The Texas Dyslexia Handbook (2024) in Pharr San Juan Alamo ISD
Pharr San Juan Alamo ISD is legally required to adhere to the guidelines and procedures outlined in the most current version of the Texas Dyslexia Handbook. Recently updated in 2024 following the passage of HB 3928, this handbook provides the definitive legal roadmap for identifying, assessing, and providing services to students with dyslexia.
The handbook details strict legal requirements for local campuses, mandating best practices in intervention and spelling out exact parental rights. Crucially, the newest updates clarify that a dyslexia evaluation is now officially considered a Full Individual and Initial Evaluation (FIIE) under special education law.
Mandatory Screening Requirements
By Texas law, Pharr San Juan Alamo ISD must implement mandatory dyslexia screening for all students in kindergarten and first grade. This screening is not a full evaluation, but a tool designed to identify students who are at risk.
The screening process evaluates phonological awareness, rapid naming, and letter-sound knowledge. If your child shows signs of risk during this initial screening, the campus is required to notify you and begin monitoring. However, you do not need to wait for a screener to flag your child to request help.
Show the ISD You Mean Business
A verbal request has no legal weight. A written letter starts the 45-day clock and forces a response within 15 school days.
Get Your Letter — $25 →Structured Literacy Programs
If your child is identified with dyslexia, Pharr San Juan Alamo ISD is required to provide a "Structured Literacy" program. This is an explicit, systematic, and cumulative approach to reading instruction.
Structured Literacy programs emphasize phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and reading comprehension. Instruction must be sequential and build upon previously learned skills. The specific program used on your child's campus will be determined in collaboration with your ARD or 504 committee.
504 Plan vs. IEP for Dyslexia
A major point of confusion for parents is whether their dyslexic child should receive a 504 Plan or a full IEP (Special Education). The 2024 handbook clarifies that dyslexia is a Specific Learning Disability (SLD).
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The Section 504 Plan Appropriate for students whose dyslexia impacts their learning, but who do not require specialized, intensive instruction to access the general curriculum. It provides accommodations (like extra time) but not specialized teaching.
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The IEP (Special Education) Required for students whose dyslexia significantly impacts their ability to learn and who need intensive, individualized, specialized instruction to make progress. This gives you far more legal protections and goals.
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How to Request an Evaluation in Pharr San Juan Alamo ISD
Do not rely on verbal conversations with the teacher. To start the legal clock, you must put it in writing.
- Write the Request: Draft a letter formally requesting a Full Individual and Initial Evaluation (FIIE) for suspected dyslexia and Specific Learning Disabilities.
- Submit to the Principal: Email the request directly to your campus principal and copy the Special Education Director.
- Watch the Clock: Once the district receives your written request, they have exactly 15 school days to provide you with a written response and a consent form.
- Prepare for Testing: Once you sign the consent form, the district has 45 school days to complete the full evaluation.