Beaverton School Board reviews year‑one literacy rollout, emphasizes multilingual learners

The Beaverton School Board met in a work session on Jan. 14, 2025, to review the district’s year‑one rollout of a K–12 literacy program and related supports aimed at multilingual students and those farthest from educational justice. Board Chair Perez called the session to order at 6:18 p.m.; all seven board members were present with Board Member Lugana joining virtually.

District administrators told the board that recent assessment data show declines in some grades and that the district is focusing on strengthening core instruction, increasing use of a multi‑tiered system of supports (MTSS) and expanding professional development tied to the “science of reading.” Robin, the district executive overseeing language arts, said, “Literacy is truly a fundamental human right,” and stressed that multilingual learners are a primary focus as the district implements new curriculum and screening approaches.

Why it matters: district leaders framed the review as a systems‑level update tied to the district’s strategic plan and three instructional goals — foundations of success (early learning), progress on standards, and college and career readiness. Administrators said improving core, Tier‑1 instruction is their highest‑leverage strategy for early literacy and set a district target of having at minimum 80% of students on grade level in literacy when core instruction, assessment and supports are aligned.

Administrators summarized work now underway and early implementation steps. They described this school year as the first year of MTSS implementation for reading; districtwide use of the STAR screener in fall, winter and spring; last year’s adoption of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt curricular materials for English and a Spanish program for dual language students; and multiple layers of professional learning. Chrissy Lawrence, a teacher on special assignment whose focus is language arts, summarized the shift toward instruction grounded in reading science and said, “When you know better, you do better.” She also summarized the program’s simple‑view emphasis, saying, “Decode + vocabulary = reading. That’s what we’re working on.”

Assessment and data use: district leaders said STAR is being used as a universal screener K–12 (fall, winter, spring) and that the winter screening window was open at the time of the meeting. Administrators described work with principals on data protocols to translate screening results into instruction — prioritizing the strategies that will help the largest share of students reach grade level in the core program before expanding targeted interventions.

Curriculum and professional learning: presenters said the district adopted Houghton Mifflin Harcourt materials last year (identified in the presentation as “Into Reading” and a Spanish dual‑language program). Implementation steps described include two days of districtwide professional development immediately after adoption, a two‑day academic coaching academy over the summer, school‑level coaching days, three half‑day grade‑level PLC planning sessions, and reading‑and‑writing cohorts that are co‑constructing curriculum maps to adapt the materials to local needs. Perla Rodriguez, one of the district’s K–8 executives, said the district offered differentiated sessions for K–2 Spanish foundational skills and for grades 3–5 biliteracy strategies; the district also hosted classroom observations with Dr. Medina, an external researcher who visited in December to view dual‑language instruction and identify supports.

Multilingual and dual‑language instruction: administrators emphasized that reading science is not a one‑size‑fits‑all approach for multilingual learners. They referenced a joint statement from the Reading League on multilingual literacy and described steps to integrate language development (ELD) and biliteracy strategies rather than replacing language instruction with phonics‑only blocks. Marcela Ulibarri Cabrera, a TOSA in dual language, described work to integrate the English and Spanish curricula so teams can deliver developmentally appropriate instruction without doubling instructional time.

State context and grants: staff noted House Bill 3198 and the Oregon Early Literacy Framework as statewide drivers for the district’s work and referenced the Early Literacy Success Initiative and related grant funding as supporting accelerated literacy efforts for young learners. Presenters said they are awaiting an ODE adolescent literacy framework to guide grades 6–12 work and requested continued time with the board to review secondary plans.

Examples in classrooms: the presentation included a short video of a first‑grade lesson at Raleigh Hills Elementary showing systematic practice of letter‑sound relationships, writing, and word study. Administrators said similar word‑study practices continue through grades 3–5 with focus on prefixes, suffixes, roots, fluency and vocabulary.

Board questions and next steps: board members asked whether the approach is unique to Beaverton or reflects broader state and national trends — staff replied the work aligns with state legislation and national research on reading science and dyslexia. Board Member Susan asked how families are being engaged; staff said STAR results were shared at fall conferences and that schools host family events and kindergarten academies to prepare caregivers for early literacy expectations. Administrators asked to return to the board with a follow‑up briefing focused on grades 6–12 literacy and additional data after the winter STAR window closes.

No formal motions or votes were recorded during the presentation portion of the work session. The discussion closed with the board chair thanking staff and scheduling further updates.