San Bernardino board reviews midyear student data, discusses DIBELS rollout as some members raise implementation concerns

SAN BERNARDINO — The San Bernardino School Board spent its meeting reviewing midyear student data and the district’s plan to implement the MCLASS DIBELS reading screener for kindergarten through second grade, with trustees praising expanded supports for students while one trustee warned the screening could impose a heavy testing burden without more teacher support.

Becky, a district presenter, told the board the California Healthy Kids Survey and related site surveys are available on the district website and summarized key findings: “82 percent of our students reported feeling safe or very safe at school,” and 670 elementary students participated in the elementary survey. She said those data show strengths in school connectedness and adult support but also pointed to areas needing attention: “44 percent of our students noted that they experienced some kind of physical aggression, 28 percent reported cyberbullying, and 17 percent reported feeling frequently sad.”

Why it matters: The presentation tied survey results to district priorities and interventions — expanding counseling services, targeted social-emotional learning (SEL) programming and partnerships with higher-education providers — to reduce bullying, address declining connectedness in middle school and provide earlier, targeted literacy supports.

The board…