Colorado reading
Currently, about a dozen Colorado districts conduct universal dyslexia screenings in some grades.
Under the bill, school districts would have to start screening students in the 2026-27 school year.
Advocates for English learners have raised concerns for years about new reading instruction policies. A new report claims teachers across the U.S. are facing challenges.
The goals are ambitious and meant to address some of the 880,000-student system’s thorniest challenges.
State officials warned, however, that Colorado’s dire budget outlook could limit money for dyslexia support.
The pilot program will expand from six to eight school districts this school year.
The decision to maintain the program comes about three weeks after parents received a letter saying it would be dissolved.
Some families travel hours each day so their children can attend the Bright MINDS program in Lakewood.
Experts say taking away science or social studies is not the solution to low reading scores.
'I haven’t heard anything specific about a special assessment, screener, or anything regarding dyslexia,' said a second grade teacher in Denver.
The University of Colorado Denver’s teacher prep program is one of seven ordered to make changes to reading coursework in recent years.
The University of Northern Colorado was one of several teacher prep programs in the state to earn top grades from the National Council on Teacher Quality.
Some school districts, including Boulder Valley and La Veta, already conduct universal dyslexia screenings in certain grades.
Students and faculty shared similar stories about the professor’s problematic behavior during a campus visit by state reviewers last fall.
CSU’s teacher prep program is one of only a handful to win Colorado approval on the first try in the last four years.
Joyce Rankin has been a forceful advocate for improved reading instruction. She plans to step down as Democrats expand their majority on the State Board.
Gone by the wayside are reading programs that encourage children to figure out what a jumble of letters says by looking at the picture or using other clues to guess the word.
In each grade, district officials stripped out two units and added 10 books.
The state granted extensions to a dozen school districts where most but not all K-3 teachers completed the training.
Jeffco, Adams 12, Colorado Springs 11, and Greeley-Evans are some of the districts receiving grants.