Orange County Schools outline tiered school improvement supports as literacy screenings show mixed results

District staff updated the Orange County Board of Education on school improvement planning and early-literacy results on a presentation that paired new district supports with assessment data.

District presenters described a standardized school improvement plan (SIP) template, a monthly checklist and a tiered support model that increases the intensity and frequency of coaching and interventions for schools identified as needing additional help. "By providing the standard template, this allows the district to pull down support where needed," a district presenter said during the presentation (district staff, Speaker 7). Staff said four schools will submit SIPs to the board for approval for the 2025–26 school year and that those plans will be placed on the board's November consent agenda for formal approval.

The presentation turned to early-literacy screening results. A district presenter explained that Orange County Schools now administers DIBELS for kindergarten through fifth grade (previously K–3) and described the tool as a screener for foundational skills, not a direct measure of grade-level proficiency. "DIBELS is a screener that we use to determine risk," the presenter said (district staff, Speaker 6). The district reported a beginning‑of‑year composite of roughly 53% for kindergarten through third grade; if fourth and fifth grades are included the composite rises to about 55% (presenter-reported figures).

Staff highlighted two patterns in the data: fourth graders showed the highest percentage at or above benchmark, while many students in first through third grades were at or below benchmark. Presenters said this pattern indicates the need to maintain an emphasis on early grades and to continue interventions such as small-group instruction, targeted Professional Learning Communities and weekly learning walks to monitor classroom practice.

Board members asked for clarification about how NCSTAR and related tools are used. Staff described a process manager role that records meeting minutes and uploads them to the NCSTAR platform so that teachers and leaders can focus on substantive discussion rather than form-filling. Board members also raised questions about how schools are involving families; staff pointed to student-led conferences, report‑card events and Title I parent-engagement nights as strategies schools use to track and increase family participation.

Presenters described additional district-wide assessment measures used to guide supports. AIMSweb Plus is being used as a universal screener in K–8 math and grades 6–8 reading to identify risk levels for MTSS planning. The district reported that it interprets AIMSweb scores with local cut points: 0–15% (high risk), 16–44% (moderate risk) and 45% or higher (low risk), a local adjustment staff said better aligns the screener with the district's other measures (district staff, Speaker 12).

Staff noted community programs previously used to boost kindergarten readiness, including a readiness camp that the Family Success Alliance ran and the county funded; the program previously cost about $750 per child and included busing, staff said. Board members suggested reopening conversations with county partners to explore whether a similar program could be offered again.

Next steps the presenters listed included: finalizing family-facing materials on curriculum and assessments, continuing quarterly SIP reviews, and placing the SIPs reviewed at the meeting on the November consent agenda for board approval. The board approved routine items earlier in the meeting, including the agenda and minutes, and adjourned at the close of the session with a motion that carried by voice vote.

This article is based entirely on remarks and slides presented to the board during the meeting; direct quotes are attributed to the district presenters as identified in the meeting transcript.