Approved Diagnostic Assessment Changes

The approved diagnostic assessment chart is a list of assessments approved for SCDSB educators to utilize to inform classroom instruction. Educators will use their professional judgement, as defined in Growing Success, when selecting and using diagnostic assessment tools. Educators must utilize diagnostic assessment during the school year, selecting tools from the board's approved list. In selecting and using diagnostic assessment tools from the board's list, educators shall determine the following:

• the diagnostic assessment tools that are applicable

• which student(s) will be assessed (individual student, small group, or whole class)

• the frequency of use of the diagnostic assessment tools

• the appropriate timing of the use of the diagnostic assessment tool

Year 1

Recent changes for Kindergarten include focus on the Pre-Kindergarten Foundational Skills Survey for year 1 students which is designed to help educators determine how well year 1 students are acquiring the skills they will need to become strong decoders in kindergarten and later grades. This comprehensive assessment is research and evidence based and provides information about basic literacy skills including instructional vocabulary, phonological and phonemic awareness, letter naming, and sound-symbol correspondences. The comprehensive nature of this assessment takes the place of a number of previous assessments.

Year 2

With the implementation of mandatory early reading screening of all year 2 Kindergarten students, recommendations regarding the use of the phonological awareness inventory have changed. The Phonological Awareness Inventory Part B may be used to dig deeper into Acadience screening results. Should information about other foundational literacy skills be required, educators should utilize the Pre-Kindergarten Foundational Skills Survey.