• Upon entry into the dyslexia program, parents will receive a Parent’s Guide to Dyslexia from the child’s dyslexia teacher. This guide is designed to offer parents information about dyslexia as well as tips and suggestions for creating a positive home reading environment. In addition, a selected reading list for parents and children as well as a list of web resources is included. 
• There are numerous ways parents may participate in daily support of their child’s dyslexia program. 
• Providing a safe, risk-free environment at home can eliminate anxiety that a child might experience when homework is being completed. 
• Consistency in completion of daily homework, building your child’s self-esteem by supporting daily learning, and helping to establish an independent attitude will benefit your child not only during dyslexia intervention, but also throughout his/her life as he/she learns how to be a successful learner.

Campus dyslexia teachers track students who have exited the dyslexia program for a period of time. Tracking is a way to support teachers and students within the classroom setting. This tracking can look different for each student depending on the student’s needs. Tracking can take the form of checking the student’s grades each nine weeks, talking to classroom teacher(s) and/or meeting with the individual student informally, etc. Annual meetings through either Section 504 or IDEA are conducted to discuss and update the student’s plan.

Your child’s dyslexia teacher will send home a progress report every nine weeks to provide you with information on how your child is performing in the dyslexia program. Parent conferences will also be arranged as necessary to discuss observations being made along with your child’s progress within the dyslexia curriculum. Parents may also request a conference at any time. Conferences will usually be scheduled before/after the school day or during the teacher’s daily planning period. In addition to conferences, a district-wide parent meeting is held during the school year. This meeting will focus on various topics surrounding dyslexia that can help parents learn more about their child’s learning disability and how to help support their child both at school and in the home environment. Letters, flyers posted on campuses, and the RCISD website are avenues through which upcoming district/campus meetings are distributed.

A preponderance of data will be reviewed to determine if a student meets the criteria to exit the dyslexia program. The following factors may be used: (1) completion of dyslexia curriculum; (2) student demonstrating success in grade level material; (3) performance on STAAR; (4) recommendation by the dyslexia teacher; (5) parent request; (6) factors such as behavior/absenteeism prevent the student from benefiting from the dyslexia program; and (7) minimal to no measurable progress in the dyslexia curriculum.

RCISD offers several interventions to support student success. Whenever children are placed into these interventions, it is done with multiple considerations in mind: (1) what will benefit the child, and (2) what intervention is offered that will be delivered in the least restrictive environment.

In accordance with 19 TAC §74.28(e), districts must purchase or develop an evidence-based reading program for students with dyslexia and related disorders that incorporates all the components of instruction and instructional approaches described in the Texas Dyslexia Handbook, 2021 Update. Possible length of time in the program may fluctuate from child to child depending on individual factors such as extended illness, excessive absences, and progress made within the curriculum.

Prior educational history including Section 504 plans, IEP’s, previous interventions, evaluation reports, and past grade level performance are collected upon a student’s enrollment in RCISD. That information is reviewed to evaluate what, if any, additional information might be needed in order to make an appropriate decision concerning student placement. The student’s IEP/IAP will determine any program intervention.

Identification and placement decisions for dyslexia must be made by a committee of knowledgeable persons formed at the district, charter school, or campus level. Under federal law, the committee must be knowledgeable of the child, the meaning of the evaluation data, and the placement options.

Texas Dyslexia Handbook, 2021 Update: Figure 3.8 Pathways for the Identification and Provision of Instruction for Students with Dyslexia, pg.34

The campus dyslexia teacher will be able to answer any questions you may have concerning dyslexia or the dyslexia program. Please call the campus office before/after school or during the dyslexia teacher’s conference period.

When evaluating a student for dyslexia, RCISD collects various data, as indicated below in Figure 3.2 and Figure 3.4 of the Texas Dyslexia Handbook, 2021 Update. This data will provide information regarding factors that may be contributing to or primary to the student’s struggles with reading and spelling. Both informal and formal assessments are considered in the decision-making process.

It is not one single indicator but a preponderance of data (both informal and formal) that provides the committee with evidence for whether these difficulties are unexpected.

A dyslexia teacher is available to support students identified with dyslexia on all RCISD campuses. At the elementary level, students participate in dyslexia intervention throughout the regular school day, usually scheduled during their Response to Intervention time. Dyslexia teachers provide evidence-based, multisensory structured literacy instruction for students identified with dyslexia. The dyslexia program is explicit, systematic, intentional in its approach, and takes place in a small group setting. A primary goal of dyslexia intervention is to promote independent problem solving behavior which is reinforced during daily dyslexia classes, in order to help the student transition into his/her other regular education curriculum.

A team of persons with knowledge of the student, instructional practices, and instructional options meets to discuss data collected, including data obtained during kindergarten and/or first-grade screening, and the implications of that data. These individuals include but are not limited to, the classroom teacher, administrator, dyslexia specialist, and/or interventionist. This team may also include the parents and/or a diagnostician familiar with testing and interpreting evaluation results. The campus student-teacher assistance team (STAT) or appropriate committee when the student is already served under IDEA or Section 504 determines whether there is an educational need for dyslexia assessment. Recommendation for dyslexia assessment should be based on the educational need of the student as outlined in The Dyslexia Handbook, 2021 Update published by the Texas Education Agency.

A dyslexia teacher is available to support students identified with dyslexia on all RCISD campuses. At the secondary level, students are enrolled in a dyslexia class that is scheduled within the regular school day and is different from the regular reading/language arts curriculum. Dyslexia teachers provide evidence-based, multisensory structured literacy instruction for students identified with dyslexia. The dyslexia program is explicit, systematic, intentional in its approach, and takes place in a small group setting. A primary goal of dyslexia intervention is to promote independent problem-solving behavior which is reinforced during daily dyslexia classes, in order to help the student transition into his/her other regular education curriculum.

Common risk factors associated with dyslexia at different stages or grade levels can be located in The Dyslexia Handbook, 2021 Update.

The difficulty of the child identified as having dyslexia is in reading, single-word decoding, reading fluency, reading comprehension, written composition, and spelling. The problems of the child with a learning disorder may include these difficulties and other difficulties that do not necessarily pertain to reading exclusively.