Marshall Public Schools presents multi-year shift to structured literacy, cites large gains on DIBELS

At a school board meeting, Darcy (Parkside staff member) and Tiffany (Parkside staff member) told the Marshall Public Schools Board about a multi-year effort to shift from a balanced-literacy approach to structured literacy and to align instruction with the Read Act. Superintendent Jeremy Williams said the district began adopting new programs and training in 2021 and has tracked measurable gains since then.

The work grew out of a needs assessment and training that included adoption of a phonics curriculum and districtwide teacher training. “We dove right in,” Darcy said, describing a district review, adoption of a phonics program and multi-year teacher development to build staff capacity. The presentation said the district adopted Really Great Reading materials, Heggerty phonemic-awareness routines, Handwriting Without Tears, and fidelity-linked spelling and writing practices; it also uses DIBELS and FastBridge as literacy screeners.

The nut of the presentation was the district’s screening and outcome data. Board materials shown at the meeting reported kindergarten DIBELS benchmarks (percent at or above benchmark) climbing from 23–26 percent at fall entry to 78, 72 and 82 percent at the end of year across three recent cohorts. First-grade cohorts showed similar end-of-year results (about 75–78 percent meeting or exceeding benchmarks after starting well below in many cases). Darcy said the district tracks cohort movement across DIBELS benchmarks and uses small-group, intensive interventions for students who begin below expectations.

Board members and administrators described systems to support students who transfer into the district behind grade level. Jeremy Williams, superintendent, said the district conducts regular data meetings and that reading instructional coaches “spend a lot of time making sure that they know what those needs are and what that looks like.” The presenters said students identified as showing signs of dyslexia or who remain well below benchmark receive intensive interventions (more time and smaller groups) and that some students may require sustained support through elementary grades.

Presenters described teacher training and pilots that preceded state requirements; Darcy said Parkside’s work predated the state rollout and helped the district adopt required curricula and screeners without wholesale last-minute changes. The board heard that six teachers piloted a bridge-to-writing pilot program last year, that staff completed district trainings tied to the core curriculum, and that early-childhood teachers have been trained in the foundational skills program used in K–2.

The presentation also named assessments and programs the district is using to monitor progress and guide instruction and emphasized that instruction couples automatic word-recognition practice with explicit vocabulary and comprehension teaching. Board member Sarah Brink praised the measurable results and staff effort.

The meeting record shows this work is districtwide: the literacy team expanded from two buildings to every building and now meets to align instruction, share data, and coordinate interventions. The presentation materials and speakers tied the effort to state-level Read Act requirements and to teacher coursework undertaken by staff members.

District leaders emphasized that the gains result from systematic instruction, program fidelity and targeted intervention rather than one-off efforts. The board received the report; no formal board action was required on the literacy presentation.

Looking ahead, presenters said the district will continue using DIBELS (or FastBridge where appropriate) as approved screeners, continue coach-led data meetings, and expand writing instruction supports piloted this year. Jeremy Williams said the district maintains plans to name and provide services for students who need long-term, prescriptive instruction to reach grade-level reading.