Yucaipa-Calimesa board adopts MClass with DIBELS screening and approves 202526ndash;26 LCAP

The Yucaipa-Calimesa Joint Unified School District Board of Education voted to approve the district's 202526ndash;26 Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) and adopted MClass with DIBELS as the K'2 early literacy screening instrument.

District staff presented the screening plan, which the board said implements California Education Code section 53008 and Senate Bill 114 by using a state-approved screener to identify K'2 students at risk for reading difficulties. The presentation described two mandatory screening windows for kindergarten through second grade, optional supplementary assessments for midyear at-risk students and monthly progress monitoring tied to the district's MTSS guidelines. Staff said the district would centrally manage assessments with site-level coordination by targeted intervention specialists and provide professional development and evidence-based lesson plans for teachers.

"MClass with DIBELS uses a tiered screening approach with core and optional measures to assess foundational reading skills," the presenter said, explaining the tool offers immediate screening results and instructional recommendations. Staff emphasized multilingual assessment options to reduce misclassification of multilingual learners.

The board recorded the screening-item vote as passed by voice vote. Board members also approved the 202526ndash;26 LCAP and its federal addendum, which staff described as aligning district goals and local indicators (basic conditions, standards implementation, parent engagement, school climate and breadth of course offerings) with measurable actions and metrics on the California Dashboard.

During discussion, board members asked about parent- and student-survey response rates. Staff reported multiple data streams: one parent engagement survey returned 119 responses; in other outreach measures staff said "hundreds" of responses sometimes come in across instruments but acknowledged some site-level surveys drew as few as about 40 parent responses. Staff said they are exploring ways to increase participation, including multi-language distribution and possible QR-code outreach.

Why it matters: The screening decision implements a statewide mandate intended to identify early literacy needs and target interventions before students fall behind. The LCAP approval sets the district's priorities and budget-linked actions for the coming year.

What's next: Staff said screening windows and progress-monitoring procedures will be phased in during the 202526ndash;26 school year, with site coordination by targeted intervention staff and districtwide professional development to support classroom implementation.