What are the Supplemental Academic Screening Tools Chart Dyslexia Briefs?

The Supplemental Academic Screening Tools Chart Dyslexia Briefs provide state and local leaders with information on subtests that are part of academic screening tools on the academic screening tools chart designed to identify students at risk for experiencing reading difficulties, such as dyslexia. The briefs are organized by assessment suite and align with common state legislation requirements on the types of literacy skills that must be assessed in kindergarten through grade 2.  

The briefs provide information on how well a subtest can independently identify a student as at-risk on a later reading outcome (i.e., classification accuracy) or, if the subtest is not designed to identify risk, how well the test aligns with the literacy skill being tested (i.e., validity evidence).  

Why did NCII Create these Briefs?

Forty-nine states have passed legislation related to dyslexia; some states with legislation require that local education agencies identify students at risk for reading difficulties, including dyslexia, using academic screening tools. To support states and educators in identifying students with reading difficulties that align with common state criteria outlined in legislation, NCII requested additional information on academic screening tools submitted to the academic screening tools chart.  

Vendors from the current academic screening tools chart were invited to provide information on the alignment of assessment subtests with the reading skills identified in the briefs using a standard template provided by NCII and developed collaboratively with the National Center on Improving Literacy (NCIL). Information on the quality of evidence for these subtests was reviewed by our technical review committee through our standard call for submissions process.  

What Briefs are Available?

• DIBELS 8th Edition
• Let’s Go Learn Diagnostic Online Reading Assessment
• Star CBM Reading
• Ventris Learning Word Reading Assessment

How Can the Briefs be Used?

These briefs are best used in combination with the NCII Tools Chart User Guide, which provides an overview of the Tools Charts and outlines a six step process for selecting an academic screening tool. Teams should ask these additional questions while reviewing the briefs:

1. What reading skills do we need to assess? The briefs link literacy skills assessed with each subtest available within an assessment suite.
2. How well do the subtests assess these literacy skills? Use the bubble ratings within the briefs to identify the quality of evidence for each subtest across grade levels and seasons (e.g., fall, winter, spring). Blank columns indicate that no evidence was provided to NCII. See our screening standards overview for additional information about how tools are rated.  
3. What additional information is needed? Not all assessments provide a subtest for all reading skills or have strong evidence for a given season or grade. It may be necessary to identify additional information on student reading skills that meets your needs and complies with state requirements.