York County presents VALS fall screening: improvement in K-2 risk bands, new diagnostic for grades 4-8
Summary
Division staff reported fall VALS screening showed increases in low-risk students and declines in high-risk students across K-2; the expanded K-8 VALS program includes diagnostic assessments for selected grades 4-8 students and state-mandated student reading plans for high-risk learners.
Dr. Kristen Bohm presented York County's fall results from the Virginia Language and Literacy Screener (VALS) at the Dec. 15 work session, describing the exam's expanded use across K-8 and how the division uses the data to inform instruction and interventions.
Bohm said 796 kindergarten students were screened in fall 2025 (compared with 787 last year); 45% were in the low-risk band and 18% were in the high-risk band. First-grade screening covered 852 students with 57% low risk and 14% high risk; second-grade risk bands also improved relative to the prior year. Bohm credited the results in part to expanded implementation of literacy teaching strategies tied to the Virginia Literacy Act and new curriculum materials aligned to the science of reading.
She explained that VALS K-2 remains a universal screener (three times a year), while VALS for grades 4-8 is a selective diagnostic assessment given to students who failed the prior reading SOL, receive read-aloud accommodations, or are new to the division. Diagnostic subtests (spelling, oral-reading fluency, morphology and sentence comprehension) allow staff to identify specific factors contributing to reading difficulty.
The state requires student reading plans for those in the high-risk band: K-3 students must receive an additional 2.5 hours per week of targeted instruction delivered by trained staff (reading specialists, qualified special educators, or trained paraeducators). Bohm said the division added a reading paraeducator at each middle school (partly funded through All In VA funds) to support interventions and that staff intend to sustain key positions where possible.
Board members asked about staffing and whether paraeducators could provide the mandated intervention; Bohm confirmed paraeducators can serve in that role if trained and approved under state guidance. She said the division will continue to use the VALS dashboard and school-level planning to prioritize supports.
