Early Literacy Screening Assessments

Learn about Early Literacy Screening

• Early Literacy Screening information and resources on Mass Literacy: Data-Based Decision Making

• This webinar shares information about Early Literacy Screening and highlights the connections to the Massachusetts Dyslexia Guidelines:
  • Strong Start Webinar Connecting Early Literacy Screening with the MA Dyslexia Guidelines, June 23, 2021
  • Strong Start Webinar Connecting Early Literacy Screening with the MA Dyslexia Guidelines, August 17, 2021

Approved Literacy Screening Assessment Information

• Early Literacy Universal Screening Assessment Guidance — describes the purpose of universal screening and DESE's process for reviewing, piloting, and approving screening assessments
• Early Literacy Approved Screening Assessments At-a-Glance — key information about each approved screener to support Massachusetts educators in selecting a screening assessment that best fits local needs

List of Approved Early Literacy Screening Assessments

The Department requested proposals from assessment publishers and reviewed submitted assessments according to detailed criteria. After careful review, the following literacy screening assessments were approved:¹

• Amplify mCLASS
• Curriculum Associates iReady
• EarlyBird Education
• Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Amira
• Illuminate FastBridge: the following assessments are bundled:
  • earlyReading
  • Adaptive Reading (aReading)
  • Autoreading
  • CMBreading
• Istation Indicators of Progress (ISIP)
• iSTEEP
• Lexia RAPID
• NCS Pearson aimswebPlus
• NWEA MAP Growth
• Renaissance STAR Reading (Early Literacy, Reading and CBM)
• Riverside Insights easyCBM
• University of Oregon DIBELS 8^th edition**
• Voyager Sopris Learning Acadience Reading

Important Note: The screeners listed above were approved by DESE between 2019 and 2021. In 2022, DESE will be updating approval criteria and re-reviewing all assessments to ensure they remain aligned to up-to-date evidence and relevant Massachusetts policies, including the new Massachusetts Dyslexia Guidelines. DESE expects to issue a revised list of approved screening assessments in May, 2022. Please contact Mary Brown with any questions at Mary.L.Brown@mass.gov .

Information for Vendors

DESE will be issuing a bid opportunity for vendors interested in providing approved early literacy screening assessments. Please check COMMBUYS, the state's procurement system, for this opportunity to be posted. DESE expects to issue the opportunity in winter 2022. Please contact Mary.L.Brown@mass.gov with any questions.

Disclosure Statement

Reference in this website to any specific commercial products, processes, or services, or the use of any trade, firm, or corporation name is for the information and convenience of the public, and does not constitute endorsement or recommendation by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). Our office is not responsible for and does not in any way guarantee the accuracy of information in other sites accessible through links herein. DESE may supplement this list with other services and products that meet the specified criteria.

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¹ This is not an inclusive list of all high-quality literacy screening assessments. Screening assessment proposals are reviewed upon receipt.

Last Updated: December 29, 2021