About 30% of Fairfax County kindergarteners who need extra reading help will use the literacy app Lexia this school year after the School Board carved out an exception to its device ban for the youngest students.
The board voted unanimously at its Oct. 8 meeting to let kindergarteners in reading intervention programs access Lexia, FFXnow first reported. In a second unanimous vote, the board directed Superintendent Michelle Reid to review the cost and effectiveness of Lexia and all other instructional apps and software, excluding basic tools like Microsoft Word and Google Suite.
A third vote proved more contentious. The board split 8-2, with two abstentions, on directing Reid to develop a policy letting parents opt their children out of Lexia and a digital math program called ST Math.
Mason District Representative Ricardy Anderson, who voted against allowing Lexia at all, warned the opt-out could widen inequities. "My worry is we have parents who are in the know, who have access to resources, and they're going to jump on this opt-out if they want to reduce screen time for their students," Anderson said, according to FFXnow.
She added that other families might not engage with the opt-out because of life circumstances, creating another divide between informed parents and those left out, with their children having very different experiences.
Springfield District Representative Sandy Anderson took the opposite view, calling the opt-out a logical extension of the Lexia decision that simply gives parents a choice.
The decisions cap a debate that began in July, when the board unanimously prohibited FCPS from issuing devices to pre-K and kindergarten students, as Patch reported. Exceptions were made for students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), 504 plans, translation needs, or multilingual education support.
That ban collided with the Virginia Literacy Act, which entitles struggling readers to 2.5 weekly hours of additional reading support. Lexia is a Virginia Department of Education-approved option for delivering that support. FCPS already uses teacher-led instruction for about half the required time but had not budgeted for staff to cover the rest. At an August work session, staff estimated the district would need at least 20 additional full-time positions to replace Lexia entirely, FFXnow reported at the time.
Mount Vernon District Representative Mateo Dunne, who pushed for the app review, said he was concerned the district devotes too much time to screen-based tools that have not been proven effective. Franconia District Representative Marcia St. John-Cunning acknowledged the Lexia fix may be temporary but said students in classrooms now need the support now. Hunter Mill District Representative Melanie Meren urged the board to slow down and define the broader role of instructional technology before making more decisions.
Staff told board members that kindergarteners will be evaluated for reading interventions around the end of October. Students who receive a reading plan will have it in place around mid-November. FCPS will then develop a communication plan to inform families about the opt-out, though no deadline for that has been set.
Alternatives to Lexia will vary by school depending on staffing and the number of students needing reading plans. Staff noted about a dozen schools have roughly 50% of students needing plans. The cost of providing alternatives for families who opt out is unknown.
The Educational Technology Review Committee is due to deliver interim recommendations to Reid by Oct. 31, according to the committee's charge on the FCPS website. Reid must present those recommendations to the board by Nov. 12.
