Ohio Dyslexia Committee Defines “Appropriate Certification”

On January 9, 2021, Governor DeWine signed into law HB 436, which created a number of requirements to support educating dyslexic students.  A Dyslexia Committee was established.  Two of the tasks of the Committee are to:

• prescribe the number of clock hours of dyslexia-related professional development required for teachers;
• phase in over three years dyslexia-related professional development requirements for public school teachers.

The Committee has established the definition of “appropriate certification” in dyslexia education.  Read below for more information, including the details of the definition, the charge of the committee, and answers to questions about what is required of teachers.

HB 436 created a number of requirements to support educating dyslexic students. The law:

• Requires the Ohio Department of Education to establish the Ohio Dyslexia Committee consisting of 11 members;
• Requires the Ohio Dyslexia Committee to develop a dyslexia guidebook for screening, intervention and remediation for children with dyslexia or displaying dyslexic characteristics and tendencies;
• Requires the Ohio Dyslexia Committee to prescribe the number of clock hours of dyslexia-related professional development required for teachers;
• Permits the Ohio Dyslexia Committee to make recommendations regarding ratios of students to teachers who have received certification in identifying and addressing dyslexia, the school personnel who should receive the certification and whether professional development requirements should include completing a practicum;
• Requires the Department, in collaboration with the Ohio Dyslexia Committee, to identify screening and intervention measures that evaluate the literacy skills of students using a multi-sensory structured literacy program;
• Requires school districts and other public schools to administer annual dyslexia screenings beginning in the 2022-2023 school year;
• Phases in over three years dyslexia-related professional development requirements for public school teachers;
• Requires school districts and other public schools, beginning in the 2022-2023 school year, to establish a multi-sensory structured literacy certification process for teachers.

 The Ohio Dyslexia Committee voted to approve the definition of “appropriate certification” in identifying and addressing dyslexia under Ohio’s dyslexia support laws. The Ohio Dyslexia Committee recognizes the following as “appropriate certification”:

• Completion of an independent training program or higher education program accredited by the International Dyslexia Association at the Accreditation Plus level;
• Structured Literacy Dyslexia Interventionist Certification from the Center for Effective Reading Instruction;
• Structured Literacy Dyslexia Specialist Certification from the Center for Effective Reading Instruction;
• Certified Academic Language Practitioner from the Academic Language Therapy Association; and
• Certified Academic Language Therapist from the Academic Language Therapy Association.

The Ohio Dyslexia Committee acknowledges that external accrediting organizations control the approval processes for programs to qualify for the certifications listed above. If an educator completed a program the accrediting organization once approved but later removes, the committee will no longer consider the educator certified. If the accrediting organization adds a program, the committee will consider educators completing that program certified so long as they complete the program according to what the accrediting organization approves.

The Ohio Dyslexia Committee does not recognize independent training programs or higher education programs offering certification not listed above as “appropriate certification.” Seeing this information, it led to other questions about what is required of teachers. Here are some of the answers I have received so far:

1. The committee’s definition of “appropriate certification” is relevant to the six Ohio Dyslexia Committee members who are required to be appropriately certified as well as to districts when they are developing their own local “multi-sensory structured literacy certification process” as required by the Ohio Dyslexia Support laws. The dyslexia support laws do not require all teachers to be certified. However, the laws do allow the Ohio Dyslexia Committee to make recommendations about ratios of students to teachers who have received certification. The recommendation has not been made at this point, but could affect the number of teachers required to have the certification in a district.  Stay tuned.
2. 2. The “appropriate certification” definition and the professional development coursework requirement for teachers are two separate provisions under the Dyslexia Support Laws. Under ORC 3319.077, teachers in specific grade levels must complete a required number of instructional hours in approved professional development courses aligned with the dyslexia guidebook. The Committee has not yet approved coursework to fulfill this requirement. Below are the dates each required category of teachers is required to complete the professional development coursework:
   • Teachers of grades K-1, including special education – by the beginning of the 2023-2024 school year.
   • Teachers of grades 2-3, including special education – by the beginning of the 2024-2025 school year.
   • Special education teachers of students in grades 4-12 – by the beginning of 2025-2026 school year.
   • Again, we will keep you updated.
3. In terms of who is responsible for paying for any required training:  
   • Districts should use existing local, state, and allowable federal funds to cover the professional development costs associated with the dyslexia support laws requirements.