Schools use a variety of assessments to monitor student learning, identify needs, and guide instruction. As a parent, it’s helpful to know what each type of assessment is, why it’s used, and how it can help identify characteristics of dyslexia. 

1. Screening Assessments in Early Grades 

What it is:
Short, informal tests used to quickly check if students are on track with foundational literacy skills. 

Purpose:

• Identify students who may be at risk for reading difficulties before they fall behind in early grades

• Help schools decide who may need more targeted support (Tier 2 or Tier 3 in MTSS)

• Connection to Dyslexia:
  Screeners are a powerful tool for early identification. They don’t diagnose dyslexia, but they detect risk factors, such as difficulties with phonological awareness, letter-sound connections, or rapid naming. Think of screeners as a check engine light for reading difficulties. 

Examples:

• DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills)

• Acadience Reading

• Aimsweb Plus

• Fastbridge

• iReady Diagnostic (note, does not measure phonological awareness past 2nd grade)
  
  

Important for Parents to Know:
Rhode Island requires schools to screen K–3 students for reading risk. Ask your school what screener they use and how your child performed. In older grades, schools use benchmark assessments (typically three times a year) to identify students at risk of not meeting grade-level standards. 

• Literacy For All: Equitable Practices for Reading and Dyslexia 

• Four Questions to Ask of Universal Screening for Dyslexia

• Helpful Guide to Understanding Screening versus Diagnostic Testing 

• Screening and Assessment  (explains different types of reading assessments) 

What it is:
Periodic assessments (typically 3 times a year) that check whether students are meeting grade-level expectations in reading and math. Benchmarks are used beyond the early years of literacy instruction. Examples: Renaissance Star Reading, Aimsweb, mClass, iReady, etc. 

Purpose:

• Monitor progress over time
  
  

• Compare student performance to grade-level standards
  
  

• Identify students who may need intervention
  
  

Connection to Dyslexia:
Benchmark assessments help schools find out which students might be struggling. It is like a "check engine" light for a car. 

If your child keeps scoring below the expected level on these tests, it could mean they need more intensive support. It may also be a sign that the school should do more in-depth testing to figure out exactly what skills your child is having trouble with and what kind of help they need. If a student is below average in reading comprehension, diagnostic tests should determine if there are underlying challenges in fluency, decoding, encoding and phonemic awareness (typical struggles for students with dyslexia). 

Benchmark Assessment Examples:

• NWEA MAP

• STAR Reading

• iReady

• Aimsweb Plus 
  
  

Important for Parents to Know:
Benchmarks don’t tell the full story. They are helpful, but they are not meant as tool to diagnose dyslexia!  A student may appear “on level” overall but still have gaps in foundational skills that indicate risk for dyslexia. Always ask to see the breakdown of subtest data on benchmarks if you suspect dyslexia (example: if vocabulary is average, but reading fluency is low that may be a sign decoding issues are impacting fluency and comprehension). 

Know What the Benchmark Measures

• Ask if the assessment checks overall reading or specific skills like phonics or fluency. Many benchmarks only measure grade-level text, not foundational reading skills
  
  

Request Subskill Data

• If you suspect dyslexia and your child scored low/below average on the benchmark assessment, ask if a diagnostic assessment was performed to measure phonological awareness, decoding, and fluency skills. For example, did the team rule out an underlying decoding issue (phonemic awareness, phonics, and fluency). These areas are essential for understanding dyslexia-related needs.
  
  

Compare Growth, Not Just  Current Reading Level 

• Ask: Is my child making expected progress compared to previous scores? Growth over time is just as important as the current level.
  
  

Check for Consistency with Other Data

• Compare benchmark results with classroom performance, teacher observations, and intervention progress. If the data doesn’t match what you see at home or in class, ask why.
  
  

Don’t Ignore Writing and Spelling

• Benchmarks rarely measure spelling (encoding), but spelling challenges are a key sign of dyslexia. Ask for additional assessments if needed.
  
  

Ask About Instructional Implications

• What will the teacher do if your child scores below the benchmark? The plan should include structured literacy-based interventions, not just extra reading time with grade-level text.
  
  

Be Wary of “Wait and See”

• If your child’s scores stay low or growth is slow, request immediate support or a special education evaluation. Waiting often leads to bigger gaps.
  
  

Document and Track Trends

• Keep a record of benchmark scores and progress-monitoring data. Patterns over time can help you advocate for the right support.

What it is:
In-depth assessments that measure specific reading skills and processes, usually given individually by a trained teacher or specialist. This is not the same as a comprehensive educational evaluation used for the special education process, but data from these tools can help identify characteristics of dyslexia through the MTSS process. 

Purpose:

• Identify exact skill gaps in areas like phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension
  
  

• Guide instruction that matches the student’s individual needs
  
  

• Often used after benchmarks to determine what kind of intervention is needed

Diagnostic Examples:

• Core Phonics Inventory

• Dibels 8th Edition  Assessments

• Really Great Reading Diagnostic Decoding Survey

• Woodcock-Johnson IV

• CTOPP-2 

• TOWRE-2

• GORT 5 

Connection to Dyslexia:
Diagnostic assessments can reveal the hallmark characteristics of dyslexia—like trouble matching sounds to letters, blending sounds, or reading fluently. These tools are critical in confirming whether a student shows a pattern consistent with dyslexia. They are given after a screener/benchmark assessment. 

How This Helps

By looking closely at specific skills, teachers can match your child with the right type of small-group or one-on-one instruction in our Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS).  Schools then monitor progress regularly (every 1–2 weeks) to make sure the extra help is working.

• Learn More-Reading Rockets Article: Screening and Assessments
  
  

Important for Parents to Know:
If your child is struggling with reading and benchmark assessments show they are struggling or below grade-level (typically yellow and red colors on benchmark data), ask the school to conduct diagnostic assessments to identify the sub-skills causing reading comprehension struggles. This data will be used to select an appropriate intervention. 

What it is:
Statewide standardized tests that measure student performance at the end of the year in relation to state standards.

Purpose:

• Provide a snapshot of student achievement in reading, writing, and math
  
  

• Measure school and district performance
  
  

• Inform statewide education policy
  
  

Connection to Dyslexia:
Summative tests like RICAS (Rhode Island Comprehensive Assessment System) are not designed to identify dyslexia. They may show that a student is struggling, but they don’t explain why.  By the time a child fails a summative test, they may have been struggling for years, so it’s essential to identify dyslexia much earlier through screeners and diagnostics.

Important for Parents to Know:
RICAS scores can raise red flags, but they should never be the first or only sign that a student needs help. If your child’s RICAS score is low, ask for the results of earlier assessments (screeners, benchmark, and assessments from their literacy program (UFLI, Fundations, etc.). If your child scores below grade level on the RICAS state assessment, this can serve as one piece of evidence showing a gap in academic achievement (Criterion 1 for specific learning disability identification). This information can be used—along with other data (response to intervention data from RTI/MTSS) —to help determine if your child may have a specific learning disability (SLD), such as dyslexia.