BOY

MOY

EOY

mCLASS Dibels 8 overview

mCLASS with DIBELS 8th Edition is an integrated literacy system based on the Science of Reading and validated for universal screening, progress monitoring, and screening for risk of dyslexia. DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills), which is automated through the collection of data through the mCLASS platform, is a widely-used series of short tests developed by the University of Oregon that assess K–8 literacy. DIBELS is an observational assessment collected by teachers interacting with students one-on-one. The assessment is typically administered three times per year (beginning, middle, and end of year), and is used to identify reading difficulty, monitor progress, and inform instruction, especially for struggling readers.

In addition to providing useful information for students, families, and school staff, the KIPP Foundation uses mCLASS DIBELS 8 scores to understand student progress across the network.

Testing Windows

At KIPP Texas, students are tested 2-3 times per year: in the BOY (Fall), MOY (Winter), and EOY (Spring). Please refer to the KTX Assessment Strategy and KTX Assessment Calendar for more information.

Student Participation

• Primary School Grades K-5

  • All enrolled students take all mCLASS DIBELS 8 measures as appropriate based on platform requirements.

• Middle School Grades 5-8

  • All enrolled students take all mCLASS DIBELS 8 measures as appropriate based on platform requirements.

 Testing Time, Location, and Logistics

All mCLASS DIBELS 8 tests are given in class by the classroom teacher (and support staff if you want to expedite testing). CTCs/teachers must make every effort to test all students and pull students for makeup testing if needed.

• K-8 - assessments are given 1:1 (except for MAZE). 

  • The student facing resources must be printed.

  • The teacher will input student answers directly into mCLASS during the assessment

    • The computer automatically collects and scores data

  • MAZE is a computer-based assessment kids can take whole group

See the recommended schedule for testing and time allotments below.

mCLASS DIBELS 8 is rostered by the KTX Applications team and teachers of record accounts will automatically be created through CLEVER. Any support staff who require access will have to put in an IT Applications Help Ticket.

Test Administrators - Who should proctor?

• Teachers

• Assistant principals

• Members of the leadership team

• Learning specialists

• Teaching fellows/assistants under the supervision of someone else

• All proctors should be trained in mCLASS DIBELS 8 Procedures and Test Security to ensure reliability and validity of data

  • Initial training for all teachers/staff was during SPL

  • Campuses are responsible for training any test administrators who either did not complete the training during SPL or New Hires using resources on the Testing Hub and mCLASS DIBELS 8 PD site.

Reset and Retest Policy - mCLASS

mCLASS DIBELS 8 call retests Spoiled Measures (unplanned situations that occur that result in the invalidation of a student’s assessment).

Spoiling occurs when:

o   Interrupted test session (ex- fire drill in the middle of an assessment)

o   Not adhering to standardized administration (Assessors should cancel the measure if this occurs instead of submitting for scoring) 

·         Directions

·         Scoring rules

·         Prompts

·         Procedures

When a measure is spoiled, or an unapproved change is used the measure is no longer valid and data cannot be used comparatively. These scores should not be entered into the testing system and should be marked as spoiled.

Retest will only be approved for a spoiled measure as listed above that has already been recorded, you must submit a retest request form. You can keep track of the status of retest requests on the retest and termination tracker.

Please Note: If a measure is invalidated by the assessors during the measure, due to not adhering to standardized administration no retest request is required, it will automatically reset. 

·         Retest requests will be reviewed on a student-by-student basis. Retest policies are subject to change once we have fully implemented and completed BOY testing. 

·         If retest is approved- retest on a different day using a different form from the end of the progress monitoring booklet for the end of that student’s grade.

•  Links available on the KTX Testing Hub:

  • Retest Request Form

  • You can keep track of the status of retest requests on the retest and termination tracker.

Mass Terminations:

There should not be a need for a mass termination of any assessments. In the event of an emergency where a mass termination may be needed, please reach out to your Regional Assessment Coordinator prior to terminating any tests. 

***Please note - A student not receiving an accommodation is NOT a reason for retesting. Please make sure you set up your accommodations and train staff in advance to avoid accommodations errors! ***

Accommodations

The allowable accommodations for each BOY/MOY/EOY assessment are different for each platform and are not STAAR accommodations. Campuses are not allowed to provide non-allowable accommodations on ANY assessment.

In each section below we will give you a list of the allowable accommodations for each assessment platform. 

i-READY allowable accommodations

NWEA MAP allowable accommodations

mCLASS allowable accommodations (extremely limited)

In order for a student to receive an accommodation on BOY/MOY/EOY assessments, the specific ALLOWABLE accommodation must be listed in the student’s IEP/IAP/EB Accom plan official documentation for the specific test and test subject by the accommodation deadline for the assessment window.

• You are not allowed to give non-allowable accommodations on any assessment even if it listed in their IEP/IAP/EB documentation.

  • Example - Even if content language supports and supplemental aids are listed in the student’s IEP paperwork for MAP Science for their grade level; the student is not allowed to have those accommodations on MAP Science because they are not allowable, valid, accommodations for the assessment platform.

• You are not allowed to give accommodations that are listed for other assessments/subjects but not for actual assessment/subject.

  • Example- You are not allowed to give a student TTS on MAP science if their TTS accommodation is not listed under science. Even if the student has TTS for every other subject.

• CTCs and campus special populations teams are responsible for creating a verified list of students with allowable accommodations for BOY/MOY/EOY testing 

  • Testhound only provides us with a list of STAAR specific accommodations. Since these accommodations are NOT the same accommodations allowed on i-Ready, MAP, and mCLASS, we will not use testhound for BOY/MOY/EOY testing this year.

Accommodations and modifications are planned deviations from standardized testing protocol. The purpose of these assessments is to see an accurate picture of the student’s abilities so that individual student performance over time can be accurately measured. The assessment is created in a way that there should be no need for additional accommodations because it is designed to be a universal diagnostic/benchmark. These are assessment tools that are appropriate for capturing the developing reading/math skills of all students learning to read/math, with few exceptions. 

Assessment Accommodations (see the list of allowable accommodations for each assessment using the links above)

·         Minor changes to assessment procedures

·         Unlikely to change the meaning of the assessment results

·         Approved by assessment developers and other assessment professionals- the KTX Assessment Team Policies.

·         Used only when an accurate assessment score is unlikely to be obtained without the accommodation

o   Without them, the assessment would be measuring something other than the intended targeted skill

o   Example: using braille testing materials for a blind student or amplification devices for HoH students.

·         Must be specified in the student’s IEP/IAP/MTSS/EB or 504 plan.

o   If an allowable approved accommodation is used, it must be marked on the assessment, checked in system when entering scores, or otherwise documented as required.

o   Approved allowable accommodations are intended to be used for students to provide more accurate scores for those students who need the accommodation, thus scores can be used as any other scores can be used. The scores are considered to be valid.

Assessment Modifications - Anything not on the approved allowable accommodation list is NOT ALLOWED (even if it is in the student’s IEP).

MODIFICATIONS:  Are significant changes to the standardized procedures and render results that are likely to be meaningfully different than they would have been without the modification. They do not allow us to compare student data across time/cohorts/etc.

Prior to assigning accommodations please set up a meeting with Special Pops - LPAC, 504, MTSS (RTI), & ARD to review & finalize accommodations.  

Allowable mCLASS Accommodations

The allowable accommodations for mCLASS are extremely limited to the accommodations listed in the images  on this slide. Any other accommodation is not allowed and will not be provided.

The only allowable accommodations for mclass dibels 8 benchmarks are listed on this document.

For all subtests:

-quiet setting

-breaks in between subtests

-assistive technology

For LNF, NWF, WRF, ORF, Maze:

-enlarged print

-colored overlays, filters, lighting adjustments

-marker or ruler for tracking

What do I do about my Speech students when they are tested on items that are excluded in their IEP?

There is no accommodation for these students nor deviation from the prompt/scoring requirements; however, data from these measures should be using with the knowledge that some measures may not be accurate for the student due to their Speech ARD.

Clarification on Testing GAIN Students - KIPP Texas requires that all GAIN students complete BOY and EOY testing. However, the guidance has always been that unless a student is exempt from district assessments in their IEP, they should be assessed.  A small number of GAIN students are exempt due to still being emergent learners (i.e. do not yet have conceptual understanding of number or letter recognition).  If a student is exempt, it must be in their ARD. Your special pops lead should provide you with the testing page of their ARD documenting this decision. This documentation must be included in your documentation folder for each assessment.  This exemption is the exception and not the norm and must be made by the ARDC on an individual student basis. Student exemptions may change throughout the year(s) as the students make progress towards their educational goals so documents should be checked, and exemption status should be checked before all test windows. 

How to Create Student Groups in mCLASS for non-ELAR TOR (teacher of record)

The only staff members who will have students automatically rostered to them, will be reading/ELAR teachers of record. For all other staff members who need access to students in order to support/assist with assessing, the CTC (or other API) will need to create and share student groups in mCLASS. 

How to Create Student Groups  - step by step guide created by the KTX IT-Applications Team

Video - Video demonstration of the process created 8/2024

2025-2026 Irregularity and Incident Report Links

2025-2026 Irregularity Report Form (all assessments)

Coming Soon!

Signature Page (original doc title says 22-23 but it has not changed)