What is the Grade 6 literacy assessment?
The Grade 6 literacy assessment consists of three parts used for district check-ins. All three parts are to support teaching. Only parts 1 and 2 are collected by the district. Full Grade 6 assessment at Learn71
Learn 71 Grade 6 Literacy Assessment Tutorial
Part 1 a &b: DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills) universal screener includes two subcomponents:
Oral Reading Fluency (ORF, benchmark reading assessment) and Maze (comprehension assessment).
Part 2: Written response to evaluate what students already know about writing.
Part 3: Text response to assess students' ability to consolidate reading comprehension and writing skills.
Together, these three components provide a picture of student literacy to support targeted instruction (next steps) and monitor progress
Why is Comox Valley School District collecting Grade 6 literacy data?
The Grade 6 literacy assessment is a comprehensive tool designed to give teachers meaningful data to inform instruction, monitor growth and support student learning. Part 1, screeners, can reveal persistent challenges (phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, comprehension). Part 2, the written response, shows what students know about writing so teachers can provide meaningful and relevant next steps. It helps teachers see how students organize their thoughts, share ideas and express their writing voices. Part 3 shows how students can synthesize reading comprehension and writing skills. Together, these tools provide a well-rounded picture of student literacy and contribute to responsive, data-informed instruction. The district uses this data for a big picture understanding of literacy trends to provide informed choices for how to best support primary and intermediate literacy instruction.
More information for parents on DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills)
How do I administer the assessment?
Assessment can be completed in person or in Zoom.
Full assessment tutorial from Learn 71
Part1a: Oral Reading Fluency (ORF) administration procedures
Find necessary materials at Learn 71
Part1b: Maze (comprehension) administration procedures
Find necessary materials at Learn 71
Part 2: Written Response administration procedures
Rubrics and exemplars
Find necessary materials at Learn 71
Part 3: Text Response administration procedures
Rubrics and exemplars
***Reminder: DIBELS screener is just a starting point - core competencies contextualize literacy next steps so that growth is not only mechanical (fluency, vocabulary development, comprehension) but also social, cognitive and personal.
After you complete the assessments, see these next steps ideas for learners who are emerging/developing, developing/proficient, proficient/extending