12-R383
2012 -- H 7542 SUBSTITUTE B
Enacted 06/05/12
J O I N T R E S
O L U T I O N
CREATING A
SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE COMMISSION TO ASSESS THE EDUCATIONAL NEEDS OF CHILDREN WITH
READING DISABILITIES AND DYSLEXIA
Introduced By: Representatives Naughton, Morrison, Keable, Baldelli-Hunt, and Walsh
Date Introduced: February 15, 2012
RESOLVED,
That a special legislative commission be and the same
is hereby created
consisting of twenty-one (21) members: three (3) of whom shall
be members of the Senate, not
more than two (2) from the same political party, to be
appointed by the Senate President; three (3)
of whom shall be members of the House, not more than two
(2) from the same political party, to
be appointed by the Speaker; two (2) of whom shall be
parents of a child with diagnosed dyslexia,
one of whom shall be appointed by the Senate President,
and one of whom shall be appointed by
the Speaker; one of whom shall be a licensed
education and/or special education law, to be appointed by the
Speaker; one of whom shall be the
Chairman of the
designee; one of whom shall be a member of the Rhode Island State
Literacy Team, to be
appointed by the Commissioner of the Rhode Island Department of
Elementary and Secondary
Education; one of whom
shall be the President of the Rhode Island Branch of the International
Dyslexia Association, or
designee; one of whom shall be the Director of the Children’s Dyslexia
Association of
Rhode Island Special
Education Advisory Council, or designee; one of whom shall be a member
of the Legal Services – Rhode Island Department of
Elementary and Secondary Education, to be
appointed by the Commissioner of the Rhode Island Department of
Elementary and Secondary
Education; one of whom
shall be a reading research specialist from a
be appointed by the Senate President; one of whom shall
be a faculty member of a
institution of higher education with teacher pre-service
programs, to be appointed by the chair of
the Rhode Island Board of Regents for Elementary and
Secondary Education board of governors
for higher education; one of whom shall be a neuro-psychologist
/evaluator from a
hospital, clinic or private practice, to be appointed by the
Speaker; one of whom shall be a
psychologist with demonstrated expertise in reading acquisition
and reading disabilities, to be
appointed by the Senate President; and one of whom shall be a
developmental-behavioral
pediatrician with demonstrated expertise in diagnosis of reading
disabilities, to be appointed by
the Speaker.
In
lieu of any appointment of a member of the legislature to a permanent advisory
commission, a legislative study commission, or any commission
created by a General Assembly
resolution, the appointing authority may appoint a member of the
general public to serve in lieu
of a legislator, provided that the Majority Leader or
the Minority Leader of the political party
which is entitled to the appointment, consents to the
member of the general public.
The
purpose of said commission shall be to conduct a comprehensive study of the
implications and consequences of dyslexia and to provide a
comprehensive report with
recommendations to the General Assembly on the educational needs of
children with reading
disabilities and dyslexia and all aspects of providing education
to these children, including:
(1)
Increasing awareness of dyslexia;
(2)
Early assessment and identification of students with literacy challenges,
including
dyslexia;
(3)
A tiered continuum of intensity for research-based instructional interventions
for
dyslexic students within the Response to Intervention model;
(4)
Diagnosis, assessment, and progress monitoring procedures for students with
reading
disabilities and dyslexia;
(5)
Scientifically-validated interventions to address the needs of students with
literacy
challenges, including dyslexia, consistent with guidelines
established by the Partnership For
National Institute for
Literacy, and the United States Department of Education, based on findings
of the National
(6)
Wide-scale personnel training plans that would increase the number of
teachers who possess the Knowledge and Practice Standards for
Teachers of Reading (including
practicum experience for specialists);
(7)
Consistency of compliance with federal law regarding eligibility for services
available
for persons with specific learning disabilities; and
(8)
Encouraging coordination and collaboration between the Department of Elementary
and Secondary Education, teacher preparation programs at
education, and relevant community and professional
organizations; and
The
commission shall additionally:
(1)
Consider current educational policies, practices, and training with regard to
literacy
challenges, including dyslexia;
(2)
Review existing dyslexia-related legislation in other jurisdictions, including
without
limitation:
(3)
Draft proposed legislation that furthers dyslexia awareness and implements the
findings of the commission.
Forthwith
upon passage of this resolution, the members of the commission shall meet on
or before August 2012, and shall select a chairperson
co-chairpersons from among the legislators,
who shall be appointed by the Speaker and the Senate
President.
Eleven
(11) members shall constitute a quorum for purposes of approving
recommendations and/or the commission report or other action items.
Vacancies
in said commission shall be filled in like manner as the original appointment.
The
membership of said commission shall receive no compensation for their services.
The
Rhode Island Department of Elementary and Secondary Education is requested to
provide administrative support for the commission, and all All departments and
agencies of the
state shall furnish such advice and information,
documentary and otherwise, to said commission
and its agents as is deemed necessary or desirable by the
commission to facilitate the purposes of
this resolution.
The
Joint Committee on Legislative Services is hereby authorized and directed to
provide
suitable quarters for said commission; and be it further
RESOLVED,
That the commission shall report its findings and
recommendations to the
General Assembly no later
than January 30, 2013, and said commission shall expire on January
30, 2014.
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LC01256/SUB B
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