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Board highlights gains from full-day kindergarten, moves forward on special-education audit RFP
Summary
The education committee reported a midyear gain of roughly 22% in DIBELS early literacy scores after full-day kindergarten implementation and directed administration to issue a request for proposals for a likely audit of the district's IEP processes.
The Council Rock School District's education committee reported stronger early literacy gains after adopting full-day kindergarten and instructed administration to seek proposals for a possible special-education audit, the committee told the full board at its March 19 meeting.
During the education committee's report, committee members summarized teacher and data-analyst findings that DIBELS (early literacy) scores improved about 22% from the start of the school year to midyear after the district implemented full-day kindergarten; under the prior half-day schedule the comparable gain had been about 10%. "Scores had improved 22% since the start of the school year," the committee reported, noting gains concentrated in the younger grades.
Committee members also described pilot changes in accelerated personal finance and science programming and reported an average 7.1% gain on the elementary math screener. The committee discussed the high-school schedule review as an ongoing, long-term effort and cautioned that any schedule change would not occur in the 2026'27 school year.
On special education, the board heard from outside partners about new sensory rooms and supports and agreed there is value in reviewing the district's special education processes. The board instructed administration to proceed with a request for proposals for an audit of IEP development, documentation and family communication processes.
What this means: The education committee framed full-day kindergarten as producing measurable early literacy benefits and recommended continued monitoring. The special-education RFP is an administrative direction to seek external review; it does not itself change policy or services until a contract or action is approved by the board.
Next steps: Administration will issue the RFP for the proposed special-education audit and return results or recommended contracts to the board for consideration.
