BILL ANALYSIS Ó AB 1369 Page 1 Date of Hearing: May 13, 2015 ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS Jimmy Gomez, Chair AB 1369 (Frazier) - As Amended May 4, 2015 ----------------------------------------------------------------- |Policy |Education |Vote:|7 - 0 | |Committee: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |-------------+-------------------------------+-----+-------------| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |-------------+-------------------------------+-----+-------------| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ----------------------------------------------------------------- Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: YesReimbursable: Yes SUMMARY: This bill requires the State Board of Education (SBE) to update regulations to include "phonological processing" in the description of basic psychological processes. Further, requires AB 1369 Page 2 the Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI) to develop program guidelines for dyslexia to be used to assist teachers and parents to identify and assess pupils with dyslexia, and to plan, provide, evaluate, and improve educational services to pupils with dyslexia. Specifically, this bill: 1)Requires the program guidelines to include, but not be limited to, characteristics typical of pupils with dyslexia and strategies for their remediation, as well as information to assist educators in distinguishing between characteristics of dyslexia and characteristics of normal growth and development. 2)Requires the SPI, in developing guidelines, to consult with teachers, school administrators, other educational professionals, medical professionals, parents, and other professionals involved in the identification and education of pupils with dyslexia. 3)Requires the SPI to complete the program guidelines in time for use no later than the beginning of the 2017-18 academic year and requires the guidelines to be disseminated through the department's Internet Web site. Further, requires the SPI to provide technical assistance regarding their use and implementation to parents, teachers, school administrators, and faculty members in teacher training programs of institutions of higher education. FISCAL EFFECT: 1)One-time General Fund administrative costs to the California Department of Education (CDE) of approximately $170,000 and ongoing GF costs of approximately $110,000. This includes staff support to the SBE for regulatory reform, and the development and dissemination of guidelines. AB 1369 Page 3 2)Potential Proposition 98/GF reimbursable state mandated costs to local education agencies to the extent expanded services are provided as a result of the revised definition of psychological processes. This bill requires the California Code of Regulations to be updated to include "phonological processing" in the description of basic psychological processes. This definition appears to exceed federal law and could trigger state mandated costs if services are expanded beyond that which is authorized under the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). COMMENTS: Purpose. This bill is motivated by concerns among parents that many students who are dyslexic are not being identified as such, and as a result are being deprived of needed educational services. Proponents also argue that current instructional methods for students identified as dyslexic are deficient. Dyslexia is one condition listed in the federal (and state) definition of a specific learning disability. Federal law states that a specific learning is disability a disorder in a psychological process. Further, state regulations specify these psychological processes: "The basic psychological processes include attention, visual processing, auditory processing, sensory-motor skills, cognitive abilities including association, conceptualization and expression." Not included in that list of processes is a phonological processing deficit, which proponents of this bill say is a hallmark of dyslexia. This bill expands state regulations to include "phonological processing" in this description. AB 1369 Page 4 This bill also requires SPI to develop program guidelines for dyslexia to be used to assist teachers and parents to identify and assess pupils with dyslexia, and to plan, provide, evaluate, and improve educational services to pupils with dyslexia. This requirement is very similar to uncodified law enacted by AB 3040 (Speier), Chapter 1501, Statutes of 1990. This bill essentially updates and codifies this requirement. Analysis Prepared by:Misty Feusahrens / APPR. / (916) 319-2081