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Department outlines reading supports for grades 4–9; PowerSchool analytics and LETRS training in focus
Summary
Staff summarized ongoing reading interventions for older students (LETRS, LEO pilots, district pilots), discussed professional learning and coaching, and described efforts to integrate student data and assessment analytics via PowerSchool to monitor program impact.
Department staff updated the board on reading intervention work for students beyond grade 3, including professional development, pilot projects and data integration efforts.
Staff described ongoing LETRS (multisensory structured literacy) training for teachers and noted a smaller 30‑hour program (LEO) targeted at grades 4–8, which department staff said showed a 12% average increase on a pre/post knowledge instrument in the cohort described. Staff and board members discussed the need to measure student‑level transfer from teacher training to student outcomes and requested variance and disaggregated results so the department can assess which teachers and schools benefited most.
The department also described two middle‑grade pilots: a governor‑funded ‘‘ability pilot’’ in the Black Belt and a contract with A+ Best Practices to support middle‑grade coaching. Staff said these pilots and expansion of coach networks will be coordinated with the department’s literacy and dyslexia advisory groups.
Board members asked about district participation and barriers. Staff noted sub‑coverage and time are practical obstacles to teacher participation and suggested stipends or alternative scheduling to increase attendance. Department staff are expanding facilitator training and exploring whether university partners can host facilitator modules.
Finally, leaders said they are increasing use of the statewide PowerSchool implementation and linked analytics to provide district‑level dashboards. Staff acknowledged district usage varies, said they will expand training and single‑sign‑on access for teachers, and flagged planned meetings with PowerSchool to enhance integration of portfolios, diagnostic tools and assessment dashboards so districts can track intervention effectiveness in near‑real time.
Board members asked for documented pre/post assessment variance and more granular outcome data tied to pilots and professional learning.
