Title 17. Education
Chapter 10. Institutions of Learning in General
Part II. Miscellaneous Provisions
Subpart B. Unrelated Matters
17:2112 Testing pupils’ sight and hearing; testing for dyslexia; notice to parent or tutor; report to state superintendent
A. (1) Except as otherwise provided in Subsection C of this Section, every city, parish, and other local public school board, during the first semester of the school year or within thirty days after the admission of any pupils entering the school late in the session, shall test the sight, including color screening for all first grade students, and hearing of each and all pupils under their charge, except those pupils whose parent or tutor objects to such examination, as provided for in R.S. 17:156. Such testing shall be completed in accordance with the schedule established by the American Academy of Pediatrics. The State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education may convert the age equivalent as provided by the American Academy of Pediatrics schedule to the academic year equivalent which corresponds to that age.
(2) In addition to the testing and screening required in Paragraph (1) of this Subsection, upon the request of a parent, student, school nurse, classroom teacher, or other school personnel who has reason to believe that a student has a need to be tested for dyslexia, that student shall be referred to the school building level committee for additional testing. Local school boards may provide for additional training for school nurses to aid in identifying dyslexic students.
(3) The school board shall keep a record of such examination, shall be required to follow up on the deficiencies within sixty days, and shall notify in writing the parent or tutor of every pupil found to have any defect of sight or hearing.
B. For purposes of this Section, “dyslexia” shall be defined as an unexpected difficulty in reading for an individual who has the intelligence to be a much better reader, most commonly caused by a difficulty in phonological processing, which affects the ability of an individual to speak, read, and spell. “Phonological processing” means the appreciation of the individual sounds of spoken and written language.
C. (1) Effective for the 2005-2006 school year, the provisions of Paragraph (A)(1) of this Section relative to the requirement for testing the sight and hearing of pupils within thirty days after the admission of any pupils entering school late in the session shall not be applicable.
(2) The State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education may adopt rules effective for the 2005-2006 school year relative to the requirement for testing the sight and hearing of pupils entering school late in the session.
Amended by Acts 1986, No. 415, § 1; Acts 1986, No. 1013, § 1; Acts 1987, No. 522, § 1; Acts 1989, No. 241, § 1, eff. June 26, 1989; Acts 1989, No. 478, § 1; Acts 1990, No. 1053, § 1; Acts 2003, No. 108, § 1, eff. July 1, 2003; Acts 2005, 1st Ex.Sess., No. 22, § 1, eff. Nov. 29, 2005; Acts 2013, No. 329, § 1; Acts 2020, No. 206, § 1.