Iowa Dyslexia Board

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The Iowa Dyslexia Board performs functions and duties as specified by Iowa Code 256.32A.

Responsibilities of the board include:

  • Guiding, facilitating, and overseeing implementation of dyslexia instruction in Iowa and making recommendations for continued improvement of such instruction.
  • Submitting recommendations to the Iowa Department of Education regarding the required and preferred qualifications for a dyslexia consultant position required in accordance with Iowa Code 256.9, subsection 60.
  • Submitting recommendations to the area education agencies regarding the required and preferred qualifications for dyslexia specialists required in accordance with Iowa Core 273.2, subsection 11.

Iowa Dyslexia Board By-laws and Operating Procedures - Clarifies the purpose, responsibility and procedures of the board.

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Priorities and Goals

The Iowa Dyslexia Board has developed clear and detailed priorities to guide their work.

Ensuring Dyslexia Requirements and Recommendations are Communicated

  • Goal: The board will collaborate with and support the Iowa Department of Education to facilitate issuance of guidance regarding a consistent response to dyslexia and effective instruction as outlined in the Dyslexia Task Force report.
  • Goal: The board will promote the legislated dyslexia requirements to increase the percentage of educators who engage in the legislated requirements.

Ensuring a Consistent Identification of and Response to Dyslexia

  • Goal: Promote effective methods of identifying students at risk for dyslexia to ensure explicit and systematic instruction and early intervention is made available in an increasing number of districts in the state.
  • Goal: Promote effective instruction of foundational literacy skills at both universal and intervention levels to improve literacy outcomes for K-3 students with and at-risk for dyslexia.
  • Goal: Promote materials aligned to effective literacy instruction for students with dyslexia to increase the percentage of evidence-based programs and interventions used in Iowa schools.
  • Goal: Create an action plan to provide differentiated training to IHEs on the knowledge, skills and dispositions of dyslexia.

Promoting High Quality Dyslexia Related Preservice and Inservice Learning for Educators

  • Goal: The board will promote preservice and inservice training opportunities to increase the percentage of educators who know the definition of dyslexia, understand how the term “dyslexia” should be used in schools, and can accurately identify the characteristics of dyslexia.
  • Goal: The board will increase the percentage of individuals with a reading endorsement, reading specialist certificate and/or dyslexia endorsement who are knowledgeable of the characteristics of dyslexia and practices of explicit, systematic literacy instruction (i.e., instructional strategies most effective at preventing severe reading problems and responding to students with dyslexia). 

Collaborating to Impact Supports for Students with Dyslexia

This priority is integrated across the above priorities

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Membership

The Iowa Dyslexia Board has fourteen voting members. The Iowa Department of Education appoints membership. The term of membership is three years with terms staggered so that at least four of the terms end each year, but no member serving on the initial board shall serve less than one year. The governor determines the length of the initial terms of office.

Interested in serving on the Iowa Dyslexia Board? Complete the Iowa Dyslexia Board Membership Application.

Members

  • Barb Anderson, vice chair, designee of the Iowa Department of Education
  • Bambi Boggs, representative of Decoding Dyslexia who is an individual with dyslexia
  • Kristen Craig, Waukee Community School District (CSD), elementary core literacy teacher
  • Matt Cretsinger, Marshalltown CSD, special education administrator
  • Stephanie Edgren, Iowa Reading Research Center, representative of an Institute of Higher Education
  • Katie Greving, representative of Decoding Dyslexia Iowa who is a parent with children with dyslexia
  • Nina Lorimor-Easley, chair, Independent Consultant, provider certified in a structured literacy reading program
  • James Northwick, Atlantic CSD, school administrator
  • Wanda Steuri, Iowa Department of Education dyslexia consultant
  • Kay Stork, CAM CSD, reading specialist
  • Ben Walizer, representative of the Iowa Reading Research Center
  • Tammy Wilgenbusch, University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital, psychologist
  • Shane Williams, Mississippi Bend Area Education Agency (AEA), representative of an AEA.
  • Kara Wishman, representative of Decoding Dyslexia Iowa who is a parent of children with dyslexia
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Meeting Dates, Agendas and Minutes

Meeting Time and Location:
10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Grimes State Office Building
400 E 14th St
Des Moines, IA 50319-0146

Meeting Dates

April 23, 2024

Feb. 29, 2024

Dec. 6, 2023

Oct. 9, 2023

Sept. 11, 2023

April 26, 2023 - A quorum was not present at this meeting, so no official actions or minutes were taken.

March 1, 2023

Jan. 11, 2023

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Public Comment

Meetings are open to the public who may join in-person or virtually using the virtual meeting link found in the meeting agenda. 

Members of the public may provide public comment in the following ways:

  • Attend in-person: Sign up in-person or electronically prior to the public comment period of each meeting. The electronic sign-up is available in the agenda.
  • Attending virtually: Sign up electronically prior to the public comment period of each meeting. The electronic sign-up is available in the agenda.
  • Unable to attend a meeting: Provide written public comment to the Iowa Dyslexia Board.
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Legislative Reports

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Background Information

An Iowa Dyslexia Task Force, established by the Iowa General Assembly in 2018 (SF 2360), met in 2018 and 2019 with the purpose of submitting its findings and recommendations relating to dyslexia.

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