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early literacy and dyslexia law
K-3 Parents will be receiving a letter titled, Universal Reading Screening Results Notification. At BCSS, we screen all K-3 students three times a year to assess their acquisition of early literacy skills. We use that information to ensure we are providing high-quality, evidence-based instruction in the classroom and targeted interventions as early as possible to students at-risk for reading deficiencies.
If you receive a letter (examples below) notifying you that your child is “at-risk” of a reading deficiency, you will also receive a copy of their reading support plan, specifying exactly how we are supporting their reading development.
Letter Examples
AT RISK
NOT AT RISK
Please review the FAQ section below for more information and resources.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Phonemic and phonological awareness
- Alphabet knowledge
- Sound-symbol recognition
- Decoding skills
- Rapid naming skills
- Encoding (spelling) skills
According to the International Dyslexia Association, “Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is neurobiological in origin. It is characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. These difficulties typically result from a deficit in the phonological component of language that is often unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities and the provision of effective classroom instruction. Secondary consequences may include problems in reading comprehension and reduced reading experience that can impede the growth of vocabulary and background knowledge.”
In Georgia, the process for screening children for characteristics of dyslexia is guided by Senate Bill 48, which was passed into law in 2019. Starting in the 2024-25 school year, all local school systems are required to screen students in grades K-3 for dyslexia characteristics.
In the Barrow County School System (BCSS), this screening will take place during the Middle of the Year universal reading screening. If your child is identified as at-risk based on the results of the Universal Dyslexia Screener, they will receive additional support in the classroom. You will also be notified by your child’s school about any further steps.
An appropriate response to risk for dyslexia involved systematic, explicit, cumulative instruction based on the science of reading as defined by the Georgia Early Literacy Act. Most importantly, the instruction/intervention should be matched to the child’s need, regardless of label. Ongoing monitoring of the child’s response to increasingly intensive instruction support is critical.
If your child is identified as having characteristics of dyslexia, the school will provide intensive interventions targeting specific reading skills and may consider a referral for a special education evaluation. Children with characteristics of dyslexia often continue to learn in their regular classroom but may also receive additional support individually or in small groups. You will be informed about the measures the school is taking to support your child’s learning.
Many children with characteristics of dyslexia, and even those with a formal dyslexia diagnosis, may not require special education services if they receive early identification and support. However, if they continue to experience difficulties after receiving specific and targeted instruction and intervention, a formal special education evaluation should be requested. If the child needs Special Education Services, the local educational agency will follow the requirements outlined in 160-4-7-03 (Child Find Procedures). If other modifications are needed, the local education agency will adhere to the requirements of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
- Put Reading First Parent Resource Guide
- Supporting Your Child's Reading Journey
- Parent Resources - Supporting Your Child's Reading Development
Learning to read is hard work for children. Fortunately, research is now available that suggests how to give each child a good start in reading. Becoming a reader involves the development of important skills, including learning to:
- Use language in conversation
- Listen and respond to stories read aloud
- Recognize and name the letters of the alphabet
- Listen to the sounds of spoken language
- Connect sounds to letters to figure out the “code” of reading
- Read often so that recognizing words becomes easy and automatic
- Learn and use new words
- Understand what is read
In BCSS we will screen all K-3 students 3 times per year for reading difficulties. During our middle of the year screening, we will also be screening all K-3 students for characteristics of dyslexia.
Parents will receive a notification letter after each screening (3 times a year) to inform them of their child’s results and if their students is at-risk of a significant reading deficiency.
No, the screener tells us if a student is at risk of having characteristics of dyslexia so that the school can intervene with appropriate instruction and intervention. Determining if a student demonstrates characteristics of dyslexia requires multiple data sources, including evaluation, progress monitoring that shows continued inadequate response to intervention, and a pattern of strengths and weaknesses consistent with dyslexia.
Parents of students who moved or transferred into BCSS after administration of the beginning of the year reading screener (i.e. after August 2024) may not receive a universal reading screener results notification letter because their student was not enrolled during when the screener was conducted. These students will participate in our next benchmark assessment, which will be in the winter or middle of the school year assessment.
Parents of students who participate in the Georgia Alternate Assessment (GAA) as part of their special education services may not receive a universal reading screener results notification letter, as their child may participate in an alternate assessment of foundational academic skills.
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