Sen. Carri Hicks’ interim study focuses on training to better help children with dyslexia

OKLAHOMA CITY – Sen. Carri Hicks, D-Oklahoma City, hopes to raise awareness about a certification program to assist with early detection and specialized educational approaches for students with dyslexia, a learning disorder that can hinder a child’s ability to read well. Hicks, a professional educator, requested the interim study to examine the Certified Academic Language Therapist (CALT) certification and micro-credentialing programs for teachers.

“Dyslexia is believed to impact as many as one out of five people, and it’s one of the most prevalent learning disabilities. It can result in delays and life-long difficulties in reading,” Hicks said. “CALT is one of the most intensive programs there is, and those who’ve completed the certification are specially trained to identify dyslexia and create individual education plans (IEP) to help children become better readers.”

Certified Academic Language Therapist must:

• Hold a master’s degree or higher.
• Complete at least 200 hours of graduate-level instruction in comprehensive, multi-sensory structured language education.
• Complete 700 clinical/teaching hours and complete at least 10 demonstrations.

Megan Oftedal is the executive director of Oklahoma’s Office of Educational Quality and Accountability. She told committee members that Oklahoma has approximately 190 Certified Academic Language Therapists, but their distribution is uneven throughout the state. Oftedal advocated a centralized tracking system to identify underserved areas. She also said comprehensive data would enable the state to measure CALT program impact and refine strategies to provide the most effective literacy support for at-risk students.

“This study was an important first step as we begin the conversation about how we can better utilize CALT to provide this comprehensive program throughout Oklahoma, helping children learn to read, and read to learn – this is critical to their success in school and throughout life,” Hicks said. “I am especially grateful to Senator Adam Pugh, chair of the Education Committee, for holding this interim study. I was honored to work with him on his Strong Readers Act to improve literacy in Oklahoma. I believe CALT is an invaluable part of that effort.”

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For more information, contact:  Sen. Carri Hicks at 405-521-5543 or Carri.Hicks@oksenate.gov.