Professional Development

Teacher professional development

The Dyslexia Support Laws require all kindergarten through third grade teachers, as well as teachers providing special education instruction to children in kindergarten through grade 12, to complete professional development on identifying characteristics of dyslexia and understanding pedagogy for instruction of students with dyslexia. 

Requirements from the Ohio Dyslexia Committee 

The Ohio Dyslexia Committee is requiring educators to complete 18 hours of professional development aligned with the Ohio Dyslexia Guidebook. This professional development will support educators in identifying characteristics of dyslexia and understanding the pedagogy for instruction of students with or at risk of dyslexia. 

Professional Development Training 

Each professional development option is evidence-based and includes instruction and training for identifying characteristics of dyslexia and understanding the pedagogy for instructing students with dyslexia as required under ORC 3319.077. The list was developed by the Department in collaboration with the Ohio Dyslexia Committee pursuant to ORC  3323.25 and 3319.077. This list is subject to change to align with the version of the guidebook that will be approved by the Department. Check back frequently for updated information.
 

Questions can be sent to Dyslexia@education.ohio.gov.  If you need additional account support after consulting the linked support documents above, please contact OH|ID Profile Help at Profile.Help@education.ohio.gov for OH|ID assistance. If you are in the LMS application and need additional support, please contact LMS Support at  LMSSupport@education.ohio.gov.

Note to providers: This is not an endorsement process, and no course provider should market themselves as offering an Ohio Department of Education endorsed course.  
 

Timeline for Completing Professional Development  

  • Teachers hired before April 12, 2021, who provide instruction to students in the following grade bands must complete the required professional development in accordance with the following timeline:
    • By the beginning of the 2023-2024 school year: Teachers of grades K-1, including special education teachers.
    • By Sept. 15 of the 2024-2025 school year: Teachers of grades 2-3, including special education teachers.
    • By Sept. 15 of the 2025-2026 school year: Special education teachers of students in grades 4-12.
  • Teachers hired after April 12, 2021, who provide instruction to students in the grade bands outlined above must complete the required professional development by the later of the aforementioned dates or two calendar years after the hiring date (unless the teacher completed the professional development while employed by a different district or school).

Note: Any professional development previously completed by a teacher that is included on the list of approved courses counts toward the required 18 hours in approved professional development.  

Courses Accredited by the International Dyslexia Association 

Independent Training Programs and Higher Education Programs accredited by the International Dyslexia Association are approved to meet the professional development requirements of the Dyslexia Support Laws. Programs with Accreditation and Accreditation Plus status are recognized. Training programs that offer training similar trainings to those on this list are encouraged to apply for accreditation to provide additional high quality professional development options for Ohio educators.  
 

Courses approved for Structured Literacy Certification 

The Ohio Dyslexia Committee has provided a list of approved programs for Structured Literacy Certification. Educators completing at least 18 hours of this coursework will have met the professional development requirements. Completion of the course and practicum in full is required for Structured Literacy Certification.   

 

Training Provided by Instructors of Structured Literacy Certification Programs 

Individuals qualified to provide the coursework and practicum approved for Structured Literacy Certification by the Ohio Dyslexia Committee may develop and provide training for the purpose of this requirement. If the instructor is developing training that is different from what is already approved through the Structured Literacy Certification program, the training must be at least 18 hours and include the content recommended by the Ohio Dyslexia Committee (outlined below).
 

Ohio Department of Education Dyslexia Course 

The Ohio Department of Education has developed a free course for teachers providing instruction to students in grades K-3 to meet the professional development requirements.
For information on accessing the course, please review the Instructions for Accessing the Introduction to Dyslexia Course.

The Ohio Department of Education has developed an additional free course to meet the professional development requirements for intervention specialists and teachers providing instruction to students in grades 4-12. Intervention specialists serving these grade bands must complete the PD by September 15 of the 2025-26 school year. For information on accessing the course, please review the Instructions for Accessing the Introduction to Dyslexia Course.

The following outlines the 18 hours of content recommended by the Ohio Dyslexia Committee: 

  • Pre and Post Assessment for Participants  
  • What is Structured Literacy?  
  • Science of Reading Overview  
  • Defining Dyslexia and Identifying Characteristics of Dyslexia  
  • Multi-Tiered System of Support Overview  
  • Structured Literacy in Core (Tier 1) Instruction  
  • Using Data to Plan Instruction through Reading Profiles and Aligned Interventions  
  • Teaching Word Recognition  
    • Phonological awareness  
    • Basic phonics 
    • Advanced phonics (morphology, syllable types, etymology) 
    • ​Sight word recognition 
  • Teaching Handwriting  
    • Print / Manuscript 
    • Cursive 
    • Brief, explicit and systematic instruction 
  • Teaching Language Comprehension  
    • Language Structures (Syntax) 
    • Vocabulary 
    • Background Knowledge 
  • Fluency 
    • Rate 
    • Prosody 
    • Accuracy 
  • Comprehending Grade-Level Texts  

OHIO REVISED CODE 

Last Modified: 2/20/2024 2:09:23 PM