Palm Springs Unified board adopts state-required K–2 reading screener, plans rollout next school year

The Palm Springs Unified School District board voted to adopt MCAS DIBELS as the district’s K–2 reading screener on Tuesday, approving the recommendation after a multi-week pilot and an extended question-and-answer session.

District Director of Elementary Curriculum and Instruction Jessica Whiteman told the board the move responds to a new California Education Code requirement that local education agencies screen kindergarten through second-grade students for risk of reading difficulties, including dyslexia. “The results are not a diagnosis but more so just an indicator that there is a concern, to intervene,” Whiteman said.

Whiteman said the district piloted two options, Amira (an AI-driven product) and MCAS DIBELS, from Feb. 27 through May 12 with 42 teachers representing every elementary grade and program. The pilot team favored MCAS DIBELS; district staff obtained a quote of $62,575 to license MCAS DIBELS and to add licenses for grades 3–5 so the district uses one consistent assessment across elementary grades. The district plans to remove the current screeners (CBMs and ESGI used in kindergarten) and to adopt MCAS DIBELS in their place.

Why it matters: The new law requires annual screening of every kindergarten through second-grade student unless a parent submits a written opt-out; districts must notify parents at least 15 days before screening and provide results within 45 days. Whiteman said the state-funded rollout includes required professional development and that publishers are charging primarily for training rather than K–2 licenses because the state requires training tied to the screener.

Board members asked detailed operational and equity questions during the discussion. Whiteman described several implementation points: - Frequency and timing: The district will administer the screener three times a year (beginning, middle and end of year) to better track progress, although the state requires only one administration. - Time per student: Administration time varies by grade and by student need; most upper-grade administrations take a couple of minutes while younger students or students who require additional diagnostic probes may take five to seven minutes. - Who administers the screener: Teachers will administer MCAS DIBELS and hear students read; literacy coaches and trained paraprofessionals will support rollout and calibration. Whiteman described a trainer-of-trainers model and a roughly two-hour administration training for teachers, with additional coach support and follow-up professional development on release days. - Multilingual learners: If a student speaks insufficient English and the screener is available in the student’s primary language, the district must screen in that primary language; otherwise staff will use a home-language survey and alternative processes described in the Education Code. Whiteman said the district will work with its English Learner department on alternate-language options and parent notification materials. - Use of results: The screener is an indicator to guide intervention and progress monitoring, not a high‑stakes diagnostic. It “lets you know if there’s a reading difficulty, like you have a fever,” Whiteman said; further investigation and targeted intervention are required before any special-education referral. The district plans to use existing reading intervention resources (UFLY/UFLI and site reading-intervention teachers) and small-group blocks, not to remove students from core instruction during whole-group teaching time.

Board members also asked about bias and AI scoring after the pilot: Whiteman said Amira’s automated scoring required extensive teacher review during the pilot, and pilot teachers reported rescoring errors and loss of trust in some automatically scored items. By contrast, MCAS DIBELS is teacher‑administered (one-on-one) and teachers can rescore and calibrate.

The motion to adopt the MCAS DIBELS screener passed after discussion. The board directed staff to proceed with procurement, finalize a professional‑development plan, revise the district assessment calendar to remove superseded screeners, and establish notification processes for new enrollees to meet the state’s 45-day requirement to screen newly enrolled students.

Implementation details and clarifications made at the meeting: - Pilot dates: Feb. 27–May 12, 2025; pilot included 42 teachers across all elementary sites and programs. - Vendor quote: $62,575 for district licenses covering K–5 (district added 3rd–5th grade licenses to keep one assessment system). - Training: Publisher’s full MCAS DIBELS training is six hours; district will use trainer-of-trainers, two-hour teacher administration training, and ongoing coach support. - Parent rules: District must provide parent notification at least 15 days before screening and deliver student results within 45 days; written parental opt-out is allowed. - Legal limits: Whiteman repeated that the screener “cannot be used for high-stakes decisions such as reclassification for English learners, qualification for special education, or promotion/retention.”

The board approved the adoption at the public meeting and staff will return with procurement and training plans before the next school year.