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Inside a dyslexia screening program for some of Colorado’s rural students

Ann Schimke, Chalkbeat

Jul 17, 2024 at 10:45am EDT

When teacher Cindy Haralson would point at her preschool class with a stuffed owl named Baby Echo, most children quickly repeated the letter, word, and sound they’d just heard her say. Think “B, bat, b.”

But one little girl — a good listener and natural problem-solver — stared blankly at her teacher day after day last year, unable to reproduce what she was hearing and seeing. Haralson recalled the girl looking at her classmates, as if to say, “How do you guys do that? How do you know that?”

The girl’s struggle with alphabet lessons was the kind of red flag that can signal problems learning to read, problems that Haralson believes too often go unaddressed for years.

“It seems like we always wait till kindergarten or first grade, and sometimes second grade,” said Haralson, who teaches in the tiny La Veta School District in southern Colorado. “I think we wait too long to figure these things out.”

So Haralson was thrilled when her district joined a regional pilot program last year to screen students in preschool through first grade for signs of dyslexia, a common learning disability that makes it hard to identify speech sounds, decode words, and spell them. Other participating districts include Cotopaxi, Aguilar, Manzanola, Primero, and Huerfano. This year, two more districts — Crowley and Fowler — will join, and participating schools will start screening second-graders as well.

The screening program, which is run by the South Central Board of Cooperative Educational Services, or BOCES, comes amid a yearslong push by Colorado leaders to improve early reading instruction through better curriculum, more teacher training, and timely help for struggling readers. While state lawmakers have stopped short of requiring schools to screen students for dyslexia, more districts are spearheading such efforts on their own, including large ones like Boulder Valley and Denver.

But educators say dyslexia screening is doable in small rural districts, too.

Rachel Arnold, literacy coordinator for the South Central BOCES and the leader of the pilot program, said extending dyslexia screening to all Colorado children is a matter of equity.

“Depending on your area code, ZIP code, where you live, not everyone has access to that,” she said.

Arnold believes the state should mandate and fund dyslexia screening statewide.

Southern Colorado pilot uses new dyslexia screening tool

About 200 children were screened for signs of dyslexia through the BOCES pilot program last year. That number could double as the program expands in 2024-25.

The pilot relies on a relatively new dyslexia screener called EarlyBird that was developed by researchers from Harvard University and the Florida Center for Reading Research. Arnold, who’s using part of an $86,000 state grant to help pay for the two-year pilot, estimates EarlyBird screening costs about $7 per student per year.

The screener is administered three times a year, with students answering questions on an iPad while a teacher looks on. Typically, each screening takes about an hour, but it’s often administered in 15- to 20-minute chunks over a couple weeks.

Arnold said she was initially leery about an online assessment, but said kids enjoy the game-like format and the cartoon bird that leads them through it. EarlyBird assesses a variety of early reading skills, such as rhyming, vocabulary knowledge, making connections between letters and sounds, and retrieving information quickly and automatically.

While Colorado’s flagship reading law — known as the READ Act — already requires elementary school teachers to evaluate students’ reading skills in kindergarten through third grade, some parents and educators say the assessments used for that can miss students with dyslexia.

“The READ Act has many wonderful things, but it is not dyslexia legislation,” said Arnold.

Holly Massarotti, a kindergarten teacher and elementary dean of students in the Primero district, said the READ Act assessment her district uses — IStation — isn’t as sensitive as EarlyBird in flagging children with signs of dyslexia.

Some kids who were “on the bubble” on the IStation assessment were caught by EarlyBird, she said.

“As we dug deeper into what their data showed, it was evident that they had a problem,” she said.

While dyslexia can interfere with the ability to read and learn for a lifetime, with the right instruction, students can do as well as their peers.

In Haralson’s preschool classroom, 13 students ages 4 and 5 were assessed with EarlyBird. Six were flagged for extra help during short sessions twice a week, including the little girl who’d previously looked confused during alphabet lessons.

She made “astounding progress,” Haralson said. “What a gift to catch it early.”

Screening takes time, but pleases parents

Arnold said the biggest pushback to the dyslexia screening was over the extra time it would take to administer.

Massarotti admitted she was hesitant when Arnold proposed the idea. But her school adjusted the reading assessment schedule, and teachers and aides worked together to administer the screener as efficiently as possible, she said.

“It can be done, and I think the data is worth the challenge that it takes,” she said.

In many cases, parents were notified about the results of the EarlyBird screening at parent-teacher conferences. Often, the results confirmed suspicions families already had that something wasn’t quite right — say, their child wasn’t picking up the ABCs, or couldn’t find the right words to express themselves.

Haralson said parents appreciated seeing the screening results and learning how they could shore up their children’s weak areas with early reading activities at home.

“They were so psyched,” she said. “They thought it was brilliant that we were even looking this early to see if there was any type of issue.”

Ann Schimke is a senior reporter at Chalkbeat, covering early childhood issues and early literacy. Contact Ann at aschimke@chalkbeat.org.

Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools.

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PREMONT, TEXAS, March 20, 2024 — In a groundbreaking initiative, the South Central Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) of Colorado and the Rural Schools Innovation Zone (RSIZ) of Texas are joining forces to pioneer a partnership aimed at enhancing educational and career opportunities for students in rural communities across both states. Funded by the Colorado Office of Economic Development’s Opportunity Now grant, this collaboration signifies a substantial advancement in ensuring that students have equitable access to career-connected education and opportunities regardless of their zip code.“A multi-state collaboration is a model for the future of rural education and we're thrilled to be partnering with the RSIZ to bring this to life," said Denille LePlatt, Executive Director of South Central BOCES. "This collaboration allows us to leverage the expertise of both organizations to create truly unique and impactful pathways that empower students to achieve success in high-demand, high-wage careers."The collaboration between South Central BOCES and the RSIZ reflects a collective effort to strengthen local economies, support workforce development, and maintain the unique identities of rural communities through enhanced educational opportunities. The two organizations operate under a collaborative model serving multiple school districts. Their partnership emerged over years of discussion and a shared vision to address common challenges in rural communities, like limited academic and economic options for students. By combining strengths and resources, South Central BOCES and the RSIZ can better tackle the need for innovation in rural education and workforce development."This is a win-win for students in both Colorado and Texas," said Michael Gonzalez, Executive Director of the RSIZ. "We’re stronger with locked arms. By working together, we can provide students with access to a wider range of career options and help them develop the skills they need to be successful in the workforce." A highlight of the collaboration is the plan to develop a student-sharing model, which will enable students from Colorado and Texas to gain valuable hands-on experience in new environments, fostering cross-state learning and cultural exchange. This unique opportunity will broaden students' horizons and expose them to new career possibilities that include everything from advanced manufacturing to broadcasting.The Opportunity Now grant has provided the necessary funding to bring this vision to life, allowing both organizations to develop and implement scalable models for student pathways and career development. The focus of the collaboration will be on establishing a sustainable framework for work-based learning that can be replicated across different states, thereby expanding educational and economic opportunities for rural students.“Investing in rural education isn't just about giving students a chance to stay in their communities, it's about creating a pipeline of talent for critical industries across the country,” explained LePlatt. “As an example of the potential, Colorado alone has a booming construction industry with over 2,766 job postings this summer, 51 percent above the national average. The state expects to need 40,000 new construction workers by 2027, with a particular need for electricians and plumbers. This partnership stands as a compelling testament to the dual benefits of investing in rural education, simultaneously catering to the aspirations of students and the demands of the workforce."For more information on the South Central BOCES and the RSIZ collaboration, or to follow the journey and support the initiative, please visit sc-boces.org or thersiz.org. Industry partners interested in supporting this initiative through sponsorships or job shadowing opportunities are encouraged to contact Michael A. Gonzalez at <mgonzalez@ruralschoolsinnovationzone.org.>About South Central BOCESThe South Central Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) is a collaborative serving 12 member school districts spanning a vast 10,000 square mile region in Southern Colorado. The organization’s mission is to empower every student within their member districts to thrive academically, socially, and personally. Through collective efforts, they prioritize innovation, vitality, and effectiveness in education to ensure equitable opportunities and outcomes for all learners.  The administrative unit for special education, South Central BOCES provides comprehensive support and resources to meet the diverse needs of students with disabilities. In addition, they offer a spectrum of services including professional learning opportunities, alternative licensure programs, and academic supports designed to foster growth and success for educators and students alike. Driven by a commitment to collaboration and continuous improvement, South Central BOCES strives to be a catalyst for positive change in education. For more visit sc-boces.org.About the Rural School Innovation ZoneThe Rural Schools Innovation Zone (RSIZ) represents a groundbreaking collaboration among five distinct districts in South Texas, aimed at redefining educational excellence in rural areas. By pooling resources, from advanced teaching staff to specialized facilities, and developing a curriculum tailored to the unique needs of the region, the RSIZ ensures equitable access and maximizes educational outcomes for all students. Initiatives such as industry-specific courses and local internship programs underscore their commitment to skills acquisition, college readiness, and enhanced job placements, reflecting their dedication to community engagement and student success. At the core of the RSIZ’s mission is the transformation of rural education into a conduit for community revitalization and student empowerment, fostering a workforce that is both deeply rooted and highly skilled. Through innovative partnerships and a commitment to skills-based education, the RSIZ is not just meeting the immediate needs of students; they are preparing them to be the architects of their own futures and the drivers of regional growth. For more visit thersiz.org.