Amplify CKLA
Assessment Guidance
DIBELS 8, CKLA Placement Assessments and Diagnostic Tools:
Required Assessments:
DIBELS 8
CKLA Placement Testing
Assessments are embedded within lesson plans OR within 14 days of enrollment
Follow all scripts as written by CKLA and score with fidelity for all measures
Diagnostics, as needed:
We will keep the same Tier 2 diagnostics assessments PSD currently has in use.
If a diagnostic is needed for PA or Phonics (as indicated by DIBELS 8 or the EL priority benchmark assessments), educators should use the PAST/K-PAST, Core Phonics survey or 6 Syllable Types.
Data Spreadsheet:
The Central Office Implementation Team is currently working on a template.
Please do not create your own at this time.
Progress Monitoring/Equitable Data Collection:
Review the document below for specific information around assessment timelines and progress monitoring.
Elementary MTSS- Equitable Data Collection Practices-5-17-23.docx
CKLA Information for School Websites
CKLA Caregiver Hub: Amplify has assembled the following resources and guides to help families/guardians support their students and enable them to have the most productive experience with the Amplify CKLA platform throughout the year.
Classroom Library Guidance
Teachers’ current methods of housing books (book baggies, tubs, bins, etc…) will likely not need to change; however, they may need to reorganize the books to align with a structured literacy program
Create a space for decodables:
EL Education, CKLA Skills, Wonders and Maravillas includes these for every cycle/unit of instruction
Re-organize any high-quality leveled books, either trade books from previously adopted curriculum or guided reading books, into content bins or per module topic to support content knowledge building
DIBELS 8 Alignment to adopted curriculum scope and sequence (Answer from Amplify)
The DIBELS 8th Edition is a normed assessment that is used to determine literacy risk. Benchmark goals and cut-points for risk were determined using real student data from students in every region of the United States. The Authors of DIBELS have included an explanation and details about the use of r-controlled vowels in the assessment as well as information on how to score those words in both the Phoneme Segmentation Fluency (PSF) and Nonsense Word Fluency (NWF) measures. This information can be found on pages 46-48 of the DIBELS 8th Edition Administration and Scoring Guide. Examples for scoring r-controlled vowels for PSF can be found on page 63 and NWF on page 72.
A PSF example: A student's score would be the same whether they segment the word “car” with a response of “c…uh…r” or if the student says “c…ar.”
Another important point is that students are not expected to know all the items or words on each form. The NWF forms start with easier items so most students can demonstrate their knowledge. On a screening assessment it is important that there are easy, medium and hard items so the results more accurately identify students who are at-risk and on-track.
DIBELS 8 Materials
Due to budget restrictions, DIBELS 8 assessment kits were ordered for only classroom teachers. Each grade level K - 3 received one kit per teacher. Grades 4 & 5 received one kit per grade level. Kits were not ordered for interventionists, Integrated Services or ELD. What some schools are doing is leaving the Benchmark materials with the classroom teacher and taking the progress monitoring materials to use with IS, Interventionist and ELD. Other schools are downloading the materials and creating their own binders. Still other schools are using their own budget to order additional kits.
De-implementation of Materials
Directions for returning/recycling de-implemented materials from our de-implementation list
Soft-covered materials can be recycled at your school site
Hard-covered materials should be returned to Dave Lawrence at the Warehouse
Office managers need to schedule a pickup time
Bar-coding on the materials does not matter: Follow the above directions for soft or hard cover.
You can give any materials you wish to students to take home.
Boxes will be provided by Central Office.
Questions can be directed to Dave Lawrence at the Warehouse (dlawrence@psdschools.org)
Missing Materials/Surplus of Materials
Work with your office managers who are in contact with Dave Lawrence at the Warehouse. There is a system in place to redistribute materials as needed.
Phonological Awareness Hand Motions Guidance
Whenever possible, use PSD Units of Language Hand Motions for phonological awareness instruction and activities.
Shared Substitute Log-in Information
To access shared substitute log-in accounts through Amplify, please contact your Central Office Implementation Team member.
Sound Wall Guidance
At this time, Amplify CKLA, does not provide sound wall materials. PSD is in communication around this need with publishers.
As a system, we have agreed to use our adopted literacy curricula in Tier 1 with integrity. You can use existing sound wall materials if they align and support the instruction of your adopted curriculum’s scope and sequence with integrity. It would not be appropriate to replace Tier 1 instruction from your adopted curriculum, in whole group or small group lessons, with instruction from your sound wall materials.
*Free* Professional learning webinars for Amplify CKLA educators
Amplify is encouraging Amplify CKLA users to strengthen their program usage with their upcoming webinars in the fall! They’ll be showcasing expert strategies on implementation and offering educator tips and tricks on how to get creative with learning in the classroom.
Amplify CKLA teachers can register here
October 10th from 12-4 EDT: Science of Reading: The Symposium
October 16th from 1-2 EDT: Establishing Multi-Tiered Systems of Support to Prevent and Remediate Reading Difficulties
Amplify PD Library
Amplify PD library is a wealth of resources for CKLA educators. You can watch classroom videos, view student writing samples, access planning tools and more!
Accessibility for Students
Student-facing materials are available on two sites dedicated to accessibility for students with a wide range of additional support needs: NIMAC and Bookshare. CKLA files were put into special file formats that allows for audio, braille, large font, and other formats. Bookshare is far easier to access for teachers. Teachers need to set up an account on Bookshare. Contact SWAAAC for more support.
The Readers on the Hub have a read-aloud function available as well.
Writing in CKLA
Amplify has provided writing summaries for K-5 to explain where writing is present in the CKLA curriculum.