Vancouver Public Schools expands early‑learning access and reports mixed early‑grade gains as new screeners roll out

Vancouver Public Schools on Feb. 25 told the school board that the district has substantially expanded early‑learning participation this year and is introducing new screening and data systems intended to identify reading and math needs earlier.

The update, presented by Superintendent Jeff Snow and district executives during a preK–8 study session, combined enrollment counts, screening results and school case studies to show gains in some early‑grade measures alongside remaining gaps the district plans to address with curriculum, professional learning and targeted interventions.

District leaders said classroom‑level screening and a new student data platform will give teachers faster access to students’ IEPs and 504 plans and make early intervention more consistent. Heather Roan, a teacher librarian on the staff advisory, summarized the change: “having all student data in 1 place since the Synergy c SE will, connect with Synergy, that it will help make, IEPs and the progress report process more efficient.”

Why this matters: District officials described the measures as pieces of a system intended to move help upstream — expanding access to pre‑K and transitional kindergarten (TK), screening children early, and using consistent data to plan interventions so that fewer students fall multiple grade levels behind.

What the district reported - Early‑learning access: Janelle Ephraim, an executive director, said the district has increased seats across several programs this year: 252 students enrolled in TK, 52 in inclusionary preschool, 996 in kindergarten jump‑start, 144 in evening preschool and 123 in ECSE (special‑education preschool). The district said these expansions represent “almost 300 more students” served compared with last year.

- Assessment goals and counts: The district reiterated its WA Kids target — a strategic goal that 65% of kindergartners who participated in early learning will meet five or more WA Kids proficiency areas — and said final kindergarten WA Kids results will appear in the district’s annual report.

- Screening and data systems: The staff advisory presented the district’s selection of Synergy SE as the new student‑data/IEP platform and the adoption of DIBELS mCLASS as a universal screener for K–2. Roan described Synergy SE’s expected benefit as improved access and efficiency for IEPs and 504s. District leaders said DIBELS mCLASS gives teachers more granular, foundational skill data than previous tools; the district is running DIBELS as a universal screener three times per year and piloting progress‑monitoring workflows in targeted schools.

- Interim academic results: District staff reported mixed but measurable improvements on winter diagnostics. For K–5, iReady winter diagnostics showed cohort gains in proficiency and improved placement for a substantial share of students; vocabulary and certain comprehension measures improved, while informational‑text reading and some math number‑sense skills remained areas of opportunity. At the middle‑school level, staff noted steady typical growth and highlighted pockets of strong improvement in measurement and data.

- Schools highlighted as exemplars: Three schools presented concrete practices linked to gains. Lisa Reed, principal of Hazel Dell Elementary, described a multi‑year implementation around the “science of reading” and a school goal that 95% of students will read at grade level by 2026: “the research says that 95 percent of students can learn to read, when using evidence based programs based on the science of reading.” Hazel Dell added scheduled intervention blocks and teacher coaching.

Sarah J. Anderson Elementary principal Nicole Reinfeld described systems to protect teacher collaboration time and ensure specialists and coaches can support classroom teams; Discovery Middle School principal April Whipple detailed committee structures and a school‑level “SIP on a page” that translates improvement goals into actionable work plans and data dives.

Voices from student and staff advisories - Middle‑school advisory students described their role in district feedback. Marcus said: “I like being able to meet all new people from around the district and seeing my answers to their questions reflected on district offices.” High‑school advisory reps described work on belonging goals, cell‑phone policy input and planning a student leadership summit at WSUV.

District next steps and caveats District staff said they will finish kindergarten WA Kids reporting for the annual report, continue phased Synergy SE rollout and training, expand DIBELS progress‑monitoring fidelity in pilot schools, and pursue curricular alignment (including middle‑school informational text and math foundational skills). Presenters emphasized the need for continued professional development and time in school schedules for teachers to analyze data and plan instruction.

The board was invited to review further data in the March study session and an April workshop; presenters asked directors to provide feedback on which measures the board would like emphasized in future reports.

Ending: On the record Superintendent Jeff Snow closed the presentation by thanking staff and school leaders and noting the study session series will continue; the district plans further updates and a finalized kindergarten WA Kids report once winter data is fully validated.