York County reports midyear VALS gains and targeted supports for K-2 readers
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Summary
The division reported midyear Virginia Language and Literacy Screening (VALS) results showing increases in low-risk K-2 readers and declines in high-risk percentages; the district will adjust student reading plans, communicate with families and expand professional development with the Virginia Literacy Partnership.
York County School Division staff said midyear VALS results show improvement in early literacy and described actions schools are taking to support at-risk students.
Krista Bolam, associate director of elementary instruction, explained that the midyear VALS administration is more rigorous than the fall screen and shifts risk-band thresholds upward by grade. She gave a sample case showing a first-grade student who scored higher at midyear than in the fall but moved into a higher risk band because the midyear scale is more demanding.
Bolam said across K'2 students the division saw increases in the percentage of students in the low-risk band and a decline in students identified as high risk. She noted that about 20 students across K'2 were newly identified as high risk after transferring into the division and that schools will examine school- and student-level data to refine supports.
For students identified as high risk, Bolam said the division provides individualized reading plans that include about 2.5 hours of weekly literacy instruction delivered by licensed reading specialists or trained paraeducators; interventions are scheduled during literacy-block time so students do not lose core instruction. Schools will also keep families informed by including updated student reading plans in report-card windows.
Bolam said the division is leveraging a partnership with the Virginia Literacy Partnership at UVA to provide targeted coaching and professional development for literacy lead teachers and selected schools. She said the division will continue to monitor longitudinal trends and present more detailed cumulative data in June.
Board members asked about counts behind percentage charts; Bolam said grade-level and school-level numbers are included in the executive summary attachment to the agenda and offered to return in June with longitudinal analysis.
