Poudre School District outlines multi-year plan to screen and support students with dyslexia

Poudre School District R-1 officials on Feb. 11 presented a multi-year plan to identify and support students with dyslexia that emphasizes universal, classroom-based instruction paired with targeted diagnostics and frequent progress monitoring.

District presenters said the plan centers on structured literacy grounded in the science of reading and uses Colorado’s Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS). "Dyslexia impacts people on a continuum from more mild to more profound impacts. And to some degree dyslexia impacts about 20 percent of the students sitting in our classrooms," said Nora Love, integrated services assistant director of teaching and learning.

District staff said universal instruction now uses newly adopted elementary materials designed to embed structured literacy — the "what" and the "how" of reading instruction — so that students receive high-quality core instruction in their classrooms rather than only in separate intervention settings. Students in kindergarten through third grade receive the state-approved DIBELS screener three times a year; staff then add targeted diagnostics and 4–6 week progress‑monitoring cycles for students showing risk indicators.

Shonda Stahl, a curriculum teaching and learning facilitator, described the diagnostic-to-intervention flow: screen (DIBELS) → diagnostics tailored to the student’s profile → short-cycle intervention with aligned scope and sequence → review and adjust every 4–6 weeks. She emphasized that dyslexia identification focuses on word-level reading difficulties first, with comprehension described as a secondary effect: "Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is neurobiological in origin…characterized by difficulties with accurate and or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities," the presenters quoted from the International Dyslexia Association definition adopted by the Colorado Department of Education.

Presenters described a three‑year professional learning timeline. In 2024–25 the district prioritized elementary staff; they reported 91% of elementary classroom teachers had received dyslexia-related professional learning so far this school year, 75% of certain integrated services teachers, 81% of school psychologists and roughly 214 classified staff members. Reading interventionists and specialists were listed at 43% to date, with additional targeted sessions planned. District leaders said 2025–26 will focus on secondary educators and early childhood, and 2026–27 will align related supports for dysgraphia and dyscalculia.

Ellen Hunter of the Colorado Department of Education, whose remarks were read by district staff due to weather, was quoted saying: "The most important factor in reading achievement is each and every student having access to a highly effective teacher. Teachers who are knowledgeable about how students learn to read…use formative and formal assessment data and ongoing progress monitoring to inform and adjust instruction to meet the needs of each student."

Board members asked about naming dyslexia, early identification, and what targeted and intensive interventions look like in practice. Staff said the district is prepared to name dyslexia when the body of evidence (screening, diagnostics, progress monitoring and teacher/family input) supports that conclusion, and that early indicators can be seen in pre-K and kindergarten. "We don't want to wait until third grade. Early signs and symptoms of dyslexia show before a student can even access word reading," Stahl said. For most students needing reading support, staff said 70–80% of interventions focus on phonics and phonological awareness, with interventions intensified by smaller groups, longer duration and more corrective feedback when required.

District staff urged parents with concerns to begin conversations with their child’s teacher and school team so data collection can be coordinated. Officials also said they are revising family-facing communications (for example, DIBELS reports) to be more accessible and clear.

The presentation concluded with an invitation for more community outreach and resources. District leaders said they will continue professional learning and will create an asynchronous dyslexia course to increase access for educators who cannot attend in person.

PSD said the effort builds on new curriculum adoptions and on-state guidance, and is intended to create a coherent, districtwide approach to reading instruction and intervention that is aligned across universal, targeted and intensive tiers.