Assessing the impact of dyslexia laws on identification and reading achievement: an empirical analysis

Dyslexia legislation has been increasingly enacted across US states to improve the early identification and support of students with dyslexia. However, little is known about the extent to which these laws have influenced dyslexia identification rates and reading achievement outcomes. We examined the impact of state dyslexia laws using repeated cross-sectional, student-level data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) fourth-grade reading assessments collected between 2003 and 2022. We assess changes in Specific Learning Disability (SLD) identification rates and reading performance before and after dyslexia law enactment across states. Across 47 states with relevant laws, 26 states (55%) showed no significant change in SLD identification rates, 13 states (28%) experienced increases, and 8 states (17%) experienced decreases. For reading achievement among students with SLD, 4 states (9%) showed significant improvement, 20 states (43%) showed declines, and 23 states (49%) showed no change. These mixed results are consistent with the wide variation in scope and implementation of dyslexia laws, as well as broader national trends in reading achievement. Importantly, most states do not require students with characteristics of dyslexia to be classified under SLD, so changes in identification rates are not a direct expectation of such legislation. Our findings suggest that enactment alone is insufficient to drive consistent improvements; effective implementation, integration with broader literacy reforms, and stronger monitoring systems are likely needed for these policies to achieve their intended goals.