Bill > SB2377

This bill mandates that the Tennessee State Board of Education create a special certification, called a "qualified dyslexia interventionist endorsement," for educators. This endorsement will allow teachers to provide specialized help, such as targeted teaching, academic assistance, or behavioral support, to students who show signs of dyslexia, a learning disorder that affects reading. To get this endorsement, educators must first obtain a Certified Structured Literacy Dyslexia Interventionist (C-SLDI) credential from the Center for Effective Reading Instruction (CERI), which works with the International Dyslexia Association (IDA), and also meet any other requirements the state board sets, like extra classes or passing a test. Importantly, this new endorsement doesn't stop educators who don't have it from helping students with dyslexia if they are already qualified to do so. This law will go into effect on July 1, 2026.