As you know, we pride ourselves for our educational excellence in Mill Valley.  For the past three years, our elementary teams have focused on implementing evidence-based literacy programs to support the success of all students.  We are reporting strong gains in student achievement, including meaningful progress among historically underserved student groups, following a multi-year investment in evidence-based literacy and instruction.

Recent CAASPP results show the percentage of students exceeding grade-level standards increased from 40.88% to 47.83%, while the percentage not meeting standards declined from 6.51% to 4.83%. Growth is especially notable among student groups that have historically experienced disparities. The percentage of socioeconomically disadvantaged students exceeding standards nearly doubled (12.79% to 24.27%), and students who are both economically disadvantaged and Hispanic/Latine saw gains from 4.55% to 17.24% . Students whose families have a high school level of education also showed significant increases in advanced performance, while students whose parents hold graduate degrees increased their rates of exceeding standards by over 10 percentage points (46.35% to 56.43%) - demonstrating progress across all student groups.

We attribute these gains to a focused approach to strengthen multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS). TK-5 teachers and administrators participate in ongoing training and coaching on structured literacy and practices grounded in the science of reading through district grade level collaboration days to support our adoption of CKLA, our new high-quality literacy program. This year, we have added a new literacy assessment and dyslexia screener, mClass DIBELs,  to our assessment protocol so that all classroom teachers have information about students’ reading performance and strategies to support their growth.  Coupled with our Targeted Learning Labs staffed by trained interventionists who deliver high-quality intervention supports, student performance on DIBELS also reflects our successful implementation of science of reading practices, as seen in the table below:

As California advances legislation such as AB 1454 and AB 121 to promote evidence-based literacy instruction, Mill Valley’s results demonstrate that the impact of this work has been underway. The district remains committed to ensuring all students have access to high-quality instruction and the opportunity to succeed. By working together - students, families, and educators - we can ensure that every child grows as a reader. Regular assessment, targeted instruction, and family support all play a vital role in helping students reach and exceed reading goals.

For more information, see the links below.

Thank you for your continued partnership in your child’s learning journey!