Dyslexia Screening
Parent Notification of Universal Screening
Dear Parent/Guardian
The Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) added requirements for identifying struggling readers who show risk factors for dyslexia. These newer requirements are referred to as Indiana Senate Enrolled Act 217. We would like to share these requirements with you, and how they are being implemented at Penn-Harris-Madison schools.
- Each school corporation shall employ at least one individual to serve as an authorized reading specialist trained in dyslexia.
P-H-M’s authorized reading specialist trained in dyslexia is Betsy Alwine. balwine@phm.k12.in.us - All students in kindergarten, first, and second grades will be screened annually by a district chosen (IDOE approved) Universal Screener regardless of the previous year’s results. In addition to scientifically-based core instruction in the general education classroom, students identified “at risk” or “at some risk,” need evidence-based, specially designed instruction to address identified basic reading, writing, and spelling weaknesses. P-H-M’s IDOE approved Universal Screener for grades K-2 is DIBELS 8th .
P-H-M’s adopted program for direct instruction is Wilson’s Fundations.
All K-2nd grade students are taught using this multisensory curriculum in order to strengthen phonological awareness, phonics, and fluency.
Students found to be “at risk” or “at some risk” will have targeted (IDOE approved) interventions specific to their screening information. - House Enrolled Act 1514 (2021) changed the timeline for administering the Universal and Level 1 dyslexia screener. The law states that the dyslexia Universal and Level 1 screeners should be administered to students within the first ninety (90) school days.
During the 2022-2023 school year all K-2nd grade students will be administered the Dyslexia Universal Screener during the BOY benchmark in August/September.
Any students found to be “at risk/at some risk” for characteristics of dyslexia will move forward with the level 1 screening in October/November. - When a student in grade 3 or higher has difficulty, as noted by a classroom teacher, in:
(A) phonological and phonemic awareness;
(B) sound symbol recognition;
(C) alphabet knowledge;
(D) decoding skills;
(E) rapid naming skills; and
(F) encoding skills;
he or she may follow the same procedure as in K-2nd grade, being administered the Dyslexia Universal Screener et al.
Information on SEA 217 from the IDOE Dyslexia Website
Click here to read more from the Indiana Department of Education's Dyslexia website.
How to Contact Me
My office is located at Elm Road Elementary. Feel free to contact me with questions or concerns you may have regarding the dyslexia screening process.
Email: balwine@phm.k12.in.us
Website: https://www.phmschools.org/news/information-regarding-dyslexia
Location: Elm Road Elementary School, Elm Road, Mishawaka, IN, USA
Phone: 574-259-3743