Board hears literacy-focused school plans, approves site plans tied to LCAP goals

The Millbrae City School District Board of Trustees on Tuesday heard school-by-school presentations of Single Plans for Student Achievement that center on a districtwide push to strengthen literacy, and the board voted to approve the SPSAs.

District Director of Educational Services Catherine Waslav told trustees the district’s Local Control and Accountability Plan goal for literacy is driven by “high quality literacy instruction for all students,” and outlined a set of district actions meant to lift reading proficiency, including structured literacy blocks in primary grades, professional learning about the science of reading, new phonics pilots and shifts in benchmarking tools.

Waslav said the district tested Heggerty for phonological awareness this year and will pilot Fundations by Wilson at Lameda Park next year for foundational phonics. She also described shifting from FastBridge to the DIBELS reading screening and continuing local assessments and state tests to measure growth. Waslav noted extended-learning supports including TK/K after-school help, Bliss Summer Academy and Taylor Summer Bridge.

Principals from Green Hills, Meadows, Spring Valley, Lameda Park and Taylor described site goals and actions that align with the district plan: leveled school libraries and reading buddies at Green Hills; a goal at Meadows to have at least 85% of primary students at or above benchmark and wide use of phonological-awareness routines; Spring Valley’s target to move from 63% meeting or exceeding standards to 68% by June 2025; and Taylor’s focus on one level of growth in English language arts as measured by trimester assessments.

Teachers and intervention staff were cited across sites as the primary implementers of targeted supports. Principals described use of MTSS meetings, tier 2 intervention groups, reading intervention teachers, classroom libraries and increased professional learning time so teachers can examine data and plan instruction.

Trustees commented favorably on the attention to data, the districtwide coordination and the return of physical library access and “little libraries” at campuses. Waslav and trustees also said the district plans parent- and community-facing outreach over the summer to support continued reading (for example a Millbrae Summer Reading Challenge in partnership with the Millbrae Library and IXL summer access).

The board later moved to approve the SPSAs as presented; the motion carried.

The district presentation and principals’ remarks emphasized implementation details the board asked staff to track, including the Fundations pilot at Lameda Park, DIBELS adoption timelines, and plans for parent-facing resources so families can support homework and summer reading.