Colorado Senate bill for standardized dyslexia screening makes way through State Capitol: "This is a piece we're missing"

Monday was a big day at the state capitol building for Laura Mitchell. As a co-founder of COKID, an organization dedicated to providing resources and advocacy for dyslexic children across the state, the fight for standardized dyslexia testing in Colorado has been a years-long battle.

"This has to be our year. It has to be for our kids," she said.

The original READ Act was adopted just prior to 2020, but since that time, the state has lagged in its ability to create guidelines for testing, advocates say.

"It's in their best interest to get them on grade level just like the other kids by third grade because that's when you go from learning to read to reading to learn," Mitchell said.

She and her COKID co-founder, Lindsay Drakos, know the struggles on a personal level. 

"My oldest was 10 in fifth grade," Drakos told CBS Colorado. "I paid for a private evaluation -- $2,000 -- when she was 10 years old and found out she was dyslexic."

The costs of such services can be prohibitive for many. And while Drakos and Mitchell were able to help their kids, they don't want to pull the metaphorical ladder up behind them. Instead, they continue to advocate for standardized testing to help provide equity across the state education system.

"Seventy-five percent of Black, Latino and low-income kids in Colorado are not reading proficiently and this is a piece we're missing," Drakos said. 

The biggest question on the legislative side is regarding the state budget, as many bills that require significant funding may face some hurdles to getting to the governor's desk. Democratic State Sen. Chris Kolker, one of the bill's co-sponsors, explained that that wouldn't be a problem for what is known as Senate Bill 25-200.

"It does not have a fiscal note and we do not have any general fund expenditures foreseen initially," he said. 

As Colorado aims to catch up to other states across the country.

"We're trailing to the last five-ish states with getting actual legislation for universal dyslexia screening," said Rachel Arnold, who runs the Rocky Mountain Branch of the International Dyslexia Association.

The hope is that future children, like Laura and Lindsay's, have a chance of catching up earlier academically and being set up for success across the state.