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Benicia Unified adopts UCSF'backed Multitudes screener to identify early reading difficulties
Summary
The board approved Multitudes, a UCSF-developed reading-difficulty screener, to meet California's SB114 requirement. District staff said Multitudes is free to license, available in English and Spanish, and will be implemented with trained testers and intervention supports; families will be notified and can opt out under state law.
The Benicia Unified School District Board of Trustees voted to adopt Multitudes, a reading-difficulty screener developed and studied by the University of California San Francisco, to comply with California's statutory requirement (SB114) that local education agencies screen kindergarten through second-grade students for risk of reading difficulties.
Why the district chose Multitudes
Education Services recommended Multitudes after evaluating the state-approved options. Staff said Multitudes stood out for its deep UCSF research base, the availability of a Spanish-language assessment and its zero-dollar license cost. The district noted the screener is not a medical diagnosis; rather, it identifies students at risk so that the district can provide early, evidence-based literacy interventions.
Implementation and family notification
Staff said the screener will be administered after students have had time to learn foundational skills (district staff suggested winter/early-spring timing for kindergarten), and that trained testers will administer the brief, one-on-one digital assessment (typically 8'10 minutes per student with additional follow-up items as needed). The district will notify families at least 15 days before assessment (per state law), will report results to families within the state-required timeframe and will offer parents an opt-out. Staff emphasized that Multitudes is an additional data point and will be used alongside existing measures such as DIBELS.
Costs and staffing
Although the Multitudes license is $0, staff said there will be costs to pay examiners or substitute coverage if classroom teachers administer assessments; the district plans to use a mix of intervention specialists and trained testers (including retired teachers engaged as testers) to avoid disrupting intervention time. The State has provided a one-time training grant amount that district staff expect to use for initial training, but ongoing testing/intervention costs will be absorbed in district budgets.
Trustee questions and follow-up
Trustees pressed staff on family communication, timelines for intervention, and how the district will avoid long delays between screening and follow-up support. Staff said the district already uses DIBELS for progress monitoring and will integrate Multitudes results into existing tiered intervention structures; the Education Services team will develop family-facing materials and a protocol for rapid response when a student is flagged.
Next steps
With board approval, Education Services will finalize training plans for testers and intervention staff, notify families in compliance with the law, and provide the board with implementation details and a family-communication plan before the first administration.
