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ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Fourth Legislature, Second Regular Session
AMENDED
teachers; braille literacy; rules
Purpose
Requires the State Board of Education (SBE) to adopt rules that ensure blind or visually impaired pupils receive appropriate quality blindness compensatory skills training.
Background
Current law requires SBE to adopt rules to promote braille literacy that: 1) ensure blind pupils receive an individualized braille literacy assessment and resulting educational services; 2) establish proficiency and instruction standards; 3) provide materials in a computer accessible format; 4) require certified teachers to meet braille competencies; 5) ensure developed individualized written education programs presume that braille proficiency is essential to educational progress, if applicable to the pupil's needs; 6) ensure braille instruction is sufficient to enable effective communication in all subject areas; 7) require the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) to ensure all nonliterary textbooks are available in a format from which braille versions can be produced; and 8) require teachers certified in educating blind or visually impaired pupils to demonstrate competence in braille by completing a nationally validated test or a braille test developed at the University of Arizona (A.R.S. § 15-214).
Current law requires a blind or visually impaired pupil's Individualized Education Program (IEP) to specify: 1) braille assessment results; 2) methods of braille implementation; 3) when braille instruction will begin; 4) the length and frequency of braille instruction; 5) the level of braille competency to be achieved and a description of the objective measures used to evaluate the pupil's competency; 6) a list of the appropriate braille materials and equipment needed to achieve competency; and 7) the rationale for not providing braille instruction, if applicable (A.R.S. § 15‑214).
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.
Provisions
1. Requires SBE to adopt rules ensuring that blind or 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.
2. Requires the SBE to adopt rules to ensure teachers of orientation and mobility instruction for blind or visually impaired pupils demonstrate competence in the field of orientation and mobility.
3. Requires teachers certified in educating blind or visually impaired pupils to demonstrate competence in braille by completing either the National Certification in Unified English Braille Examination or a comparable braille test developed at a university-level teacher preparation program.
4. Defines compensatory skills as skills needed by blind or visually impaired pupils to access all areas of general curriculum.
5. Defines expanded core curriculum as the knowledge, concepts and skills typically learned incidentally by sighted pupils that must be taught to blind or visually impaired pupils using alternative techniques.
6. Defines orientation and mobility as the ability to travel safely and effectively in one's environment using alternative blindness skills.
7. Makes technical and conforming changes.
8. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
Amendments Adopted by Committee
1. Removes the requirement that SBE adopt rules requiring teachers for blind or visually impaired pupils to maintain a certification related to orientation and mobility or rehabilitation.
2. Makes conforming changes.
Senate Action
ED 2/18/20 DPA 7-0-2
Prepared by Senate Research
February 20, 2020
JO/JP/gs