4. DCSD Evaluation Summary - July 14, 2025 - DCSD Board Meeting Archive

PHONICS ADOPTION 2025 - SUMMARY OF REVIEWER FEEDBACK

95 Core

Overall, reviewers commented that the 95 Core Phonics program is comprehensive and thorough, but it may need additional resources and
customization to fully meet the diverse needs of students and teachers.

Summary of Strengths: Summary of Weaknesses: Additional Comments:

• Well Organized: The program is • Customization Needs: May • Online Platform: The online platform
structured and sequential, ensuring require additional time or is separate and not embedded into the
all students are exposed to essential customization for students with 30-minute instruction.
phonics concepts. special learning needs or those • Assessment Opportunities: Needs
• Research-Based: Aligned with the advanced in phonics. more assessment opportunities
Science of Reading, it offers explicit • Rigidity: The structured approach (weekly).
teaching of both phonics and may not suit every teacher’s style • Support for ELL Students: Questions
spelling. or flexibility in adapting to about the impact on ELL students who
• Mastery Emphasis: Consistent students’ needs. do not speak English and the support
review to ensure retention. • Handwriting: No cursive offered.
• Comprehensive: Includes handwriting component. • Alignment with Standards: Concerns
workbooks, scripted lessons, • Time Constraints: about the match with new standards
diagnostic assessments, and online Implementation may take over 30 and the third-grade rigor level need to
practice. minutes a day. be addressed.
• Multimodal Resources: Visual aids, • Materials Overload: The amount • Consumable Workbooks: Queries
sound spelling cards, and decodable of materials and data reporting about whether student workbooks are
passages in nonfiction and fiction. can be overwhelming. consumable and supplied every year.
• Digital Component: Online • Program Purchase: Full effectiveness
resources for differentiation and requires purchasing all components of
practice can be assigned. the program.
Fundations

Overall, reviewers commented that Fundations is a thorough and vetted phonics resource that provides explicit, systematic instruction with
a strong emphasis on multi-sensory learning. However, it currently lacks comprehensive coverage for grades 4-5 and may require significant
teacher preparation and additional resources for full effectiveness.

Summary of Strengths: Summary of Weaknesses: Additional Comments:

• Explicit, Systematic Instruction: • Limited Grade Coverage: • Future Availability: Levels 4 and 5
Aligned with the Science of Reading, Currently only available for K-3, will not be finished and available
providing clear guidance for with levels 4 and 5 in development. until the school year 2026-27.
teachers. • Pace and Adaptability: May be • Potential Worth: Despite current
• Multi-Sensory Learning: Strong slow for advanced learners, and the limitations, the program seems
emphasis on multi-sensory online platform is not adaptive. potentially worth the wait for
approaches. • Material Overload: Lots of comprehensive coverage.
• Comprehensive Materials: Includes materials and resources, which can • Teacher Prep: Could be a heavy lift
student and teacher materials, be overwhelming for teachers. for teachers to implement due to the
vocabulary and comprehension • Lack of Differentiation: Weak in amount of prep required.
strategies, cursive writing differentiated instruction, especially • Supplemental Resources: Questions
introduced in 3rd grade, and for ELL students and advanced about whether additional resources
decodable readers. phonics instruction for grades 4-5. for grades 4 and 5 would need to be
• Assessment Tools: Universal • Handwriting: No cursive purchased.
screeners, foundational diagnostics, handwriting component for grades • Alignment with Standards: Aligns
and unit tests. 4-5. with new Literacy standards and
• Professional Development: PD • Visual Resources: Decodable supports for ELLs.
included opening and 7 times books and visual resources look • Professional Learning
throughout the year, digital support dated and have poor font choices. Opportunities: Presented in many
with videos. formats, but differentiation for ELL
• Digital Tools: Online resources to students and targeted support for
monitor student progress. Tiers 1, 2, and 3 is needed.

Heggerty

Overall, reviewers commented that Heggerty is a systematic, explicit structured literacy program that is easy to implement and strong in
phonemic awareness. However, it lacks comprehensive coverage for grades 4-5 and may require significant funding and additional resources
for full effectiveness.

Summary of Strengths: Summary of Weaknesses: Additional Comments:

• Materials and Resources: Great • Limited Grade Coverage: Only • Support for ELL Students:
materials and resources, including available for K-3, with no program Questions about the support for ELL
hard copies provided in color. for grades 4-5. students who do not speak English
• Phonemic Awareness: Strong focus • Subscription Costs: Subscriptions and the success rate for these
on phonemic awareness, need to be renewed yearly, which students.
foundational for phonics and can vary in price. • Pairing with Other Programs:
reading development. • Alignment with Standards: Not Needs to be used alongside another
• Ease of Implementation: Lessons very aligned with new standards and program for a complete literacy
are short, daily, and easy to may require additional purchases. approach.
implement with minimal preparation • Scope of Instruction: While strong • Yearly Fees: Concerns about yearly
for teachers. in phonemic awareness, it doesn’t fees and the need for continuous
• Evidence-Based: The program is provide full phonics instruction, resource renewal.
evidence-based with a strong focus spelling, or handwriting. • Professional Development: In-
on developing sound awareness. • Digital Practice: No student online person training for all teachers is
• Digital Tools: Includes digital practice platform, and some recommended.
tutorials, decodable passages, and components are only digital.
access to multi-grade libraries.
• Scripted Lessons: Scripted lessons • Material Overload: Lots of • Cursive Handwriting: No cursive
with digital resources, remediation, materials and resources, which can handwriting component for grades
and extension options. be overwhelming for teachers. 3-5.
• Professional Development: PD • Independent Practice: The
available along with myHeggerty website could benefit
coaching/modeling and follow-ups. from having an independent
student practice piece and online
data collection.

UFLI

Overall, reviewers commented that UFLI is a cost-effective, evidence-based program that is easy to implement and great for K-2. However, it
lacks comprehensive coverage for grades 3-5 and may require significant teacher preparation and additional resources for full effectiveness.

Summary of Strengths: Summary of Weaknesses: Additional Comments:

• Cost Effective: One manual for K-2, • Limited Grade Coverage: Only • Support for ELL Students:
with many free online resources. available for K-2, with no specific Questions about explicit support for
• Low Prep: Minimal preparation manual or lessons for grades 3-5. ELL students who do not speak
required, with lesson slide decks • Alignment with Standards: Not English.
and free YouTube videos. aligned with new standards and • Supplemental Resource: Best used
• Evidence-Based: Strong foundation may require additional resources. as a supplemental resource for Tier
following the Science of Reading, • Material Overload: Teachers need 2/3 students rather than a
emphasizing fluency in decoding to print many resources, which can comprehensive Tier 1 program.
and encoding. be time-consuming and intensive. • Professional Development: More
• Digital Resources: Includes digital • Lack of Comprehensive Coverage: support needed for new teachers
games, sound wall, heart words, and Does not provide a full scope of and upper grades teachers.
virtual practice games. phonics instruction, comprehension, • Printing Resources: Having to print
or word study. resources may become problematic,
• Ease of Use: Simple and • Resource Consistency: Lack of and the program may seem
straightforward, easy for novice consistent materials across the outdated to some.
teachers to follow. board, which may affect lesson • Independent Practice: No student
• Customizable Resources: Educative efficiency. reproducible or home practice
implementation videos, materials provided.
• Teacher Preparation: Significant
customizable resources, and weekly
spelling assessments. prep time required, and additional
resources like manipulatives need to
be purchased.

Agenda Item