The decision marks a shift in how Fort Worth ISD identifies and supports students with dyslexia, and reflects the district\u2019s broader emphasis on literacy, which Molinar called \u201can emergency response.\u201d<\/p>\n
The district\u2019s dyslexia program has produced inconsistent results, Molinar told trustees. Student progress in decoding and comprehension stalled, even when students completed the program. The issue, she said, wasn\u2019t just the curriculum, it was also uneven training among providers and a lack of districtwide alignment.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s no reason to keep doing the same model, using the same curriculum, and not getting the results that we want,\u201d Molinar said. \u201cYou have to do things differently.\u201d<\/p>\n
Take Flight will begin at select elementary campuses in the 2025-26 school year. The program, developed by Scottish Rite for Children<\/a>, requires two years of intensive therapist training.<\/p>\n Bridges, a transitional program designed to scale more quickly, will serve students at other campuses. It follows the same structured literacy principles and features co-teaching with an avatar named Miss Hallie<\/a>.<\/p>\n Across the district, 17 teachers have already begun Take Flight training, including eight through Scottish Rite and nine through Education Service Center Region 11<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Another 60 educators are set to begin Bridges training in July.\u00a0<\/p>\n District leaders said the model balances immediate access with long-term impact. Bridges will provide high-quality intervention while more staff are trained to deliver Take Flight in the future.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is not cheap. It\u2019s intensive. It is best in class in the literal sense,\u201d said Deputy Superintendent Mohammed Choudhury. \u201cWe are the largest ISD in Texas to ever take Take Flight at this level.\u201d<\/p>\n The district is offering extra-duty compensation for summer training and asking for a two-year commitment from all participating educators. Take Flight includes 700 clinical hours toward Certified Academic Language Therapist<\/a> certification, part of the district\u2019s goal to build an internal pipeline of dyslexia specialists.<\/p>\n Still, trustee Camille Rodriguez raised concerns about teacher retention after the investment.<\/p>\n \u201cWe don\u2019t have a good answer to that yet,\u201d Molinar said, noting that once certified, teachers become highly sought after by other districts and private providers.<\/p>\n The new dyslexia model comes on the heels of higher-than-expected gains in early literacy across Fort Worth ISD<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe are very proud of our campuses,\u201d Molinar said. \u201cBut we still need to close that gap.\u201d<\/p>\n She pointed trustees to one slide in particular: 35% of third grade students still did not meet reading expectations.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s 35% of our students going into fourth grade,\u201d she said. \u201cSo now we have to double down again.\u201d<\/p>\n Most elementary students identified with dyslexia will begin receiving Bridges instruction this upcoming school year, while Take Flight rolls out to a smaller group of students.<\/p>\n Over the next three years, Choudhury said, the goal is for all campuses to shift to Take Flight as more teachers earn certification.<\/p>\n In the meantime, the district is working to expand literacy interventions across all grade levels, and use additional instructional days allowed under House Bill 3<\/a> to help catch students up, especially in middle school.<\/p>\n But for families like Watson\u2019s, the most important change is already in motion.<\/p>\n \u201cI wanted to put a face to dyslexia,\u201d Watson said. \u201cSo you know and understand and see why we\u2019re out here fighting.\u201d<\/p>\n Matthew Sgroi is an education reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at matthew.sgroi@fortworthreport.org<\/a> or @matthewsgroi1<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n News decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here<\/a>.<\/p>\n \n\tRelated\n<\/p>\n Fort Worth Report is certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative<\/a> for adhering to standards for ethical journalism.<\/p>\n Republish This Story<\/p>\n
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