ENROLLED HOUSE
BILL NO. 2768 By: Randleman and Mize of the House
and
Standridge of the Senate
An Act relating to education; amending 70 O.S. 2021, Section 6-194, which relates to professional development programs; requiring information and training related to dysgraphia; specifying school year; amending 70 O.S. 2021, Section 1210.517, which relates to dyslexia handbooks; modifying required content to include dysgraphia; modifying duties of Dyslexia and Education Task Force; providing for recommendations related to dysgraphia; modifying provisions related to stakeholder review; and providing an effective date.
SUBJECT:
Education
BE IT
ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF
SECTION 1.
AMENDATORY 70 O.S. 2021,
Section 6-194, is amended to read as follows:
Section 6-194. A. The district boards of
education of this state shall establish professional development programs for
the certified teachers and administrators of the district. Programs shall be adopted by each board based
upon recommendations of a professional development committee appointed by the
board of education for the district. For
the fiscal years ending June 30, 2011, and June 30, 2012, a school district
board of education may elect not to adopt and offer a professional development
program for certified teachers and administrators of the district. If a school district elects not to adopt and
offer a professional development program, the district may expend any monies
allocated for professional development for any purpose related to the support
and maintenance of the school district as determined by the board of education
of the school district.
B.
Each professional development committee shall include classroom
teachers, administrators, school counselors or licensed mental health
providers, and parents, guardians or c
C.
In developing program recommendations, each professional development
committee shall annually utilize a data-driven approach to analyze student data
and determine district and school professional development needs. The professional development programs adopted
shall be directed toward development of competencies and instructional
strategies in the core curriculum areas for the following goals:
1.
Increasing the academic performance data scores for the district and
each school site;
2.
Closing achievement gaps among student subgroups;
3.
Increasing student achievement as demonstrated on state-mandated tests
and the ACT;
4.
Increasing high school graduation rates; and
5.
Decreasing college remediation rates.
Each program may also include
components on classroom management and student discipline strategies, outreach
to parents, guardians or c
D.
At a minimum of once an academic year a program shall be offered which
includes the following:
1.
Training on recognition of child abuse and neglect;
2.
Recognition of child sexual abuse;
3.
Proper reporting of suspected abuse; and
4.
Available resources.
E.
One time per year, beginning in the 2009-2010 school year, training in
the area of autism shall be offered and all resident teachers of students in
early childhood programs through grade three shall be required to complete the
autism training during the resident year and at least one time every three (3)
years thereafter. All other teachers and
education support professionals of students in early childhood programs through
grade three shall be required to complete the autism training at least one time
every three (3) years. The autism
training shall include a minimum awareness of the characteristics of autistic
children, resources available and an introduction to positive behavior supports
to challenging behavior. Each adopted
program shall allow school counselors to receive at least one-third (1/3) of
the hours or credit required each year through programs or courses specifically
designed for school counselors.
Districts are authorized to utilize
any means for professional development that is not prohibited by law including,
but not limited to, professional development provided by the district, any
state agency, institution of higher education, or any private entity.
F.
One time per year, beginning in the 2020-2021 school year, a dyslexia
awareness program shall be offered. Beginning
in the 2023-2024 school year, the program shall include information and
training in dysgraphia. At a
minimum, the program shall include:
1.
Training in awareness of dyslexia characteristics in students;
2.
Training in effective classroom instruction to meet the needs of
students with dyslexia; and
3.
Available dyslexia resources for teachers, students and parents.
G.
Except as otherwise provided for in this subsection, each certified
teacher in this state shall be required by the district board of education to
meet the professional development requirements established by the board, or
established through the negotiation process.
Except as otherwise provided for in this subsection, the professional
development requirements established by each board of education shall require
every teacher to annually complete a minimum number of the total number of
points required to maintain employment.
Failure of any teacher to meet district board of education professional
development requirements may be grounds for nonrenewal of such teacher's
contract by the board. Such failure may
also be grounds for nonconsideration of salary increments affecting the
teacher. For the fiscal years ending
June 30, 2011, and June 30, 2012, a certified teacher shall not be required to
complete any points of the total number of professional development points
required. Provided, a teacher may elect
to complete some or all of the minimum number of points required for the two
(2) fiscal years and any points completed shall be counted toward the total
number of points required to maintain employment. If a teacher does not complete some or all of
the minimum number of points required for one (1) or both fiscal years, the
total number of points required to maintain employment shall be adjusted and
reduced by the number of points not completed.
H.
Each district shall annually submit a report to the State Department of
Education on the district level professional development needs, activities
completed, expenditures, and results achieved for each school year by each goal
as provided in subsection C of this section.
If a school district elects not to adopt and offer a professional
development program as provided for in subsection A of this section, the
district shall not be required to submit an annual report as required pursuant
to this subsection but shall report to the State Department of Education its
election not to offer a program and all professional development activities
completed by teachers and administrators of the school district.
I.
Subject to the availability of funds, the Department shall develop an
online system for reporting as required in subsection H of this section. The Department shall also make such
information available on its website.
SECTION 2.
AMENDATORY 70 O.S. 2021,
Section 1210.517, is amended to read as follows:
Section 1210.517 A. The
State Department of Education shall maintain the dyslexia handbook created by
the Dyslexia and Education Task Force pursuant to Section 1, Chapter 261, O.S.L.
2017 that includes guidance, technical assistance and training to assist all
local school systems, students and families in the implementation of
evidence-based practices for instructing students with characteristics of
dyslexia and dysgraphia. Beginning
January 1, 2024, the dyslexia handbook shall be known as the dyslexia and
dysgraphia handbook.
B. The Department shall
review the handbook and make revisions, as necessary, but at a minimum of every
three (3) years, with stakeholders, including, but not limited to, previous
members of the Dyslexia and Education Task Force, a speech-language
pathologist, an occupational therapist, and the State Advisory Panel
created pursuant to Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education
Act. Previous members of the Task Force
shall be consulted when making revisions to the handbook. Each member of the Task Force not available
for the review shall be replaced by an individual meeting the criteria of the
original appointment in order to maintain the original composition of the Task
Force.
As part of the review, members shall:
1. Study how to
effectively identify students who have dysgraphia identified through possible
reading and broad written language scores;
2. Study the
response-to-intervention process (RTI), as well as other effective
research-based approaches in writing, reading, and literacy to identify the
appropriate measures for assisting students with dysgraphia; and
3. Make recommendations
for appropriate resources and interventions for students with reading or
writing difficulties, including dysgraphia and broad written language disorder,
in order to make schools aware of the significance of dysgraphia.
C. Any revisions to the
handbook shall include, but not be limited to, the following information for
school districts screening students in kindergarten and grades one through
three who have been identified through the response-to-intervention process as
having characteristics of dyslexia or dysgraphia:
1. Evidence-based
practices designed specifically for students with characteristics of dyslexia or
dysgraphia;
2. Characteristics of
targeted instruction for dyslexia and dysgraphia;
3. Guidance on developing
instructional plans for students with characteristics of dyslexia or
dysgraphia;
4. Best practices for
reading and writing instruction aligned with the science of reading;
5. Guidance for selecting
instructional materials that address dyslexia, dysgraphia and other
reading or writing difficulties;
6. Suggested training
programs; and
7. Guidance on dysgraphia
and dyscalculia.
SECTION 3. This act shall become effective November 1, 2022.
Passed the
House of Representatives the 3rd day of May, 2022.
Presiding
Officer of the House
of
Representatives
Passed the Senate the 27th day of
April, 2022.
Presiding
Officer of the Senate
OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR
Received by the Office
of the Governor this ____________________ day of ___________________,
20_______, at _______ o'clock _______ M.
By:
_________________________________
Approved by the
Governor of the State of Oklahoma this _________ day of ___________________,
20_______, at _______ o'clock _______ M.
_________________________________
Governor of
the State of Oklahoma
OFFICE
OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE
Received by the Office
of the Secretary of State this __________ day of ___________________,
20_______, at _______ o'clock _______ M.
By:
_________________________________