Qualified licensed dyslexia therapy teacher; require the State Department of Education to employ and assign one to each county.

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To: Education
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026

By: Representatives Smith, Boyd (37th),
Calvert

HOUSE BILL NO. 914

AN ACT TO REQUIRE THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO ASSIGN 1
A QUALIFIED LICENSED DYSLEXIA THERAPY TEACHER SUPERVISOR TO EACH 2
COUNTY; TO PRESCRIBE THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF SUCH DYSLEXIA THERAPY 3
TEACHER SUPERVISORS; TO REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENT TO CONDUCT A 4
PROGRAM WITH WILLING SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND/OR SCHOOLS WHICH FOCUSES 5
ON THE USE OF DYSLEXIA DATA COACHES TO IMPROVE READING AND 6
LITERACY AMONG STUDENTS DIAGNOSED WITH DYSLEXIA; TO PROVIDE THAT 7
THE PROGRAM SHALL BE SUBJECT TO APPROPRIATION; TO PROVIDE THAT 8
INDIVIDUALS ASSIGNED BY THE DEPARTMENT SERVE IN THE CAPACITY AS A 9
COUNTY DYSLEXIA THERAPY TEACHER SUPERVISOR OR DYSLEXIA DATA COACH, 10
SHALL BE EMPLOYEES OF THE DEPARTMENT, AND SHALL RESIDE IN THE 11
COUNTY WHEREIN HE OR SHE HAS BEEN ASSIGNED TO SERVE IN SAID 12
CAPACITY; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 13
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 14
SECTION 1. (1) The State Department of Education shall: 15
(a) Select schools in each county most in need for 16
dyslexia therapy intervention and create criteria for selection 17
for participation based on number and percentages of students 18
scoring in the lowest two (2) achievement levels on state-adopted 19
yearly reading assessments, screening that results in a diagnosis 20
of dyslexia, and other relevant data; 21
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(b) Assign a qualified licensed dyslexia therapy 22
teacher in a supervisory position within each county to be 23
responsible for the implementation of: 24
(i) The development of interventions and 25
strategies to address the needs of those students diagnosed with 26
dyslexia which provide the necessary accommodations to enable the 27
student to achieve appropriate educational progress; 28
(ii) Emphasized instruction in dyslexia 29
intervention; 30
(iii) Intervention and strategies that include, 31
but are not limited to, the use of the 3-Tier Instructional Model 32
and the utilization of provisions of the IDEA and 504 Plan to 33
address the needs of students diagnosed with dyslexia; and 34
(iv) Training in dyslexia and related disorder 35
awareness using, at a minimum, Standard 1 and Standard 2 of the 36
International Dyslexia Association's "Knowledge and Practice 37
Standards for Teachers of Reading" 2018 Edition, as well as, 38
indicators and characteristics, screening processes, 39
evidence-based interventions and accommodations for students with 40
dyslexia and other related disorders; and 41
(c) Subject to legislative appropriation, the State 42
Department of Education shall conduct a program with willing 43
school districts and/or schools which focuses on the use of 44
dyslexia data coaches to improve reading and literacy among 45
students diagnosed with dyslexia in order to better provide expert 46
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ST: Qualified licensed dyslexia therapy
teacher; require the State Department of
Education to employ and assign one to each
county.
support in dyslexia therapy instruction. Dyslexia data coaches 47
should be experts in the pedagogy of phonemic awareness, 48
graphophonemic knowledge (phonics), structure of the English 49
language, linguistic instruction and data analysis, who facilitate 50
professional learning community meetings, and provide observation 51
and feedback, to help teachers and district leaders build skills 52
in using data to inform instruction. The department is authorized 53
to include preschool programs it deems appropriate. The 54
department is authorized to contract with a private sector 55
provider to implement the program and work in partnership with 56
four-year institutions of higher learning to develop and implement 57
the program. 58
(2) The individual assigned by the State Department under 59
the authority of subsections (1)(b) or (c) to serve in the 60
capacity as a county dyslexia therapy teacher supervisor or 61
dyslexia data coach, shall be an employee of the department, and 62
shall reside in the county wherein he or she has been assigned to 63
serve as a dyslexia therapy teacher supervisor or dyslexia data 64
coach. 65
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from 66
and after July 1, 2026. 67