From Paper to Platform: How Burton USD Digitized Reading Intervention

Data Sources Consolidated

5+ systems 1 platform

Unified

Intervention Tracking Method

Paper & pencil Digital real-time

Transformed

State Mandate Compliance

Manual Seamless

Automated

Symptom

Educators at Burton School District relied on manual processes to assess, group, and track students for interventions. Reading intervention teacher Elizabeth Spindler used paper and pencil to assess students and group them for Tier 2 interventions. Administrators pieced together data from multiple, disjointed systems. This approach was inefficient, leading to gaps in communication and missed opportunities to address students' needs comprehensively. With 86.2% socioeconomically disadvantaged students and 16% English learners, the stakes for effective intervention were high.

People

Elizabeth Spindler, then a reading intervention teacher (now Curriculum Coordinator), led the initial adoption. Briana Kehoe, Director of Educational Services for Elementary, and Casey Rangel, Director of Educational Services for Secondary, expanded the platform district-wide. Team: - Elizabeth Spindler — Curriculum Coordinator, platform champion - Briana Kehoe — Director of Educational Services (Elementary) - Casey Rangel — Director of Educational Services (Secondary) - K-8 teachers across 9 campuses

Data

The platform consolidated attendance, academic performance, behavior, and assessment data into one place. Dashboards display data with a stoplight system, instantly highlighting gaps in early literacy skills (phonemic awareness, phonics) and early numeracy skills. Administrators generate grade-wide reports to track progress over time. "Having multiple measures in one place — including attendance — has been an eye-opener," says Kehoe. The system revealed attendance issues as underlying causes for academic struggles, enabling targeted interventions that addressed root causes rather than symptoms.

Plan

The district started small and expanded: 1. Pilot: Spindler began by inputting assessment information and grouping students for reading intervention. K-2 teachers added benchmark data. 2. Integration: The platform was connected to the district's student information and assessment tools, unlocking insights that were invisible when data lived in separate systems. 3. Expansion: Secondary schools adopted the platform. Rangel uses it to track discipline data and align Tier 1 supports to improve school culture. Teachers use the raised-hand feature to share urgent student notes in real time. 4. Compliance: When California mandated early screening for reading delays including dyslexia, the district was ready. The platform aligned seamlessly with the new requirements. "There are so many different ways to use this platform, and I'm amazed by how far we've come because of it," says Spindler.

Resources

Burton Case Study (PDF)

Full case study from Mr. Elmer