DIBELS 8th Edition (K-5 universal screener)

DIBELS measures are designed to be short (one minute) assessments used to regularly monitor the development of literacy skills. These assessments were developed to determine recognized and empirically validated skills related to reading outcomes. Each measure has been thoroughly researched and demonstrated to be a reliable and valid indicator of early literacy development.

When implemented as recommended, the results can be used to evaluate individual student development as well as provide grade-level feedback toward validated instructional objectives. The research-based measures are linked to one another and predictive of later reading proficiency. Combined, the measures form an assessment system of early literacy development that allows educators to readily and reliably determine student progress. APS uses DIBELS as a universal literacy screening tool, benchmark assessment, and to monitor student progress.

The Parent Guide to DIBELS Assessment describes the skills assessed by DIBELS and identifies the DIBELS measures that were administered to students at each grade level. It is important to note that grade level DIBELS measures screen for those reading skills that are most predictive of later reading proficiency and most reliable in identifying students who are at risk for reading difficulty.

DIBELS is administered at the beginning, middle, and end of the school year. As with all district required English Language Arts assessments, families should receive a communication through ParentVue and ParentSquare that their student(s) will participate in the DIBELS assessment prior to the beginning of the assessment window.  After students take DIBELS, APS communicates the results via ParentVue in Test History.

DIBELS results are categorized according to the need, or likelihood, that students will meet end-of-year grade-level goals in reading. The categories were determined based on research in which DIBELS and end-of-year reading tests were administered to many students across the country.

Results from DIBELS are used to help determine individual student’s learning goals, support the planning of targeted instruction, monitor student progress, and raise awareness of students who need additional support or instruction in foundational reading skills.

After administration, teacher teams analyze student DIBELS data, determine whether additional diagnostic assessment is necessary, and plan instructional next steps. This analysis typically occurs during a Collaborative Learning Team (CLT) meeting which includes teams of teachers, reading specialists, and at times, an administrator. These meetings often include the following topics:

• Identify the likely root cause of reading difficulty for students
• Determine what additional diagnostic assessments would be helpful for determining the specific area of weakness.
• Plan for tier one and intervention instruction that is tightly aligned to student data
• Plan for how instructional progress will be monitored

A student’s score on DIBELS measures provides information about whether or not the student is on track for grade-level reading success. Each student receives individual measure scores and a composite score (combination of scores on multiple DIBELS measures). The composite score is the most robust predictor of overall risk related to reading proficiency.

If a student does not meet the DIBELS benchmark, additional diagnostic assessments will be administered to determine the specific area of concern and support the planning of targeted instruction and intervention. Parents will be notified by the school and an intervention plan, designed to support the specific needs of the student, will be created, implemented, and shared with families.

Each DIBELS measure focuses on a specific or set of foundation reading skills necessary for proficient reading. The table below includes each measure, the corresponding reading skill(s), and information or resources for families.

For many years, APS relied on reading levels to determine and communicate a student’s level of reading achievement.  While reading levels provide a general sense of where (on a leveled continuum) a student might be reading, they do not provide details about the specific skills (phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension) research indicates are necessary for grade level proficiency in reading.  Families can expect more specific information about how their student is performing in reading than a reading level can provide. This information should include specific information about foundational reading skills as well as how students are performing in relation to the Virginia Standards of Learning aligned with that reading skill.

Through the use of a variety of literacy screeners and diagnostic assessments that measure foundational reading skills, APS teachers will still be able to inform parents whether their student is reading below, on, or above grade level. Similarly, teachers will be able to tell families whether students are meeting or not meeting the Virginia Standards of Learning that are aligned with foundational reading skills. The assessments used will measure the following foundational reading skills that research indicates are essential for proficient reading: phonological and phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.