Northwestern Elementary Families,
At Northwestern, we are committed to the literacy development of all of our students. In the past two years, we have been highly dedicated to updating current literacy practices and providing the highest level of professional development for our teachers. We are committed to providing the best instruction possible that meets the needs of students exactly where they are. In order to do this, our teachers are administering assessments that gather information to tell us what skills your child needs to make progress towards their literacy goals. Below, you will find information about the process and assessments we use to provide literacy instruction to your child.
Diagnostic and Screener Assessments
-NWEA MAP: All students in grades K-6 take the MAP reading diagnostic assessment. This diagnostic assesses basic reading skills, reading comprehension, and vocabulary skills through an adaptive computerized assessment.
-NWEA MAP Reading Fluency: All students in grades K-3 take this diagnostic assessment. This diagnostic assesses early literacy skills such as listening comprehension, phonological awareness, phonics/word recognition, vocabulary, and reading fluency.
-Phonological Awareness Screening Test (PAST): This screener is given to all students in grades K-2. The PAST assesses students ability to recognize and manipulate sounds in words.
-Oral Reading Fluency (ORF): This assessment is given to students in grades 3-6. Students are given a grade level passage and timed for one minute to measure how many words and how accurately they can read those words in the time given.
-Spelling Screener: All students in grades K-6 are given a list of 5-20 words based on grade level. Students' spelling is then broken down into word parts to see what phonics patterns a student has mastered and what patterns they still need to learn.
These diagnostics and screeners meet the state requirements for Dyslexia screenings, Reading Improvement and Monitoring Plans (RIMPs), and the Third Grade Reading Guarantee.
Dyslexia Screening
In the state of Ohio, all students in grades K-3 are required to take a state approved assessment that screens students for dyslexia. NWEA MAP Reading Fluency is our state approved assessment and is given to all students. You will be notified if the screener determines that your child may be at risk for dyslexia.
Reading Improvement and Monitoring Plans (RIMP)
After your child takes the NWEA MAP Reading test in grades K-3, a score is given based on how they performed. Each grade level has a cut score that a student must meet to be considered “proficient” in reading at that grade level. If your child falls below that cut score, they will be placed on a Reading Improvement and Monitoring Plan. This plan includes information on interventions that will be provided to your child in order to improve their literacy skills. If your child is placed on a RIMP, you will be notified by the classroom teacher.
Third Grade Reading Guarantee
The Ohio Third Grade Reading Guarantee (TGRG) is legislation that ensures every struggling reader gets the support he or she needs to be able to learn and achieve. It indicates that unless a student reaches grade-level competency by the end of Grade 3, the student could be retained. Taking into consideration district policies, retention may also occur in grades K-2 if a student is not on grade level in reading. Students will not be retained based on diagnostic or test scores alone. Social-emotional needs, academic growth, and other factors would be considered as well. Most students are promoted to fourth grade. They receive 90 minutes of research-based reading instruction and an additional 30 minutes of intense intervention directed at specific skill deficits until they are able to demonstrate grade-level competency. Your child will have multiple opportunities to meet the requirements of the guarantee through the Ohio AIR test, NWEA MAP Reading, and the Terra Nova test. All tests are administered at least twice a year and additional offerings as needed. In accordance with this Guarantee, Northwestern Elementary has administered the NWEA MAP diagnostic to students in grades K-3. Students who do not meet the minimum requirements on the NWEA MAP Reading test, will be placed on a Reading Improvement and Monitoring Plans (RIMPs).
Literacy at Home
Supporting literacy at home is a great way to help your child improve their literacy skills. Below is a list of easy activities to do at home to promote literacy.
-Read every day (independently or together)
-Ask questions and talk about the events in the story
-Predicting, clarifying, questioning, and summarizing
-Visit your local library
-Encourage writing
-Puzzles, mazes, crosswords, and other games
-Reading labels or recipe instructions
Thank you for your continued support!
Northwestern Elementary Literacy Committee