"It also supports the future of learning and literacy for our students," she said. "It is so important to stay current -- libraries aren't just books anymore, technology is integrated and there is the important task to teach students how to utilize all the different resources out there in your library and on the Internet."
Literacy
The Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills is a set of procedures and measures for assessing early literacy skills. DIBELS tests reading fluency, phonics development, alphabet recognition and sounds.
The district recently retired the handheld palm units for DIBELS testing that -- with a life expectancy of three years -- were used for seven years. The software wasn't supported anymore, so the district purchased an iPad for each grade in every elementary school. Each iPad cost $378.
"This is the early childhood effort that this district makes," Fry said.
