Board approves Reading Horizons dyslexia intervention; board members press for stronger implementation and funding

The Shelby County Board of Education approved a district contract to implement Reading Horizons as a targeted literacy intervention for students who exhibit characteristics of dyslexia. The motion passed on a roll call vote with nine board members recorded as voting aye.

Implementation details presented to the board said the first year will train one interventionist per building. Curriculum and vendor training outlined a minimum number of training hours and on‑site coaches; district staff described a plan to place trainers and an RTI support team (a program director and clerk) to provide real‑time coaching at buildings. Dr. Maples, who led the academic implementation discussion, described the vendor‑recommended training as the “bare minimum” the district needs to begin the program this year.

Board members pressed the administration on capacity and fidelity. Board member Natalie McKinney and others asked whether the district needs additional trainers or funding to implement the vendor’s model at the scale necessary to achieve the outcomes the publisher claims. Dr. Maples and other administrators said the contract funds the initial, minimal implementation for year one and that the program could be expanded in later years depending on observed return on investment.

Clarifying details presented in the meeting

- Identification: administrators said at the end of the prior school year the district had 4,976 students identified with characteristics of dyslexia who would be candidates for tiered interventions; administrators emphasized the program identifies characteristics rather than making clinical dyslexia diagnoses.

- Tiers: the district said Reading Horizons will be used for both tier 2 and tier 3 supports (small‑group and more intensive intervention).

- Training model: the vendor‑negotiated contract provides an initial set of training hours and 6–8 vendor trainers for year one; the district will place one trained interventionist in each school and use in‑building coaching via RTI staff to monitor fidelity.

Board discussion and fiscal context

Several board members urged the administration to return if additional funds are needed to ensure fidelity, noting that accurate implementation is necessary before the district can judge the vendor’s effectiveness. Board member Huey Garcia said that additional state funding through the TISA formula (discussed in the meeting) could offset program costs if students identified for services receive the higher allotment; he characterized the funding case as likely to “pay for itself” if more students are captured under unique learning needs funding.

How the board voted

The roll call recorded as voting aye: McKissick, Garcia, Porter, Murphy, Love, McKinney, Otey, Williams and Board Chair Coleman. The motion passed without recorded no votes or abstentions.

Next steps

The administration said it will report monthly on implementation as part of the district’s strategic partners in literacy (SPL) reporting and that the board will receive updates on fidelity and outcomes; several board members asked the district to consider additional trainers or cross‑training to reduce single‑person replacement risk.