Expanding Dyslexia Training When Teachers Need It Most

ATLANTA, May 20, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Rollins Center for Language & Literacy is partnering with the University of California and California State University's leading literacy researchers, led by Dr. Maryanne Wolf and Dr. Laura Rhinehart, to provide expanded coursework for educators focused on serving children with dyslexia. The Rollins Center will be making this content available through their free online professional development platform, Cox Campus. 

Cox Campus, launched in 2014, serves more than 367,000 members in all 50 states and 130 countries internationally, providing evidence-based professional learning for educators across the sciences of healthy brain development, language acquisition and literacy. To date, more than 1.2M courses have been completed at no cost to teachers – a fair market value of $180M into the field of education.

For teachers across the United States, release of this coursework aligns with a recent focus on the science of reading and literacy instruction. In recent years, states have advanced legislation aimed at improving reading proficiency in kindergarten through third grade by requiring high-quality instructional materials, tiered reading interventions, and comprehensive teacher training in structured literacy. These efforts reflect a broader recognition of a troubling national reality; only about one-third of students nationwide are reading proficiently by the end of third grade-a clear call for urgent, systemic change.

In 2019, Georgia took a major step toward improving literacy outcomes by passing Senate Bill 48 (SB 48), which laid the groundwork for statewide dyslexia legislation. Now fully in effect as of the 2024–2025 school year, the law requires all public schools to screen all kindergarten students for dyslexia, as well as first through third graders who show indicators of dyslexia.

This legislation and its full implementation this year highlight Georgia's commitment to early identification and intervention. But identifying students with dyslexia is only the beginning. With dyslexia awareness now required of every public school, it is essential that educators are equipped with the knowledge and tools to effectively teach and support students with these learning differences.

The dyslexia coursework that will be offered for teachers on Cox Campus was co-authored by Dr. Wolf, an internationally renowned cognitive neuroscientist, educator, and leading expert in the science of reading and dyslexia. Dr. Wolf collaborated with Dr. Rhinehart, a distinguished educator and expert in literacy and language development. Together, they worked in partnership with leading researchers from the University of California and California State University systems, spanning the fields of general, special, and bilingual education. The resulting courses are designed specifically to address dyslexia within the broader context of supporting diverse learners through effective, inclusive instruction.

The universities have chosen to release these courses on coxcampus.org for two reasons — it is available at no cost to districts or educators, and it is the only free platform accredited by the International Dyslexia Association. Committed to bridging the gap between research and practice, and devoted to literacy and justice for all, Drs. Wolf and Rhinehart believe that the reach of Cox Campus (more than 360,000 members in all fifty states and more than 130 countries) provides an unmatched opportunity to change the trajectory of reading instruction, and by extension, the lives of countless children who would not otherwise have the opportunity to decide their own futures.

The Georgia Department of Education has just finalized the list of approved dyslexia screeners and selected one that will be made free to Georgia Public Schools. Paired with the current structured literacy coursework on Cox Campus, this expanded focus on dyslexia will position Georgia teachers — and teachers everywhere — to build and deepen necessary knowledge to change literacy outcomes for all children.

Learn more and access free dyslexia training at coxcampus.org. Join a growing community of educators committed to changing literacy outcomes for every child.

SOURCE The Rollins Center for Language & Literacy