ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Fifty-fourth Legislature Second Regular Session
	Senate: ED DPA 7-0-2-0 | 3^rd Read 30-0-0-0

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SB 1593: teachers; braille literacy; rules

Sponsor: Senator Pace, LD 25

Committee on Education

Overview

Directs the State Board of Education (SBE) to adopt rules that ensure blind and visually impaired pupils receive appropriate quality blindness compensatory skills training and requires teachers certified in education of these pupils to demonstrate competency in braille.

History

SBE is required to adopt rules to promote braille literacy that:

1) Ensure each blind pupil receives an individualized braille literacy assessment and appropriate educational services;

2) Establish standards of proficiency and instruction;

3) Provide materials in a computer accessible format capable of braille reproduction;

4) Require that certified teachers of visually impaired pupils meet braille competencies;

5) Each blind pupil's individualized education program (IEP) presume that proficiency in braille is essential for educational progress;

6) Ensure braille instruction is sufficient to enable each blind pupil to communicate effectively and efficiently in all subject areas;

7) Ensure the Arizona Department of Education requires all publishers of textbooks to provide electronic versions for literary and nonliterary subjects from which braille versions of the textbooks can be produced; and

8) Ensure teachers certified in educating blind pupils and visually impaired pupils demonstrate competence in braille as measured by completing a nationally validated test or a braille test developed by the University of Arizona (A.R.S. § 15-241).

Provisions

1. Directs SBE to adopt rules to ensure that:

a) Blind pupils and visually impaired pupils receive appropriate quality blindness compensatory skills training to allow each pupil to complete the expanded core curriculum goals in the pupil's IEP; and

b) All teachers of orientation and mobility instruction for blind pupils or visually impaired pupils demonstrate competence in the field of orientation and mobility. (Sec. 1)

2. Requires SBE to adopt rules that ensure all teachers certified in educating blind pupils and visually impaired pupils demonstrate competence in braille by successfully completing either:

a) A national certification in unified English braille examination; or

b) A comparable braille test developed in a university-level teacher preparation program for blind pupils and visually impaired pupils. (Sec. 1)

3. Defines compensatory skills, expanded core curriculum and orientation and mobility. (Sec. 1)

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7.                   SB 1593

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