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Chico Unified adopts state-approved DIBBLES reading screener, plans K–5 rollout
Summary
The board approved mCLASS DIBBLES (and Spanish Lectura) as the state-required reading-difficulty screener, citing pilot results and a district plan to implement K–5 (state requires K–2 by June 30, 2025). Staff emphasized that the screener flags needs and is not a high-stakes evaluation.
Chico Unified trustees voted April 16 to adopt the mClass DIBBLES reading-difficulty screener (with Lectura for Spanish) to meet new California requirements for screening early literacy needs.
MTSS coordinator Christy Benson told the board the district has used similar measures with intervention teams for years and piloted mClass at Hooker Oak, where staff reported positive results. "It gives us a universal screener and will flag students who need supplemental or intensive interventions," Benson said, adding that results generate immediate teacher reports and family-friendly guidance in multiple languages.
State law requires a board-approved screener in place for kindergarten through second grade by June 30, 2025; Chico Unified staff said they will adopt and deploy DIBBLES across K–5 to create consistent measures through grade five and to align with intervention programs. Board members praised the one-minute timed subtests and the platform's ability to reduce duplicate testing workloads.
Implementation steps include professional development for staff, a fall launch for administration, and ongoing integration with the district's Edge Climber data platform. Staff described DIBBLES as a screening and progress-monitoring tool, not a special-education evaluation.
Timeline/provenance: The topic was introduced in the meeting at SEG 1665 and the board's vote is recorded later in the same segment (SEG 2164-2190).
