Brief⁽¹⁾

H.C.R. 5010 requests the State Board of Education to conduct a statewide study to assess the literacy and reading speed of blind and legally blind pupils, including multiply disabled blind pupils, on a grade level basis. The study should include an assessment for each pupil of whether the most effective and appropriate communications media, such as Braille or large print, are being used.

The concurrent resolution urges that, by no later than January 31, 2000, the State Board of Education issue a plan with specific dated milestones for correcting deficits or declinations in literacy or reading speed levels identified among blind Kansas students as compared with their grade level sighted peers.

Background

Proponents of the concurrent resolution included Envision and the Kansas Association of the Blind and Visually Impaired, Inc. The spokesperson for Envision explained that blind adults in Kansas have been expressing concern that the literacy level of blind and legally blind high school graduates has been declining. In Kansas, there has not been adequate documentation regarding the magnitude of literacy difficulties among blind students, so some quantification of the matter is needed to assist in determining effective solutions. According to the spokesperson, the cost to the state of the activity contained in H.C.R. 5010 would be not more than $50,000. (This amount was determined in consultation with the State Department of Education.)

1. *Supplemental notes are prepared by the Legislative Research Department and do not express legislative intent. The supplemental note and fiscal note for this bill may be accessed on the Internet at http://www.ink.org/public/legislative/bill_search.html.