SB1672 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB104 08071 LNS 18117 b

104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026
SB1672

Introduced 2/5/2025, by Sen. Christopher Belt - Julie A. Morrison

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

105 ILCS 5/2-3.161
105 ILCS 5/10-20.53a new
105 ILCS 5/34-18.45a new

Amends the School Code. Provides that the State Board of Education shall include in its handbook regarding dyslexia guidelines on the administration of universal screeners for a risk of reading difficulties and secondary reviews, the interpretation of data from these screeners and reviews, and the resulting appropriate intervention within a multi-tiered system of support framework. Requires the State Board to adopt any rules necessary to ensure that a student will be screened for a risk of reading difficulties using a universal screener. Provides that a student shall be screened: (1) if the student is enrolled in a public school in any of grades kindergarten through 3; (2) if the student is in any of grades kindergarten through 3, transfers to a new public school, and has not been screened twice previously during the school year; (3) if the student is in grade 4 or higher and the student's teacher, parent, or guardian requests that the student be screened for a risk of reading difficulties using a universal screener; or (4) if the student is from another state and enrolls for the first time in any of grades kindergarten through 3 in a school district in the State. Provides that, beginning with the 2025-2026 school year, each school district must screen students, no less than twice each school year, in grades kindergarten through 3 for a risk of reading difficulties using a universal screener approved by the State Board. Provides for intervention. Requires a report to the State Board. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.

STATE MANDATES ACT MAY REQUIRE REIMBURSEMENT MAY APPLY

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning education.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Section 2-3.161 and by adding Sections 10-20.53a and 34-18.45a as follows:

(105 ILCS 5/2-3.161)

Sec. 2-3.161. Definition of dyslexia; reading instruction advisory group; handbook; screening and support.

(a) As used in this Section, "universal screener" means a tool that is used to predict which students may be at risk for poor learning outcomes, including a risk for reading difficulties, and is typically brief, valid, and reliable and conducted with all students at a particular grade level.

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 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) (Blank).

(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; and .

(4) guidelines on the administration of universal screeners for a risk of reading difficulties and secondary reviews, the interpretation of data from these screeners and reviews, and the resulting appropriate intervention under Section 10-20.53a or 34-18.45a within a multi-tiered system of support framework.

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.

(d) The State Board shall adopt any rules necessary to ensure that a student will be screened, as provided under Section 10-20.53a or 34-18.45a, for a risk of reading difficulties, including dyslexia, using a universal screener. The purpose of the universal screener is to identify, through a school district's multi-tiered system of support framework, students who may be at risk of reading difficulties, not to indicate a need to initiate an evaluation for special education. A student shall be screened:

(1) if the student is enrolled in a public school in any of grades kindergarten through 3;

(2) if the student is in any of grades kindergarten through 3 and:

(A) transfers to a new public school; and

(B) has not been screened twice previously during the school year;

(3) if the student is in grade 4 or higher and the student's teacher, parent, or guardian requests that the student be screened for a risk of reading difficulties, including dyslexia, using a universal screener; or

(4) if the student is from another state and enrolls for the first time in any of grades kindergarten through 3 in a school district in this State.

(e) As outlined in the State Board of Education's comprehensive literacy plan under subsection (c) of Section 2-3.200, a universal screener administered to a student who is an English learner must, in consultation with the school's or school district's English learner team, be administered in the student's first language, if possible, or account for language differences. The screening must be culturally and linguistically responsive, and the English learner team must differentiate between language acquisition challenges and reading difficulties.

(f) As outlined in the State Board of Education's handbook under subsection (c) of this Section and the State Board of Education's comprehensive literacy plan under subsection (c) of Section 2-3.200, a universal screener must include, as developmentally appropriate, all of the following:

(1) phonological and phonemic awareness;

(2) sound symbol recognition;

(3) alphabet knowledge;

(4) decoding skills;

(5) rapid automatic naming skills;

(6) encoding skills; and

(7) oral reading fluency.

(g) The State Board of Education is authorized, to the extent funds are available, to provide statewide support, professional development, and technical assistance to school districts in relation to:

(1) the administration of universal screeners for a risk of reading difficulties and secondary reviews;

(2) analyzing and interpreting data therefrom;

(3) providing intervention in accordance with Sections 10-20.53a and 34-18.45a; and

(4) dyslexia.

(h) The State Board of Education shall adopt any rules necessary to ensure that a student receives intervention under Section 10-20.53a or 34-18.45a.

(Source: P.A. 102-539, eff. 8-20-21.)

(105 ILCS 5/10-20.53a new)

Sec. 10-20.53a. Early literacy screening and support.

(a) As used in this Section:

"Secondary review" means a process, as determined by a school district, for gathering additional information to determine if risk factors for reading difficulties, including dyslexia, are present.

"Universal screener" means a tool that is used to predict which students may be at risk for poor learning outcomes, including a risk for reading difficulties, and is typically brief, valid, and reliable and conducted with all students at a particular grade level.

(b) Beginning with the 2025-2026 school year, each school district must screen students, no less than twice each school year, in grades kindergarten through 3 for a risk of reading difficulties, including dyslexia, using a universal screener approved by the State Board of Education.

(c) If a universal screener administered under subsection (b) indicates that a student may be at risk or at some risk for reading difficulties, including dyslexia, the school district must conduct a secondary review of the student within the district's multi-tiered system of support framework. Through the secondary review conducted by the multi-tiered system of support team, the school district must gather additional information to determine if the student has risk factors for reading difficulties, including dyslexia. The purpose of the secondary review is only to determine the need for intervention through the school district's multi-tiered system of support framework, not to indicate a need to initiate an evaluation for special education. The additional information may include, but is not limited to, information from progress monitoring data, work samples, and teacher input.

For any student who is an English learner, the school's or school district's English learner team must be included in the secondary review of the student. The additional information gathered through the secondary review for a student who is an English learner may also include, but is not limited to, information from any home language survey, information from any State English language proficiency screener or assessment, and information regarding previous educational experiences inside or outside of the United States.

(d) If the secondary review indicates that a student has risk factors for reading difficulties, including dyslexia, the school must use a multi-tiered system of support framework to address the needs of the student.

(e) If a student's secondary review indicates that the student has risk factors for reading difficulties, the school district must notify the student's parent or guardian.

(f) If a student's secondary review indicates that the student has risk factors for reading difficulties, including dyslexia, the school or school district must provide the student with intervention that aligns with the components of effective structured literacy instruction, as outlined in the State Board of Education's handbook under subsection (c) of Section 2-3.161, and that:

(1) includes the teaching of phoneme awareness, phoneme-grapheme correspondences, orthography, morphology, syntax, and semantics;

(2) incorporates multimodal, hands-on practice and intensive instruction with additional time, repeated exposures, and practice;

(3) uses decodable texts that align with phonics instruction for scaffolded learning;

(4) encourages orthographic mapping for automatic word recognition;

(5) uses explicit instruction that is direct, unambiguous teaching with modeling, scaffolding, and quality feedback;

(6) ensures systematic and cumulative instruction with structured sequence building from simple to complex, with prerequisite skills taught first;

(7) uses diagnostic teaching, with adjustments based on frequent assessment and progress monitoring; and

(8) is delivered by a highly skilled teacher or teachers who understand individual needs and the reading process. Within a multi-tiered system of support framework, the frequency and intensity of the intervention under this Section shall meet the individual needs of the student.

(g) On or before July 1, 2026, and on or before each July 1 thereafter, each school district must report to the State Board of Education the following information with respect to the previous school year:

(1) the universal screeners and the interventions that were used by the school district under this Section;

(2) the number of students who were administered a universal screener under this Section;

(3) the number of students who were determined to be at risk or at some risk for reading difficulties under this Section; and

(4) the number of students who received intervention under this Section. The State Board of Education shall publish the information collected from the report on its Internet website.

(105 ILCS 5/34-18.45a new)

Sec. 34-18.45a. Early literacy screening and support.

(a) As used in this Section:

"Secondary review" means a process, as determined by the school district, for gathering additional information to determine if risk factors for reading difficulties, including dyslexia, are present.

"Universal screener" means a tool that is used to predict which students may be at risk for poor learning outcomes, including a risk for reading difficulties, and is typically brief, valid, and reliable and conducted with all students at a particular grade level.

(b) Beginning with the 2025-2026 school year, the school district must screen students, no less than twice each school year, in grades kindergarten through 3 for a risk of reading difficulties, including dyslexia, using a universal screener approved by the State Board of Education.

(c) If a universal screener administered under subsection (b) indicates that a student may be at risk or at some risk for reading difficulties, including dyslexia, the school district must conduct a secondary review of the student within the district's multi-tiered system of support framework. Through the secondary review conducted by the multi-tiered system of support team, the school district must gather additional information to determine if the student has risk factors for reading difficulties, including dyslexia. The purpose of the secondary review is only to determine the need for intervention through the school district's multi-tiered system of support framework, not to indicate a need to initiate an evaluation for special education. The additional information may include, but is not limited to, information from progress monitoring data, work samples, and teacher input.

For any student who is an English learner, the school's or school district's English learner team must be included in the secondary review of the student. The additional information gathered through the secondary review for a student who is an English learner may also include, but is not limited to, information from any home language survey, information from any State English language proficiency screener or assessment, and information regarding previous educational experiences inside or outside of the United States.

(d) If the secondary review indicates that a student has risk factors for reading difficulties, including dyslexia, the school must use a multi-tiered system of support framework to address the needs of the student.

(e) If a student's secondary review indicates that the student has risk factors for reading difficulties, the school district must notify the student's parent or guardian.

(f) If a student's secondary review indicates that the student has risk factors for reading difficulties, including dyslexia, the school or school district must provide the student with intervention that aligns with the components of effective structured literacy instruction, as outlined in the State Board of Education's handbook under subsection (c) of Section 2-3.161, and that:

(1) includes the teaching of phoneme awareness, phoneme-grapheme correspondences, orthography, morphology, syntax, and semantics;

(2) incorporates multimodal, hands-on practice and intensive instruction with additional time, repeated exposures, and practice;

(3) uses decodable texts that align with phonics instruction for scaffolded learning;

(4) encourages orthographic mapping for automatic word recognition;

(5) uses explicit instruction that is direct, unambiguous teaching with modeling, scaffolding, and quality feedback;

(6) ensures systematic and cumulative instruction with structured sequence building from simple to complex, with prerequisite skills taught first;

(7) uses diagnostic teaching, with adjustments based on frequent assessment and progress monitoring; and

(8) is delivered by a highly skilled teacher or teachers who understand individual needs and the reading process. Within a multi-tiered system of support framework, the frequency and intensity of the intervention under this Section shall meet the individual needs of the student.

(g) On or before July 1, 2026, and on or before each July 1 thereafter, the school district must report to the State Board of Education the following information with respect to the previous school year:

(1) the universal screeners and the interventions that were used by the school district under this Section;

(2) the number of students who were administered a universal screener under this Section;

(3) the number of students who were determined to be at risk or at some risk for reading difficulties under this Section; and

(4) the number of students who received intervention under this Section. The State Board of Education shall publish the information collected from the report on its Internet website.

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.