HCPS shows midyear gains on DIBELS and I-Ready diagnostics; district flags math as priority

Harford County Public Schools staff presented midyear results on the district's local assessments, reporting gains on the DIBELS literacy screener and on I-Ready diagnostic measures while warning staff and the board that math achievement remains a central area for improvement.

Assistant Superintendent Heather Kushner, Director Philip Snyder (accountability) and Director of Special Education Kyle Sastelli presented the DIBELS early literacy screener (kindergarten through grade 3) and I-Ready diagnostic results for grades 1—. District staff described changes to reporting for this school year: HCPS now includes students with individualized education program (IEP) reading goals in its DIBELS reporting so the midyear datasets form a new baseline compared to prior published reports.

Key findings - DIBELS (early grades): The district reported increased proportions of students at or above benchmark from fall to midyear in K'; staff emphasized that this year's dataset includes students with reading goals in IEPs, a reporting change from prior years. - I-Ready (reading and math diagnostics): Comparing fall to winter…