Clark County board cites double-digit early-grade phonics gains, plans new curriculum adoptions

The Clark County Board of Education heard data showing measurable early-grade reading gains tied to intensive phonics training and instructional resources.

Mrs. Kelly presented three-year Window 3 I Ready results and said the district has seen a roughly 10-point increase in kindergarten phonics readiness — "moving from 69% to 79%" — and an 11-point gain in first grade, changes she linked to district investment in Orton–Gillingham training and phonics resources. She told the board that all teachers who deliver the Orton–Gillingham-aligned program complete a 30-hour training requirement.

Staff framed the gains as targeted: the district concentrated first on phonics ("the foundational piece") and now plans to broaden reading instruction to include comprehension and the other strands of the reading rope. To that end, the district proposed adopting Magnetic Literacy for grades 1–5 and Think Circa for grades 6–12; administrators also plan to pilot I Ready Math for grades 5–8 and use Envision for high-school mathematics. Mrs. Kelly said the I Ready screener allows the district to isolate subdomains (phonics, comprehension) and track growth across windows.

Board members asked how reading comprehension is measured; Mrs. Kelly said the I Ready reports include all five reading domains and that the district will monitor data as the new materials and coaching are rolled out. She emphasized the district’s stepwise approach: "we had to focus on one part. So that's why we started with the foundational layer," adding that now the district will expand focus to the full reading spectrum.

The presentation was acknowledged; the board did not take a vote on curriculum adoption at the meeting and staff said the pilot and adoption timelines would come back for future approval.