City Schools of Decatur on Oct. 14 gave a detailed update on the district’s Georgia MTSS (Multi-Tiered System of Supports) redesign, early literacy screening, dyslexia identification and related supports as state law (HB307) changes take effect.

Jennifer Burton (presenter) and district MTSS staff described three broad shifts: adoption of a single, outcomes-focused Georgia MTSS framework that integrates academic, behavioral and well-being supports; expansion of screening tools and criteria used to identify students who benefit from tiered intervention; and increased professional learning for teachers in the science of reading and evidence-based interventions.

District staff said they moved from MAP to STAR as the universal screener, added oral reading fluency and RAN measures where indicated, and widened internal qualifiers to cast a broader net for students who may benefit from supports. Burton said the district’s identification approach now includes (a) state-mandated thresholds, (b) expanded screening to the 50th percentile on STAR plus curriculum-based measures, and (c) progress-monitoring indicators for students in advanced tier supports — all combined to feed the characteristics-of-dyslexia determinations described in HB307.

Burton told the board the district assessed 43 students using the characteristics rubric and identified 17 students as exhibiting characteristics of dyslexia under last year’s practices; staff said they expect identification counts to rise under the district’s expanded local approach. She said the district’s “weighted” internal formula is designed to catch students earlier and avoid waiting until performance falls into the lowest bands.

Staff highlighted training progress: 92 teachers and leaders have received Orton–Gillingham or letters-and-sounds training and more teachers will be trained annually; K–5 teachers (including special areas, ESOL and special education) are scheduled for science-of-reading instruction. The district also referenced dyslexia simulations used with staff and parent-facing materials that include RAN results in parent notifications.

Board members asked about parent communication when a student is flagged as “at risk,” supports available for secondary students who were not screened earlier, and the balance between standardized screener results and formative measures. Burton said schools provide individualized plans and letters to families explaining why a child was identified and what interventions will be provided; the parent may accept or decline services. The district said it is prioritizing secondary students with significant literacy gaps through a literacy specialist position.

Staff noted progress on Georgia MTSS recognition for schools (several schools at “distinguished” or “operational” levels under PBIS-to-MTSS transition) and emphasized that the district’s work aims to prevent failure rather than wait for diagnostic thresholds. Burton said the district will continue cross-referencing multiple measures and will expand dyslexia simulations and language-skill screening next year.

The board made no formal votes on policy changes during the presentation; staff said they would return with implementation updates and data in subsequent reports.

Ending

District leaders characterized the work as ongoing and data-driven; they said they would continue to expand training, monitor screening results, and communicate with families about supports and identification under HB307.