Office of the Superintendent of Schools
Office of Academics
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Approval Of Proposed Deletion Of Board Policy EHBC(LOCAL), Special Programs: Compensatory Services And Intensive Programs-First Reading
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The purpose of this agenda item is to request that the Houston Independent School District (HISD) School Board approves the deletion of Board Policy EHBC(LOCAL), Special Programs: Compensatory Services And Intensive Programs. The information in EHBC(LOCAL) is outdated, not required to be in a board policy, and the district seeks approval to remove the current local at-risk indicator, dyslexia, effective with the 2025-2026 school year, as part of ongoing efforts to align district practices with state policy.
Dyslexia is a specific learning disability under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Texas House Bill 3928 reframed dyslexia as special education, requiring more than stand-alone interventions or accommodations but no longer requiring separate individual monitoring.
Prior to June 2024, the state did not clearly distinguish between special education dyslexia and 504/general education dyslexia. As of June 30, 2024, the State Board of Education’s Dyslexia Handbook, 2024 update, clarified that “If dyslexia is identified and the student is determined to need dyslexia instruction, that instruction is considered specially designed instruction, in other words, this is a special education service.” This and a letter from the Texas Education Association dated June 27, 2024, confirm that dyslexia instruction is now classified as a special education service under IDEA.
This modification will align district practices with state guidance and will be supported through the district at-risk strategy with no additional cost to the district.
A copy of EHBC(LOCAL) is attached.
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THIS ITEM DOES DELETE BOARD POLICY.
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RECOMMENDED: That the School Board accepts the proposed deletion of Board Policy EHBC(LOCAL), Special Programs: Compensatory Services And Intensive Programs, on first reading, effective October 10, 2025.