44th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2000

REQUESTING THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC EDUCATION TO RESEARCH AND RECOMMEND A DEFINITION OF DYSLEXIA AND IDENTIFY EFFECTIVE INTERVENTIONS AND SPECIALIZED PUBLIC SCHOOL EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS TO ADDRESS THIS DISABILITY.

WHEREAS, the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act recognizes that individuals with dyslexia must be provided with educational services that address their problem; and

WHEREAS, the state department of public education does not have a specific definition of dyslexia or defined educational diagnostic evaluations or recommended educational services to address this specific disability; and

WHEREAS, a wide body of research indicates that up to ten percent of the general population is dyslexic; and

WHEREAS, the international dyslexia association defines dyslexia as: "a specific language-based disorder of constitutional origin involving atypical phonological processing ability and correlated weaknesses that are not the result of inadequate intellectual potential, instructional or environmental opportunity, motivation, sensory anomolies or other unrelated cause and are manifested by variable difficulty with expressive and receptive language, often including a conspicuous problem with acquiring proficiency in reading, writing and spelling";

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the state department of public education be requested to research and recommend a definition of dyslexia and effective interventions and specialized public school educational programs that address this specific language disability; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the state department of public education report its findings and recommendations to the legislative education study committee by November 2000; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the superintendent of public instruction.