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District presents winter FastBridge and LETRS progress; directors report early reading gains and expanded teacher training
Summary
District instructional leaders briefed the board on winter FastBridge screening results, MTSS work and the district’s rollout of LETRS teacher training. Staff reported positive cohort trends, new mastery monitoring tools and continued use of IXL and Greenbush professional development.
District leaders presented a winter Data Leadership Team update that walked the board through FastBridge screening criteria, Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) work and the district’s expanding LETRS teacher‑training program.
Why it matters: FastBridge screeners are used to identify students at different risk levels so the district can match interventions and enrichment. Staff said early screening and cohort tracking — including students from district childcare programs — show positive trends and measurable growth in phonics and reading fluency for flagged students.
Key points from the presentations: - FastBridge use and MTSS: Staff described FastBridge as a recurring screener (not a summative test) that helps group students for differentiated instruction. Risk bands were described in presentation materials (high risk: below the 15th percentile; some risk: 15th–40th percentile; low risk/advanced split across higher percentiles). - LETRS training and rollout: District staff reported that several teachers (named in the presentation) recently completed LETRS cohorts and that roughly six teachers signed up for the next cohort beginning in January. LETRS was described as a two‑year, cohort-based professional‑learning sequence; staff said the state’s timeline anticipates broader teacher certification by 2028 and the district is preparing in‑house facilitators to scale the training. - Professional development and tools: Leaders described continued use of Greenbush professional development, IXL diagnostics and the district’s universal mastery monitoring tool for PLCs. Elementary sites reported targeted vocabulary and oral reading routines; principals and instructional coaches reported using common formative assessments and data triangulation to guide reteaching and enrichment.
Board members asked about early evidence of growth. Presenters said diagnostic and growth data (fall-to-winter comparisons) show gains for students who flagged low, especially in phonemic awareness and phonics, and that LETRS-trained teachers report immediate classroom changes and case-study tracking of individual students.
Ending: District leaders asked to continue sharing cohort-level FastBridge and LETRS implementation updates. The board accepted the update and scheduled ongoing academic reporting for future meetings.
