In 2013, the Arkansas Legislature passed ACT 1294 to ensure that children with the characteristics of dyslexia would have their needs met by the state’s public school system.
In 2015, ACT 1268 expanded this initiative by modifying the requirements concerning dyslexia screenings, and clarifying actions required by the state, educational cooperatives, and school districts.
In October of 2016, the Arkansas Department of Education (ADE) updated the rules governing the implementation of ACT 1268. These updated rules provided further clarification, guidance, and instruction on how to meet the needs of students showing characteristics of dyslexia.
In April of 2017, the Arkansas Legislature passed ACT 1039 to further amend and clarify code provisions regarding dyslexia screenings and intervention, and to add specific enforcement provisions tied to school accreditation.
ACT 1039 also added new public posting requirement. District websites must post information on the number of students in each school that have been identified as having the characteristics of dyslexia, and the number of students that are being served by an approved intervention program.