexia Task Force.  The Task Force found that administrators, educators, and parents would benefit from a resource on dyslexia that is electronically accessible to all (p. 52).  The Recommendation says:​

“This Handbook should reflect the neurobiological and operational definition of dyslexia provided in the dyslexia Technical Assistance Bulletin and mirrored in this document, and should include evidence-based practice guidelines for identification, assessment, and intervention, service delivery model(s), and progress monitoring strategies and tools. This is a legislative opportunity to establish and fund a Working Group or Dyslexia Advisory Committee to develop the handbook using the Best Practices document presented by the Task Force.”

• The Maryland Ready to Read Act (2019, SB 734, Ch. 512), originally included language to create a Dyslexia Handbook.  The final bill did not include the handbook language in order to shorten and tighten the bill. The recommendation to create a Dyslexia Handbook is an inexpensive means to provide supplemental information to Maryland’s 24 local control districts so they have access to the best practices to identify and address dyslexia in Maryland.

Why MD Needs a Reading &

​Dyslexia Handbook

• Creates a stakeholder advisory group of educators & dyslexia community members to collaborate on a Reading & Dyslexia Handbook.
• Provides guidance for general & special educators, and families on best practices to identify & remediate students with dyslexia and reading difficulties.
• Develops a definitive, publicly available resource for educators and families on reading and writing assessment, instruction, intervention and accommodations for use in the classroom and in the home;
• Designates a dyslexia point of contact within the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE); and
• Enumerates evidence-based instruction, interventions, professional learning and assessment/screening tools.

Dyslexia Handbook ToolKit

Advocacy Toolkit

State Handbooks

HANDBOOK Talking Points

2020 Legislative Priorities

Dr. Salmon, Letter to Del. Luedtke

hb0718f.pdf
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Status of Dyslexia
​Handbook Bills

Other State Reading/Dyslexia Handbooks  

• 23 States have handbooks (AR, CA, MO, TX)
• 14 were legislated while others were the result of a collaborative working group, task force and/or resolution by a Governor or State Board of Education.

Why Legislation?

• To ensure specific content and periodic updates are included;
• To set deadlines for release and sharing of information;
• To ensure all stakeholders have access to best practices;
• To ensure participation by stakeholders; and​.