DPI seeks credentialing cleanup and updates to dyslexia reporting

Anne Ellifson, interim assistant superintendent for academic support at the Department of Public Instruction, asked the task force to support a statutory cleanup and to consider shifting some credentialing authority.

Ellifson explained that Century Code 15.1‑02‑16 lists 23 credential topics that the superintendent issues, and suggested some credentials are outdated or no longer relevant in practice. She said DPI and the Education Standards and Practices Board (ESPB) have discussed whether some credentialing authority could be consolidated under ESPB; moving responsibilities would require statutory and administrative‑code changes and further collaboration between the agencies.

Ellifson also urged removing or updating antiquated statutory sections such as the school safety‑patrol manual requirement and refining waiver statutes that have become messy over multiple additions. On dyslexia screening, she told the task force that the 2024 reporting requirement has been met and that while screening remains statewide, the ongoing statutory reporting timeline could be revisited: "If you don't put it in statute, we try to relieve our districts from the responsibility to report," she said. DPI offered to work with legislative staff on language clarifying which reporting should continue.

Task force members asked whether reporting should continue; Ellifson replied DPI uses dyslexia screening outcomes for technical assistance and parent inquiries and could provide annual reports if the legislature wanted them. The committee did not vote on statutory changes at the meeting but accepted DPI’s offer to collaborate on draft clarifications.