Identification of students with dyslexia in California public schools

One of the key problems facing public education today is the need for early and accurate identification of students with dyslexia. Students with dyslexia in public schools have historically been largely ignored or under-identified. California public school educators and administrators need to understand what dyslexia is and how to accurately identify those students as early as possible. The majority of students with dyslexia, if identified at all, are currently being identified only if they have been referred for special education and typically fall under the category of a Specific Learning Disability. This explanatory case study proposes to examine how one large, diverse suburban school district in California is currently identifying students with suspected or identified dyslexia through the lens of special education. The potential impact of early and accurate identification of students with dyslexia in California public schools is critical with the possibility of reducing the number of students who end up being referred for special education, reducing the number of students who do not graduate from high school, reducing the number of students who suffer from anxiety and depression, incarceration and challenges with acquiring and maintaining employment. Results from this qualitative explanatory case study include educators having difficulties precisely defining dyslexia, a historical avoidance of being able to say the word "dyslexia" in public schools, fragmented approaches to Response to Intervention and an expressed need by participants for more professional development.