(a) As used in this article: (i) "Department" means the state department of education created pursuant to W.S. 21-2-104; (ii) "Developmental language disorder" or "DLD" means a primary language disorder that is not attributable to a known biomedical condition and is characterized by persistent difficulties learning, understanding or using language that cause functional impairment in everyday activities. The disorder may affect speaking, listening, reading and writing, may co- occur with other neurodevelopmental conditions and typically persists from early childhood into adulthood; (iii) "Diagnostic assessment" means a valid and reliable specialized assessment used to evaluate specific areas of language and literacy for students with reading difficulties or at risk for poor reading outcomes and provide data to inform individualized reading plans and evidence based language and literacy instruction and intervention; (iv) "District language and literacy plan" or "DLLP" means a school district's written comprehensive strategy, including professional development, progress monitoring and family engagement and intervention, to identify students with reading difficulties and deliver evidence based language and literacy instruction through a multitiered system of support for students with reading difficulties or at risk for poor reading outcomes; (v) "Dyslexia" means a specific learning disability neurobiological in origin, characterized by difficulties with accurate or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities, typically resulting from a deficit in the phonological component of language and often unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities and the provision of effective classroom instruction. Secondary consequences may include problems in reading comprehension and reduced reading experience that may impede growth of vocabulary and background knowledge; (vi) "Dyslexia screener" means a valid and reliable brief assessment used to identify students who may have characteristics associated with dyslexia and aligned with evidence based language and literacy instruction. A dyslexia screener does not diagnose dyslexia; (vii) "Evidence based language and literacy instruction" means explicit, systematic, cumulative and diagnostic instruction grounded in the science of reading that develops accurate and fluent word recognition and language comprehension. Instruction includes, as appropriate to developmental level, phonological and phonemic awareness, sound– symbol association, decoding and encoding, syllable structure, morphology, syntax, semantics, vocabulary development, oral reading fluency, background knowledge and discourse-level comprehension, coordinated to support fluent word recognition, deep comprehension and effective written expression; (viii) "Grade level reading proficiency" means as defined by the state superintendent and adopted in rule; (ix) "High quality instructional materials and practices" means curriculum, instructional methods and teaching tools aligned with evidence based language and literacy instruction and supported by strong or moderate evidence of effectiveness; (x) "Individualized reading plan" or "IRP" means a written plan developed for an individual student identified as having reading difficulties or at risk for poor reading outcomes that includes evidence based language and literacy instruction and intervention, measurable goals and progress monitoring; (xi) "Literacy proficiency" means the ability to read, write, speak and understand language with accuracy, automaticity and effective expression in order to comprehend and communicate across content areas. Literacy proficiency includes reading fluency, which consists of rate, accuracy and expression, and integration of vocabulary knowledge, background knowledge and language comprehension that support proficient reading and written expression; (xii) "Multitiered system of support" or "MTSS" means a tiered framework that provides universal, targeted and intensive levels of academic and behavioral support and evidence based language and literacy instruction, and uses screeners and diagnostic assessments, data-based decision making and progress monitoring to improve outcomes for all students; (xiii) "Reading difficulties" means conditions or patterns of learning that interfere with the development of accurate and fluent word recognition, spelling or comprehension, including but not limited to dyslexia and developmental language disorder, as demonstrated by a student's performance on a screener or diagnostic assessment; (xiv) "State superintendent" means the state superintendent of public instruction; (xv) "Three-cueing system" means any model of teaching students to read based on meaning, structure and syntax and visual cues; (xvi) "Universal screener" means a valid and reliable brief assessment used to identify students with reading difficulties or at risk for poor reading outcomes that is aligned with evidence based language and literacy instruction.
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