We ask for $2.1 million to help establish the Center for Dyslexia and Dysgraphia, which will support the 20% of NYS school children with dyslexia and/or dysgraphia: 

• There are approximately 2.6 million school children public school children in NYS
• That’s only $0.81 per NYS student for this vital statewide program! 

Because when we help the 1 in 5 students with dyslexia read, we increase best literacy practices for ALL students and increase literacy across NYS!

The NYS Dyslexia and Dysgraphia Task Force issued a critical report here, and funding for the Center is imperative to this work: https://www.nysed.gov/sites/default/files/programs/main/nysed-dyslexia-dysgraphia-task-force-report.pdf   

The NYSED has worked extensively in these areas, and released a number of guidance documents for school districts that express the importance of a shift toward an evidence-based instructional model of literacy, which can be supported by the new Center for Dyslexia and Dysgraphia.  But we must have funding for the Center!

Adequate, equitable, and sustainable funding for literacy will enable school districts to provide professional development for educators, evidence-based curricula, and appropriate dyslexia and dysgraphia interventions. This will ensure that every child has an equal opportunity to learn and succeed.

Our students with dyslexia and dysgraphia needs your support to help them read, learn and thrive! Dyslexia is the most prevalent learning disability, affecting approximately 20% of the population, and accounting for 80% of learning disability classifications.

NYS PTA Ask: We seek $2.1 million in this State Budget to help establish the Center for Dyslexia and Dysgraphia, and support the 1 in 5 students with Dyslexia or Dysgraphia  in NYS.