Literacy, Evaluations, and the IEP: What Families Need to Know (PEATC and the VDOE)

Description:

Virginia’s new guidance on the Virginia Literacy Act (VLA) now includes students in grades 4–8. If your child scores basic or below basic on the reading SOL, they will be screened using a new tool called the VALLSS screener and may receive a Student Reading Plan (SRP) to guide reading interventions. But here’s what’s important for families of children with IEPs: this screening data can inform your child’s current IEP, guide literacy goals, and be used as evidence when requesting a full, comprehensive special education evaluation in all areas of suspected need—including reading.

Parents also have the right to request the VALLSS screening even if their child’s scores don’t automatically trigger it. If your child is already struggling with reading, this may be a helpful tool to better understand their needs—and ensure those needs are addressed in the IEP process.

?? What You Can Do: You may want to talk with your IEP team about how VLA implementation could support your child’s learning. If your child doesn’t already have an IEP but is receiving literacy intervention, you can ask if a special education referral and full evaluation might be appropriate.