# data[].attributes.headline
What is OHLSD's current dyslexia screener? Will all K-3 teachers be given access to this?

# data[].attributes.subject
What is OHLSD's current dyslexia screener? Will all K-3 teachers be given access to this?

# data[].attributes.body
Teachers of reading and writing have got to 100% understand this concept but it will also take a lot of training.

# data[].attributes.body
Tier 1 core instruction and tier 2 intervention should be aligned.  Currently it is not and almost seems to be in complete contrast which seems like a waste of time and resources.

# data[].attributes.body
"A strong core program takes care of at least 80% of students, thus leaving intervention resources to a more manageable percentage of students."  Until we get to this level we are going to continue swimming upstream.

# data[].attributes.headline
Will the district be covering the associated initial and renewal fees for interested teachers?

# data[].attributes.subject
Will the district be covering the associated initial and renewal fees for interested teachers?

# data[].attributes.headline
What thoughts are there about having teachers certified?  Will certified teachers hold different roles within the district?

# data[].attributes.subject
What thoughts are there about having teachers certified?  Will certified teachers hold different roles within the district?

# data[].attributes.body
"when the intervention approach is substantially different than the approach in tier 1, it is difficult for educators to determine the effectiveness of either the intervention or the tier 1 instruction" - how can we expect our Tier 2 phonemic awareness and phonics interventions to be effective when we do not yet have a Tier 1 program that is truly a structured literacy program.

# data[].attributes.headline
District Decision Point: What is the tier 2 intervention needed at each grade level?

# data[].attributes.subject
District Decision Point: What is the tier 2 intervention needed at each grade level?

# data[].attributes.body
We have several listed as options. Should we be selecting one as our main resource for each grade level as a district?

# data[].attributes.body
As outlined in this document, and as I understand it, F&P does not meet the guidelines for a structured literacy program...how will we provide parents with "a written explanation of the district or school's structured literacy program" if we don't have one?

# data[].attributes.headline
"Instruction provided through tier 2 intervention should be aligned to tier 1 instruction by using the same instructional routines, language and sequence."  We have created an intervention menu.  But do these interventions align with routines, language, and sequence (specifically sequence) with instruction? Or are students receiving Tier 1 instruction on one skill and intervention on another?

# data[].attributes.subject
"Instruction provided through tier 2 intervention should be aligned to tier 1 instruction by using the same instructional routines, language and sequence."  We have created an intervention menu.  But do these interventions align with routines, language, and sequence (specifically sequence) with instruction? Or are students receiving Tier 1 instruction on one skill and intervention on another?

# data[].attributes.headline
Will we be moving to AIMSweb for K-2 students and away from STAR 360 in order to measure the skills identified in the chart on p. 24?

# data[].attributes.subject
Will we be moving to AIMSweb for K-2 students and away from STAR 360 in order to measure the skills identified in the chart on p. 24?

# data[].attributes.body
Love the way they've laid out the multidisciplinary teams. Is this the vision of our district and if so, what might this look like?

# data[].attributes.body
What is the plan for decodable texts. We do not have these for Tier 1.

# data[].attributes.body
Specifically looking at phonics/spelling area: Current curriculum does not support sight word recognition through phoneme-grapheme correspondences with a clear sequence. Some teachers in LTRS training have already organized the sight word lists to support this. We also do not have a scope/sequence of spelling concepts at Tier 1.

# data[].attributes.body
Tier 2 intervention typically is delivered in a 30- to 45-minute block, three to five days a week, with sufficient time built into the school schedule.

Intervention blocks may need to be adjusted. My building does not have intervention blocks that last 30-45 minutes in all grade levels.

# data[].attributes.body
" Progress monitoring should be done with indicators of the essential early literacy skills (phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, reading fluency and reading comprehension) connected to the student’s area of concern. When students score below expectation on multiple skills, the one that is first in the instructional sequence should be the initial focus of progress monitoring. The skills that are the focus of instruction should be monitored with a progress monitoring tool that meets the criteria outlined in this guidebook. "

We will need to find multiple progress monitoring tools to a range of skills. A one size fits all approach will not be enough.

# data[].attributes.body
General education teachers should write RIMPs collaboratively with the Teacher Based Team from page 19. If we are going to do this the right way, it shouldn't be a form that's filled out in mass quantities by one person in the school building.

# data[].attributes.body
Will the TGRG assessment and the Tier 1 dyslexia screening be the same assessment?

# data[].attributes.body
"A strong core program takes care of at least 80% of students..." Are our current programs matching this?

# data[].attributes.body
Tier 1 & Tier 2 intervention needs to be aligned and connected. Does F&P have a specific Tier 2 or Tier 3 intervention available?

# data[].attributes.body
The table indicates that students in Tier 3 receive Tier 3 support in addition to Tier 1. In some schools in OHLSD, students in Tier 3 are receiving Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3, 5 days a week which doesn't leave much time for Tier 1. I like how they have conceptualized the differences between Tiers 2 and 3 in this table.

# data[].attributes.body
Is our district planning on having certified educators "coaches". What will be the incentives for this?

# data[].attributes.body
The guidance on the characteristics of each tier states that students in tier 3 should receive 45-60 minutes of intervention outside of the tier 1 intervention per day. How are we going to ensure students receive this intervention from a highly qualified staff member and also ensure they aren't missing tier 1 instruction?

# data[].attributes.body
Regarding Tier 3 Intervention: "Some students will benefit from a short-term experience with intensive structured literacy support. Others have an ongoing need for intensive support. Student teams can use progress monitoring date to test the possibility of fading support. Decisions about intensifying and fading support can be guided by districtwide decision rules grounded in data." - Will decision rules be established by the district to help student-level teams make decisions about fading Tier 3 support or qualifying students for special education services?

# data[].attributes.body
"Oral Text Reading and Accuracy Rate" is listed as a skill to assess using universal screeners (tier 1) for grades 3-6. Would it be beneficial and/or expected to resume AimsWeb fluency testing for some or all of these grade levels?

# data[].attributes.body
"...carefully examine programs and instructional approaches used to confirm alignment to structured literacy principles.  A misalignment may impede the progress of children with dyslexia or at risk of dyslexia."  Are there plans for a careful review of our current literacy programs to check for alignment, or has this already been done?

# data[].attributes.body
Am I understanding that there are actually two different requirements?  First is teacher professional development for all K-3 teachers (with K-1 to be completed by beginning of 23-24); Second is structured literacy certification.
The guidance document does not do a great job of explaining the professional development requirements.  I found more info at:  https://education.ohio.gov/Topics/Learning-in-Ohio/Literacy/Dyslexia/Professional-Development

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Teacher professional development

The Dyslexia Support Laws require all kindergarten through third grade teachers, as well as teachers providing special education instruction to children in kindergarten through grade 12, to complete professional development on identifying characteristics of dyslexia and understanding pedagogy for instruction of students with dyslexia.
Requirements from the Ohio Dyslexia Committee
The Ohio Dyslexia Committee is requiring educators to complete 18 hours of professional development aligned with the Ohio Dyslexia Guidebook. This professional development will support educators in identifying characteristics of dyslexia and understanding the pedagogy for instruction of students with or at risk of dyslexia.

Professional Development Training

Each professional development option is evidence-based and includes instruction and training for identifying characteristics of dyslexia and understanding the pedagogy for instructing students with dyslexia as required under ORC 3319.077. The list was developed by the Department in collaboration with the Ohio Dyslexia Committee pursuant to ORC 3323.25 and 3319.077. This list is subject to change to align with the version of the guidebook that will be approved by the State Board of Education. Check back frequently for updated information.

Questions can be sent to Dyslexia@education.ohio.gov. If you need additional account support after consulting the linked support documents above, please contact OH|ID Profile Help at Profile.Help@education.ohio.gov for OH|ID assistance. If you are in the LMS application and need additional support, please contact LMS Support at LMSSupport@education.ohio.gov.

Note to providers: This is not an endorsement process, and no course provider should market themselves as offering an Ohio Department of Education endorsed course.

Timeline for Completing Professional Development

Teachers hired before April 12, 2021, who provide instruction to students in the following grade bands must complete the required professional development in accordance with the following timeline:

By the beginning of the 2023-2024 school year: Teachers of grades K-1, including special education teachers.

By Sept. 15 of the 2024-2025 school year: Teachers of grades 2-3, including special education teachers.

By Sept. 15 of the 2025-2026 school year: Special education teachers of students in grades 4-12.

Teachers hired after April 12, 2021, who provide instruction to students in the grade bands outlined above must complete the required professional development by the later of the aforementioned dates or two calendar years after the hiring date (unless the teacher completed the professional development while employed by a different district or school).

Note: Any professional development previously completed by a teacher that is included on the list of approved courses counts toward the required 18 hours in approved professional development. Courses Accredited by the International Dyslexia Association
Independent Training Programs and Higher Education Programs accredited by the International Dyslexia Association are approved to meet the professional development requirements of the Dyslexia Support Laws. Programs with Accreditation and Accreditation Plus status are recognized. Training programs that offer training similar trainings to those on this list are encouraged to apply for accreditation to provide additional high quality professional development options for Ohio educators.

Courses approved for Structured Literacy Certification
The Ohio Dyslexia Committee has provided a list of approved programs for Structured Literacy Certification. Educators completing at least 18 hours of this coursework will have met the professional development requirements. Completion of the course and practicum in full is required for Structured Literacy Certification.

Training Provided by Instructors of Structured Literacy Certification Programs

Individuals qualified to provide the coursework and practicum approved for Structured Literacy Certification by the Ohio Dyslexia Committee may develop and provide training for the purpose of this requirement. If the instructor is developing training that is different from what is already approved through the Structured Literacy Certification program, the training must be at least 18 hours and include the content recommended by the Ohio Dyslexia Committee (outlined below).

Ohio Department of Education Dyslexia Course
The Ohio Department of Education has developed a free course for teachers providing instruction to students in grades K-3 to meet the professional development requirements.
For information on accessing the course, please review the Instructions for Accessing the Introduction to Dyslexia Course.

The Ohio Department of Education will be developing an additional free course to meet the professional development requirements for intervention specialists and teachers providing instruction to students in grades 4-12. Intervention specialists serving these grade bands must complete the PD by the beginning of the 2025-26 school year. More information about this course, including its release date, is forthcoming.

The following outlines the 18 hours of content recommended by the Ohio Dyslexia Committee:

Pre and Post Assessment for Participants

What is Structured Literacy?

Science of Reading Overview

Defining Dyslexia and Identifying Characteristics of Dyslexia

Multi-Tiered System of Support Overview

Structured Literacy in Core (Tier 1) Instruction

Using Data to Plan Instruction through Reading Profiles and Aligned Interventions

Teaching Word Recognition

Phonological awareness

Basic phonics

Advanced phonics (morphology, syllable types, etymology)

​Sight word recognition

Teaching Handwriting

Print / Manuscript

Cursive

Brief, explicit and systematic instruction

Teaching Language Comprehension

Language Structures (Syntax)

Vocabulary

Background Knowledge

Fluency

Comprehending Grade-Level Texts

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Dyslexia Support Laws require all kindergarten through third grade teachers, as well as teachers providing special education instruction to children in kindergarten through grade 12, to complete professional development on identifying characteristics of dyslexia and understanding pedagogy for instruction of students with dyslexia.

# data[].attributes.body
Curious...what percentage of students in grades 6-8 are enrolled in intervention programs?

# data[].attributes.body
“ It is not necessary for parents to receive a dyslexia diagnosis from a professional outside the school. Under federal and state law, school districts are required to find, identify and serve students with disabilities, including dyslexia. “

*It is very important that all teachers and service providers understand this. Often, when dyslexia is brought up by parents, they are told that dyslexia is a 'medical' diagnosis.

# data[].attributes.body
The table for skill areas of the tier 2 dyslexia screener includes "listening comprehension" rather than "reading comprehension".

# data[].attributes.body
Intervention-based diagnostic assessments should be directly linked to the school's structured literacy intervention program. Does F&P even have an intervention program?

# data[].attributes.body
The percentage of students who are identified as being at risk serve as an indicator of the overall effectiveness of the the reading instruction.

# data[].attributes.body
Assessments that do not meet characteristics of dyslexia screening - top of this list is running records.

# data[].attributes.body
Instructional practices that are NOT consistent with a structured literacy approach...Running Records/Reading Records are included in this list.

# data[].attributes.body
"Developing sight word recognition through phoneme-grapheme (sound-symbol) correspondences and with a clear sequence for instruction." - This is charted as though we need to move to this as opposed to high frequency words just memorized.

# data[].attributes.body
Non-Explicit and non-systematic instruction is described as "problem based, student-led, or discovery learning approaches." We can't expect them to teach themselves.

# data[].attributes.body
"Best practices" are subject to variation and adaptations based on the specific needs of students or context of instructional decision-making. They are offered as guidance while providing the most effective literacy instruction.

# data[].attributes.body
The parent communication requirements following universal screening and diagnostic assessments would be a huge change. I know we send TGRG letters, but they seem to be down-played to parents, at least from my observations. Do we have any draft letters in progress? Would there be any benefit to having parent engagements to explain the information?

# data[].attributes.body
Based on the data I have seen in my building, there would be a high number of students who would require diagnostic assessments following universal screening.

# data[].attributes.body
Interesting that letter-sound correspondences are listed as part of universal screening through the beginning of second grade. I don't disagree, just interesting.

# data[].attributes.body
“If a significant number of students are at risk on universal screening, it is a strong indicator that structured literacy is needed. "

*How many students in OHLSD are 'at-risk', based on our current universal screening system?
*How do we currently handle 'risk' identified on end-of-year screenings?

# data[].attributes.body
"The goal of tier 1 reading instruction is primary prevention of reading failure."

# data[].attributes.body
It seems like many of the risks of dyslexia are also risks we see with students with learning disabilities. How do we distinguish between the two?

# data[].attributes.body
The Ohio Department of Education will not be creating a list of approved intervention-based diagnostic assessments for tier 2 dyslexia
screening."

Why not?

# data[].attributes.body
"It is
strongly recommended by the Ohio Dyslexia Committee to conduct brief universal screening (tier 1 dyslexia screening)
three times a year to students in kindergarten through grade 3."

How brief are these assessments and who will be carrying them out?

# data[].attributes.body
"There is no need to adopt new tools if the screening measure used for diagnostic assessment under Ohio’s Third Grade Reading
Guarantee also appears on Ohio’s list of approved universal screening assessments for tier 1 dyslexia screening."

Do our measures line up? Or will this require additional assessments?

# data[].attributes.body
"Students who experience risk for dyslexia
do not necessarily have dyslexia. The goal
of early identification of risk is the provision
of early intervention that can prevent or
minimize the impact of reading difficulties
such as dyslexia."

We have known that early intervention is crucial for many years. However, it seems like a lot of our support ends up going to testing grades. What can we do to help with that?

# data[].attributes.body
"Educators must be aware that students who are not progressing in a typical manner will continue to need support targeting
the earlier foundational skills. Mastering these foundational early literacy skills will lead to greater success in later years." We need to look at how this support is being carried out. By whom? What resources? 1:1, small group, large group, whole group.

# data[].attributes.body
The essential skill areas have practices that we are currently using that are in contrast to what structured literacy suggests.  Our current practices in elementary are not consistent with a structured literacy approach and may impede the progress of children with dyslexia or at risk of dyslexia because they are not effective at triggering orthographic mapping and instant word recognition.  These include:  "Assessing with tools that rely on the three-cueing system such as running records/reading records • Prompting students to decode with cues such as “does it look right?”; “does it sound right?”; “does it make sense?”; “does the word look like another word you know?”

# data[].attributes.body
“Structured literacy instruction in tier 1 (core instruction for all students) should be so well matched and differentiated to the needs of the students that it results in the vast majority (at least 80%) of the students reaching grade-level goals.”

*What does our data show?  What percentage of students are reaching grade-level goals?
*How are 'grade-level goals' defined? Different stakeholders have different ideas about this.

# data[].attributes.body
“ Students with dyslexia will need prolonged, intensive, explicit and systematic instructional support delivered by a highly trained educator. “

*We need to consider ways to increase intensity, especially K-2.  Also, it sometimes seems that kids receiving T2-T3 interventions receive more intense and direct instruction than students who are identified.
*Would there be any benefit to "looping" students with highly trained educators/IVSs?

# data[].attributes.body
Three-cueing and leveling are huge elements of our current curriculum; it is evident across grade levels and it pervades discussions among professionals and discussions between parents and teachers.

# data[].attributes.body
What is our plan for shifting to a structured literacy approach?  The structured literacy certification process is to begin in the 22-23 school year.  Can teachers who are currently doing LETRS start making shifts during this school year?