Evaluation

The Referral Process for Dyslexia and Related Disorders

The determination to refer a student for an evaluation must always be made on a case-by-case basis and must be driven by data-based decisions. The referral process itself can be distilled into a basic framework as outlined below.

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Child Find

Child Find Evaluation Link

Referral Process

The determination to refer a student for an evaluation must always be made on a case-by-case basis and must be driven by data-based decisions. The referral process itself can be distilled into a basic framework as outlined below:

Data-Driven Meeting of Knowledgeable Persons
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 would include the classroom teacher and other individuals who can review and analyze the student’s data, such as a campus administrator, special education teacher, reading interventionist, and provider of dyslexia instruction. This team may also include the parents and/or a diagnostician familiar with testing and interpreting evaluation results. This team may have different names in different districts and/or campuses. For example, the team may be called a student success team, student support team, student intervention team, or even something else. Unless the student is already served under IDEA or Section 504, this team of knowledgeable persons is not an Admission, Review, and Dismissal (ARD) committee or a Section 504 committee, although many of these individuals may be on a future committee if the student is referred for an evaluation.
Data-Driven Decisions

When the Data Does Not Lead to Suspicion of a Disability, Including Dyslexia or a Related Disorder

If the team determines that the data does not give the members reason to suspect that a student has dyslexia, a related disorder, or another disability included within the IDEA and a need for special education and related services, the team may decide to provide the student with additional support in the classroom or through the RTI/MTSS process. The student should continue to receive grade level, evidence-based core reading instruction (Tier 1) and any other appropriate tiered interventions. However, the student is not referred for an evaluation at this time.

When the Data Lead to a Suspicion of a Disability, Including Dyslexia or a Related Disorder

If the team determines that the data does give the members reason to suspect that the student has dyslexia, a related disorder, or another disability included within the IDEA and a need for special education and related services, the team must refer the student for a full individual and initial evaluation (FIIE). In most cases, an FIIE under the IDEA must be completed within 45-school days from the time a district or charter school receives parental consent. The student should continue to receive grade level, evidence-based core reading instruction (Tier 1) and any other appropriate tiered interventions while the school conducts the FIIE. If an LEA suspects, or has reason to suspect, a student has dyslexia and may be a child with a disability under IDEA, the LEA must provide parents with a form developed by TEA explaining rights under IDEA that may be additional to rights under Section 504; comply with all federal and state requirements, including this handbook, regarding any evaluation; and if the student is to be evaluated for dyslexia, evaluate the student in all other areas of suspected disabilities. The form can be located on the SPEDTEX website.

DATA GATHERING

Review of Student Data for Dyslexia and/or Dysgraphia Referral Consideration

State and RRISD Requirements

Schools collect data on all students to ensure that instruction is appropriate and scientifically based. The academic history of each student will provide the school with the cumulative data needed to ensure that underachievement in a student suspected of having dyslexia is not due to lack of appropriate instruction in reading. This information should include data that demonstrate that the student was provided appropriate instruction and include data-based documentation of repeated evaluations of achievement at reasonable intervals (progress monitoring), reflecting formal evaluation of student progress during instruction. These cumulative data also include information from parents/guardians.

Round Rock ISD uses The Dyslexia Handbook to guide the data-gathering process for students.

Sources of Cumulative Data

The academic history of a student provides cumulative data needed to ensure that underachievement in a student suspected of having dyslexia is not due to lack of appropriate instruction in reading and includes:

  • Vision Screening
  • Hearing screening
  • Teacher reports of classroom concerns
  • Accommodations or interventions provided
  • Academic progress reports
  • Gifted/Talented assessments
  • Samples of schoolwork
  • Parent conference notes
  • Results of kindergarten-grade 1 universal screening required TEC 38.003
  • K-2 reading instruments results required in TEC 28.006
  • Information regarding a child’s early literacy experiences, environmental factors, and socioeconomic status must be part of the data gathering process.
  • 7th grade reading instrument results required in TEC 28.006
  • State student assessment program results described in TEC 39.022
  • Observations of instruction provided to the student
  • Previous evaluations
  • Outside evaluations
  • Speech and language assessment
  • School attendance
  • Curriculum-based assessments
  • Instructional strategies provided and student’s response to instruction
  • Screening data
  • Parent survey