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Brunswick County Schools reports gains on diagnostics, adopts new phonics training and eyes state curriculum funds
Summary
District presenters told the board that K–8 I Ready math diagnostic scores rose substantially year to year and that K–3 DIBELS results have rebounded into the mid‑70s, with kindergarten at 80% at year end; the board discussed adoption of Reading Horizons phonics training and a state budget item for a $10 million K–8 curriculum purchase.
District staff presented year‑to‑year assessment data and implementation plans that staff said show sustained instructional impact across elementary and middle grades. "As a result of effective instruction throughout the school year, we ended with 59 percent of our students in K‑8 reaching that at or above grade level," the instructional presenter reported during the curriculum committee presentation. The update covered I Ready math diagnostics, DIBELS‑8 early literacy screening and changes to classroom pacing and assessment.
The presentation highlighted longitudinal gains: staff said K–5 students tracked across the year rose from 17 percent at or above grade level to 64 percent by the end of year, and middle‑grade readiness improved from about 22 percent at the start of the year to 58 percent at the end. Presenters described how grade‑level teams, MTSS school teams and district support staff use unit checks, PLCs and data conversations to drive coaching and intervention. "We want 80% of our students responding to core," a curriculum presenter said, noting an MTSS target the district uses to guide supports.
On reading, the literacy presenter described DIBELS‑8 administration and progress monitoring. "So this year, we have bounced back up into the mid seventies," the presenter said of combined K–3 DIBELS results and noted the district goal of 80 percent. The presenter compared district and state results, saying kindergarten began below the state average but ended the year at 80 percent at or above benchmark while the state overall reported 72 percent.
Board members asked about patterns at individual schools. Staff acknowledged cohort and assessment‑type effects and pointed to school improvement plans for the schools that have not yet reached the target quadrant. The presenters also said school‑specific links and data are available for trustees to review.
The committee discussed curriculum materials and phonics. One board member said the district selected Reading Horizons as its new phonics program; staff confirmed administrator training and a teacher rollout were scheduled. Separately, members discussed a state budget line that staff described as $10 million to purchase and adapt a K‑8 math curriculum from another state and $5 million to pilot AI tools statewide. A committee member said the district had not received details and that local adoption would be a decision for the district: "DPI can't force us to use anything that is purchased," the member said.
What happens next: staff said they will continue school‑by‑school monitoring, roll out Reading Horizons training for K–3 phonics teachers and return with budget and curriculum recommendations tied to the district’s implementation timeline.
