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| Public Act 100-0617 | ||||
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AN ACT concerning education.
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Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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represented in the General Assembly:
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Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Section | ||||
2-3.161 as follows: | ||||
(105 ILCS 5/2-3.161) | ||||
Sec. 2-3.161. Definition of dyslexia; reading instruction | ||||
advisory group; handbook. | ||||
(a) The State Board of Education shall incorporate, in both | ||||
general education and special education, the following | ||||
definition of dyslexia: | ||||
Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is | ||||
neurobiological in origin.
Dyslexia 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
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provision of effective classroom instruction. Secondary | ||||
consequences may
include problems in reading comprehension | ||||
and reduced reading experience that
can impede growth of | ||||
vocabulary and background knowledge. | ||||
(b) Subject to specific State appropriation or the | ||||
availability of private donations, the State Board of Education | ||
shall establish an advisory group to develop a training module | ||
or training modules to provide education and professional | ||
development to teachers, school administrators, and other | ||
education professionals regarding multi-sensory, systematic, | ||
and sequential instruction in reading. This advisory group | ||
shall complete its work before December 15, 2015 and is | ||
abolished on December 15, 2015. The State Board of Education | ||
shall reestablish the advisory group abolished on December 15, | ||
2015 to complete the abolished group's work. The reestablished | ||
advisory group shall complete its work before December 31, 2016 | ||
and is abolished on December 31, 2016. The provisions of this | ||
subsection (b), other than this sentence, are inoperative after | ||
December 31, 2016.
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(c) The State Board of Education shall develop and maintain | ||
a handbook to be made available on its Internet website that | ||
provides guidance for pupils, parents or guardians, and | ||
teachers on the subject of dyslexia. The handbook shall | ||
include, but is not limited to: | ||
(1) guidelines for teachers and parents or guardians on | ||
how to identify signs of dyslexia; | ||
(2) a description of educational strategies that have | ||
been shown to improve the academic performance of pupils | ||
with dyslexia; and | ||
(3) a description of resources and services available | ||
to pupils with dyslexia, parents or guardians of pupils | ||
with dyslexia, and teachers. | ||
The State Board shall review the handbook once every 4 | ||
years to update, if necessary, the guidelines, educational | ||
strategies, or resources and services made available in the | ||
handbook. | ||
(Source: P.A. 99-65, eff. 7-16-15; 99-78, eff. 7-20-15; 99-602, | ||
eff. 7-22-16; 99-603, eff. 7-22-16; 100-201, eff. 8-18-17.)
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Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon | ||
becoming law.
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