Agenda Item
b. Division of Student Services ~ Waterford Supplemental Instructional Resource (Not to exceed $130,000) ~ Updated 8.7.2025
Summary: Presented by: Dr. Norman C. Sauce III, Chief of Student Services, Division of Student Services
Request: It is requested that the Board of Education approve the purchase of the Waterford Platform - Instructional Supplemental Resource in the amount not to exceed $130,000 from the Bright From the Start Pre-K4 Grant and the Pre-K3 General Operating Budget.
Why: Due to the proposed deployment of the Waterford Platform - Instructional Supplemental Resource across all Pre-K4 classrooms throughout the district, the total cost in the amount not to exceed $130,000 from the Bright From the Start Pre-K4 Grant and the
Pre-K3 General Operating Budget. The Waterford supplemental instructional platform is a diagnostic adaptive program for Pre-K scholars that has a strategic focus on the development of early literacy and early numeracy skills while being aligned to the Georgia Early Learning Developmental Standards, (GELDS). The programs’ systematic and explicit approach to learning that supports the gradual release model with target support for remediation and/or acceleration is aligned to each student’s learning pathway that’s highlighted by research based instructional practices. The skills that are developed in partnership with the instructional experience within the classroom setting with the utilization of the Waterford platform helps to enhance the development of early literacy, early numeracy, and foundation of school skills within our Pre-K (3&4) scholars.
Details: The DeKalb County School District, as a local educational agency (LEA) receiving Bright From the Start - (Pre-K4) grant funds, has an obligation to continue to enhance the instructional offering of our young scholars in the areas of early literacy and early numeracy. Services from the preferred vendor will support explicit instruction being delivered as an added value to our young scholar’s instructional experience within their classroom and home settings.
The DeKalb County School District currently serves over 2800 Pre-K (3&4) students within (25) Pre-K3 classes and (128) Pre-K4 classes. Having access to the Waterford Platform - Instructional Supplemental Resource will be an added value to their instructional experience within the early learning arena.
During the 2024-2025 school year, the Waterford platform was piloted across all our Pre-K3 expansion sites and Pre-K4 classes that are designated at the same schools. There was a total of 550 students utilizing the platform within the various Pre-K (3&4) expansion and piloted classrooms. Effective communication with our families is essential with ensuring that the Waterford platform is accessible and utilized at home during the school year to support our students’ instructional journey. The utilization of the platform within their classroom settings is an added value to the instructional offering that they receive form their teachers and paraprofessionals. In accordance with Board Policy DJE, Board approval is being requested for the Waterford - supplemental instructional resource to be deployed across the district within all Pre-K (3&4) classrooms.
Waterford Platform - Pre-K3 Achievement Data
The scores listed below represent the achievement data for the content areas of literacy and numeracy Pre-K3 scholars during the 2024-2025 SY.
Waterford Platform - Pre-K4 Achievement Data
The scores listed below represent the achievement data for the content areas of literacy and numeracy Pre-K4 scholars during the 2024-2025 SY.
According to DJE, Board approval is being requested for the Waterford Platform - Instructional Supplemental Resource and Professional Learning services.
Financial impact: The financial impact to the general funds for Pre-K3 students who will utilize the Waterford platform during the 2025-2025 school year will not exceed the amount of 20,000. The financial impact to the Bright From the Start funds for Pre-K4 students who will utilize the Waterford platform during the 2025-2026 school year will not exceed the amount of $110,000.
Department of Early Learning and Pre-K3 Programs Charge Code:
560.0000.434000.17821.7481.1540.6014.094.2025
Department of Early Learning and Pre-K4 Programs Charge Code:
560.2300.553200.17821.7481.1540.8010.094.2026
560.2210.511600.17821.7640.1540.8010.094.2026
Contact: Dr. Norman C. Sauce III, Chief of Student Services, Division of Student Services
Dr. Zack Phillips, Executive Director of Early Learning and Pre-K Programs, Division of Student Services, 678-676-2048
Effective: Upon Board Approval
Status: Approved by the Office of Legal Affairs
PreK
The more your child interacts with the
Waterford program, the more they learn!
Waterford is adaptive, providing targeted instruction to
meet your child's unique needs. Children who engage with
the Waterford software for 15 minutes five days a week can
easily meet or exceed the recommended usage goal of
1,500 minutes in the digital learning path. Short, frequent
sessions work best for learning new skills, so establishing a
daily learning routine is important! And research shows that,
on average, students who meet the 1,500-minute milestone
reach a kindergarten-intermediate level and are well
prepared for kindergarten!
With 1,500 minutes in the reading digital learning path, your child will learn to:
• Spell their name • Blend sounds in simple words orally (up to
• Recognize most capital letters and many 3 sounds)
lowercase letters • Listen carefully to understand stories,
• Know some letter sounds texts, and directions
• Begin to write letters with correct formation • Participate in read-alouds and talk about
• Recognize some printed words (such as the book
their name) • Know how words are read in a book (from
• Identify the first sounds in words (orally) left to right and top to bottom)
But don’t stop there!
As your child continues beyond 1,500 minutes they will learn to:
• Recognize all letters and know their most • Recognize some common words in print
common sounds (the, and, is, etc.)
• Write all letters with correct formation • Read their first decodable books
• Begin to decode and spell short vowel • Retell stories, including the beginning,
words with two or three sounds middle, and end
Math & Science Reading
Remember, slow and Watch this video series to
understand what your child
steady wins the race! will be learning and how
you can support them.
PreK
Entre más interactúe su hijo con el
programa de Waterford, ¡más aprenderá!
Waterford es adaptativo, proporcionando una instrucción dirigida
a satisfacer las necesidades singulares de su hijo. Los niños que
trabajan con el software de Waterford durante 15 minutos, cinco
días a la semana pueden facilmente exceder la meta de uso
recomendado de 1,500 minutos en el camino digital de
aprendizaje. Sesiones cortas frecuentes funcionan mejor para
aprender habilidades nuevas, de manera que estableciendo una
rutina diaria de aprendizaje es importante e investigaciones han
demostrado que, en promedio, los estudiantes que llegan a la
meta de 1,500 minutos alcanzan un nivel de Kínder intermedio y
¡ están bien preparados para el Kínder!
Con 1,500 minutos en el camino digital de aprendizaje de lectura, su hijo puede aprender a:
• Deletrear su nombre • Mezclar los sonidos en las palabras
• Reconocer la mayoría de las letras simples oralmente (hasta 3 sonidos)
mayúsculas y muchas de las letras minúsculas • Escuchar cuidadosamente para entender
• Empezar a escribir letras con las historias, textos e instrucciones
la formación correcta • Participar en leer en voz alta y
• Reconocer algunas palabras hablar acerca del libro
impresas (tales como su nombre) • Saber cómo funciona leer un libro (de
• Identificar los primeros sonidos izquierda a derecha y de arriba a abajo)
en las palabras (oralmente) • Saber algunos de los sonidos de las letras
¡Pero no se detenga ahí!
Al continuar su hijo más allá de los 1,500 minutos, aprenderá a:
• Reconocer todas las letras y saber • Reconocer algunas palabras impresas
sus sonidos más comunes comunes (the, and, is, etc.)
• Escribir todas las letras con • Leer su primer libro decodificable
la formación correcta • Volver a contar historias, incluyendo
• Empezar a decodificar y deletrear palabras el inicio, medio y final
cortas de vocales con dos o tres sonidos
Matemáticas
& Ciencias Lectura
Recuerde, ¡despacio y Ver la serie de videos
para entender lo que su
constante gana la carrera! hijo está aprendiendo y
cómo lo puede apoyar.