NWEA Launches Dyslexia Screener for MAP Reading Fluency, Supporting Early Identification and Intervention for Students with Dyslexia

New Tool Allows Teachers to Assess an Entire Class for Reading Ability and Signs of Dyslexia in as Little as 20 Minutes

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Mar 09, 2021, 05:00 ET

PORTLAND, Ore., March 9, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- NWEA, a not-for-profit research and assessment provider, announced today the launch of its MAP Reading Fluency Dyslexia Screener for back-to-school 2021. The dyslexia screener represents a major expansion to MAP Reading Fluency, the award-winning early literacy benchmark assessment. The addition of the new screener will help educators identify students exhibiting possible characteristics of dyslexia early when intervention can be most effective.

According to the International Dyslexia Association (IDA), perhaps as much as 15 to 20 percent of the population exhibits characteristics of dyslexia, including slow or inaccurate word recognition, poor spelling, and difficulties with decoding. The IDA notes that in the school population nationwide, a significant number of students receiving services for learning disabilities have dyslexia; in addition, many students with dyslexia are currently unidentified and receiving no services. While often diagnosed much later, signs of dyslexia may be evident as early as Kindergarten.

With the addition of the new dyslexia screener, educators using MAP Reading Fluency can see a clear indication of which children in grades K–3 may have signs of dyslexia or other reading difficulty, without having to use a separate assessment tool. This makes it simple for schools to implement and use in the assessment of early readers, and helps teachers better understand what instructional support or interventions may be appropriate.

"The value of early screening for all students cannot be overestimated," said Dr. Cindy Jiban, Principal Academic Lead for early learning at NWEA. "For children with dyslexia and other reading difficulties, we know that early and targeted intervention in reading is tremendously effective in improving their long-term literacy outcomes. The MAP Reading Fluency Dyslexia Screener continues to offer rich instructional data for all students, but now it also clearly flags students who may need more intense or individualized follow-up, including additional assessment."

The MAP Reading Fluency Dyslexia Screener:

Assesses key foundational reading skills, including those most often associated with dyslexia
Applies a predictive model to flag student results that indicate possible characteristics of dyslexia or other reading difficulties for further evaluation and intervention
Provides actionable data to inform instruction and drills down into each student's strengths and needs

MAP Reading Fluency is the first computer adaptive, automatically scored pre-K–5 universal screening and progress monitoring assessment that eliminates the need for one-on-one, teacher-student administration. The innovative assessment of oral reading fluency, comprehension, and foundational reading skills is delivered online, enabling educators to assess an entire class in as little as 20 minutes. Teachers receive immediate objective results, actionable data, and instructional guidance to support individualized reading development for every student. MAP Reading Fluency is available for remote and on-site administration, and efficiently assesses in English and Spanish.

Approximately 800,000 U.S. students in over 1,100 schools are currently using MAP Reading Fluency in their classrooms.

Beginning in fall 2021, MAP Reading Fluency partners will have access to the dyslexia screener solution as part of the newly enhanced offering.

For more information about MAP Reading Fluency and the new dyslexia screener, visit https://www.nwea.org/map-reading-fluency.

About NWEA

NWEA® (formerly known as Northwest Evaluation Association) 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 reading fluency and comprehension assessment, MAP® Reading Fluency™ ; our personalized learning tool powered by Khan Academy, MAP® Accelerator™; and our state solutions that combine growth and proficiency measurement. Visit NWEA.org to find out how NWEA can partner with you to help all kids learn.

SOURCE NWEA