This article was originally published in Nebraska Examiner.
LINCOLN — A first-of-its-kind statewide report related to reading and dyslexia for Nebraska K-12 students shows strides in addressing literacy as policymakers see room for improvement.
The Nebraska Department of Education submitted its first report to the Legislature on Sept. 3 as required under Legislative Bill 298 . State Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of Elkhorn shepherded the legislation through in 2023 as a next step from 2018 legislation that began assessing K-3 students three times a year to get them on individualized reading improvement plans and supports earlier, if needed. In 2017, the Legislature defined “dyslexia” in state law.
LB 298 requires each public school in the state to report the number of students in the 2023-24 academic year who were:
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- Tested for a specific learning disability in the area of reading, including tests that identify characteristics of dyslexia and the results of such tests.
- Identified as having a reading issue, including dyslexia, pursuant to assessments under the Nebraska Reading Improvement Act, which Linehan passed in 2018.
- Identified as having a reading issue who have shown growth on the measure used to identify the reporting issue.