Early Literacy (DIBELS)

At the School

Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS)

Key Questions to Consider:

  • Are there any disproportionalities in growth or achievement within the demographic subgroups?

  • What strengths are observed in the data? Are there potential positive trends visible beyond a grade level?

  • What areas of need are observed in the data? Are there potential negative trends visible beyond a grade level?

  • How are our intervention systems impacting these early literacy results?

  • What is the relationship between strengths and needs identified in early literacy data and the school’s professional learning targets for the year?

  • How do strengths and needs identified in early literacy data compare with ongoing formative assessment and teacher observation? What are the implications of these comparisons ? What are the implications for PLC processes?

Reports and Data Sources to Consider:

  • eduClimber

    • Student 3D with assessment filters

    • School, Grade, and Class reports

  • MCLASS

    • Comparing Populations Report: Overall score of students at each grade level during specific benchmark periods.

    • Correlation Report: Identifies the movement of students from BOY benchmark to MOY Benchmark within overall “color bands.” Set Measure 1 to BOY and Measure 2 to MOY.

    • Comparing Measures Report: Identifies each grade level’s performance on the specific measures administered during benchmark. You can set this to MOY only, or add multiple perspectives (BOY, last year’s MOY, etc.)

    • Access Raw Data: Filter capacity for each category to empower ability to sort by grade, teacher, Pathway Achieved, etc.

Instructional Systems Considerations:

  • Professional Learning Community structure

  • Professional development needs

  • Schoolwide MTSS structures

  • Core and supplemental program needs

At the Grade Level/Department

Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS)

Key Questions to Consider:

  • What percentage of students are remaining on a READ plan and what percentage are able to move off a READ plan?

  • What can we say about the movement of our students beginning the year at well below benchmark? Below? At? Above?

  • Are there specific measures that indicate strong student growth/performance? Are there specific measures that indicate significant student need?

  • How do the strengths and needs identified above correlate with instructional time/focus provided during the day? Does this suggest the need for any alterations to schedule and/or frequency of instruction or practice?

  • How do intervention systems align with areas of strength and need? What does this suggest about intervention – considering targets, time, frequency, group size, etc.?

  • What resources might be necessary to meet 2nd semester growth goals? Are there revisions to the system that will better maximize resources/instructional time?

Reports and Data Sources to Consider:

Build Administrators can share the reports listed above.

Teacher Access:

  • MOY Tab: Sort students by composite or specific measure score

  • MOY Tab: Activate Pathways of Progress to explore student growth in overall measures and specific measures

  • Instruction Tab: Specific instructional recommendations for each student; select "Manage Groups" to access classroom-wide perspectives

Instructional Considerations:

At the Classroom

Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS)

Key Questions to Consider:

  • How does DIBELS early literacy data compare with formative data collected during instruction?

  • How do strengths and need correlate with whole group and small group targets? Is whole group meeting the needs of most students? Is small group providing the opportunity for differentiated instructional targets based upon formative assessment data and diagnostic information?

  • When analyzing areas of need, are there other deficits that may serve as the root of this difficulty (i.e. phonological awareness deficit contributing to word identification and fluency needs)?

  • If word recognition is an area of need, does the student demonstrate mastery of phonemic awareness skills (basic and advanced)? If not, where are the strengths and needs with phonemic awareness?

  • If phonemic awareness skills have been mastered (basic and advanced), which taught phonics skills has the student mastered? Consonants, Vowels, CVC blending, Digraphs, Silent e, Diphthongs, Vowel Teams, Syllabication, etc. Which skills require continued instruction?

  • If fluency is a need, trace this back to where the issue is occurring – is this a deficit with only processing speed (the student has mastered phonemic awareness tasks and all taught phonics skills) or is word recognition an area of deficit?

  • If comprehension is a need (as indicated by Retell and Retell Quality), what language comprehension strands need to be further assessed and supported? What does a listening comprehension assessment indicate (takes decoding out of the mix to identify specific language strengths and needs)?

  • Are there literacy strategies or approaches with which you need additional support for implementation?

Reports and Data Sources to Consider:

Build Administrators can share the reports listed above.

Teacher Access:

  • MOY Tab: Sort students by composite or specific measure score

  • MOY Tab: Activate Pathways of Progress to explore student growth in overall measures and specific measures

  • Instruction Tab: Specific instructional recommendations for each student; select "Manage Groups" to access classroom-wide perspectives

Instructional Considerations: