MAP Reading Fluency was added to list of recommended literacy screening tools for Washington’s K – 2 students
Portland, Ore. – Sept. 18, 2020 – NWEA – a not-for-profit assessment provider – announced today that its innovative, award-winning early literacy assessment solution called MAP® Reading Fluency™ was approved by the State of Washington as one of the recommended tools districts can use to screen for dyslexia and determine early literacy skills for students in K – 2. The approval was determined by Washington’s Dyslexia Advisory Council which used criteria such as the quality of the assessment, validity and reliability of the data, correlation to Washington State Learning Standards, a regard for bias and sensitivity, and the capacity to support districts, to determine its recommended list of screening tools. This is part of a statewide effort laid out in Washington’s Senate Bill 6162, which requires school districts and charter schools to provide interventions and screen students in kindergarten through second grade who display indications of dyslexia.
Of the recommended tools on the list, MAP® Reading Fluency™ is one of the few that is computer adaptive and can efficiently measures oral reading fluency, literal comprehension and foundational skills for both English and Spanish speakers. It can assess an entire class in just 20 minutes freeing up valuable instructional time. Because of automatic scoring, educators have results right away that helps them understand what’s needed to advance each student’s reading skills. The innovative assessment tool is powered by LanguaMetrics™.
“Early screening for characteristics of dyslexia is key,” said Cindy Jiban, Principal Academic Lead and literacy expert at NWEA. “If educators can find children showing difficulties in these areas as early as kindergarten, they can work with the family to build a pathway toward literacy.”
Early literacy is a key indicator of long-term success. The most recent National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) report card indicates only 35% of fourth graders are proficient in reading. According to research, reading at grade-level by third grade is an important predictor of future academic success for students stating that those who are not are four times less likely to graduate from high school. Now combine a national reading crisis with a pandemic that is disrupting school for students across the country and could lead to long-term impacts on learning. Educators will need reliable, quality and timely data that assessments like MAP Reading Fluency can provide to understand the full impact on reading – especially at the younger grades when students are building their foundations of literacy.
About NWEA
NWEA® is a mission-driven, not-for-profit organization that supports students and educators worldwide by creating assessment solutions that precisely measure growth and proficiency—and provide insights to help tailor instruction. Educators in more than 10,000 schools, districts, and education agencies in 146 countries rely on our flagship interim assessment, MAP® Growth™; our progress monitoring and skills mastery tool, MAP® Skills™; our reading fluency and comprehension assessment, MAP® Reading Fluency™ ; our personalized learning tool powered by Khan Academy, MAP® Accelerator™; and our new assessment solution that combines growth and proficiency measurement. Visit NWEA.org to find out how NWEA can partner with you to help all kids learn.
Contact: Simona Beattie, Sr. Manager, Public Relations, simona.beattie@nwea.org or 971.361.9526