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Hueneme board adopts mClass as K'2 universal screener; AI tool Amira to remain pilot
Summary
The board approved mClass (including Spanish lecturA) as the district's universal screener for reading in kindergarten through grade 2 and will continue piloting Amira and another product before wider rollout due to speech-recognition concerns for English learners.
The Hueneme Elementary School District governing board approved adopting mClass (DIBELS Next/mClass eighth edition) as the district's universal screening tool for reading in kindergarten through grade 2 and selected a Spanish version for bilingual assessment.
The decision appeared intended to ensure compliance with state-identified universal screeners while addressing classroom alignment and usability concerns raised during a pilot of AI-based products.
"Amira is...very promising," said Miss Cosgrove, the district presenter. "However, the potential technical issues we experienced during the pilot, especially speech recognition errors, were an issue with a lot of our English learners." She said pilot teachers found mClass easier to use, better aligned with instructional goals, and more effective for monitoring progress and planning interventions. The district will replace AIMSweb screening in K'2 reading with mClass while continuing a pilot of Amira and another product called Amira’s competitor (referred to in the packet as Amira and a second AI product).
Board members moved and seconded the recommendation; a roll-call vote recorded ayes and the motion passed. Staff said the change affects only K'2 reading screening; district screening in grades 3 and up will continue on existing platforms.
The presenter and pilot feedback emphasized both the promise of AI tools and the current technical limits, particularly for multilingual students. The board's action directs staff to adopt mClass for K'2 reading screening and to report back on pilot results for the AI tools.
