New York is taking a statewide step to change how schools identify and support students with dyslexia and dysgraphia.
State leaders have approved a new policy creating the Center for Dyslexia and Dysgraphia within the New York State Education Department. The center will guide how schools screen, identify, and support students with reading and writing disabilities.
The new center establishes a statewide framework for best practices, including universal screening for students in kindergarten through fifth grade and for new students entering schools. It will also set standards for evidence-based interventions and teacher training focused on reading and writing challenges.
State officials said the goal is consistency.
The center will collect and share best practices across districts and help schools use approaches grounded in the science of reading. It will also support better development of Individual Education Programs and classroom accommodations for students with learning disabilities.
Within two years, the center must publish a statewide guidebook for schools. That guide will outline legal responsibilities, screening methods, instructional strategies, and effective supports for students with dyslexia and dysgraphia. Updates are required at least every five years.
Lawmakers said the move addresses a long-standing gap in New York’s education system. Roughly one in five children in the state struggles with dyslexia, according to state officials, yet screening and support practices have varied widely from district to district.
Supporters said the policy builds on earlier state efforts to improve literacy outcomes. A task force created in 2023 issued recommendations on early screening, teacher training, and interventions for learning disabilities. Several of those recommendations now become part of the new center’s mission.
The policy also aligns with New York’s recent push toward structured literacy instruction, especially in early grades. Research-backed methods like phonics and phonemic awareness play a central role in supporting students who struggle with reading.
State officials said the center is designed to help schools act earlier, support students more consistently, and reduce misidentification or missed diagnoses.
Advocates and educators said the change could have lasting impact by making evidence-based literacy practices standard across the state rather than optional or unevenly applied.
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