(a) The Division of Elementary and Secondary Education and Arkansas Commission on Eye and Vision Care of School-Age Children shall set forth the following criteria for passage or failure of a vision screening and criteria for referral for a comprehensive eye examination:

1. (1) External observation.

   1. (A) Any obvious anomaly of the eyes or periocular areas should cause referral for medical evaluation.
   2. (B) Abnormal head positioning, such as a chronic head tilt, should result in a failed screen.
   3. (C) Obvious misalignment of the eyes should result in a screen failure;
2. (2) Vision at twenty feet (20’) or ten feet (10’) for age appropriate charts. Any eye with vision less than or equal to 20/40 shall result in a screen failure;
3. (3) Plus 2.00 lens test. Any student that improves two (2) or more lines of vision, such as 20/40 to 20/20, with the plus 2.00 lens in front of either eye shall result in screen failure;

4. (4) Color perception test.

   1. (A) This test shall be performed using:

(i) An instrument slide;

1. (ii) Color-testing booklet; or

   1. (iii) Color perception slides.

   2. (B)

      1. (i) Any student missing more than twenty-five percent (25%) of the cards or instrument slide would be deemed a color perception screen failure but not referred for comprehensive eye examination.
      2. (ii) The parent and teacher shall be notified of the color perception screening failure; and

2. (5) Passing or failing the following instrument screenings:

   1. (A) Lateral muscle balance at far;
   2. (B) Vertical muscle balance at far;
   3. (C) Fusion at far;
   4. (D) Lateral muscle balance at near; and
   5. (E) Fusion at near.

(b) Public schools may utilize an automated testing instrument to conduct the required vision screening tests for all students in prekindergarten through grade twelve (pre-K-12) subject to the following:

1. (1) The instrument must check:

   1. (A) Distance vision; and
   2. (B) Both lateral and vertical muscle balance;
2. (2) Other tests required by this part must be completed using the standard screening methods, if possible; and

3. (3) Districts that choose to utilize an automated screening instrument (autorefractor) must use the following protocol:

   1. (A) If a student fails with use of the automated instrument, the student must be rescreened with the standard school screening method when possible; and

   2. (B) Use of the automated screening instrument shall be documented in eSchool.

      1. (c) The division and commission shall develop standards for training school nurses to perform eye and vision screenings that include, but are not limited to, the criteria set forth in subsections (a) and (b) of this section.
      2. (d) An eye and vision screening report shall be sent or given to each parent or guardian of each student in need of a comprehensive eye and vision examination that has failed a second vision screening test.