Literacy and Students with Disabilities

Pathway #1

Differentiated Pathway #1 is simply using your choice of the State-approved READ Act interim assessments to screen students in grades Kindergarten through the third grade for a Significant Reading Deficiency. You have a choice of using any one of the seven approved interim assessments.

For more information (Office of Literacy and the READ Act)

Pathway #2

In Pathway #2, students who cannot be assessed with the interim assessment typically used in Pathway #1 as a result of an accessibility issue, are assessed using one of the other six State-approved interim assessments that will yield a valid score.

• Read Act Approved Assessments
• i-Ready licenses:  CDE is no longer able to provide complimentary i-Ready licenses for students who require accommodation and cannot be assessed with a READ Act interim assessment that requires expressive language skills. We apologize for any inconvenience. Districts and administrative units should directly contact the vendor of this assessment or another appropriate READ Act interim assessment to make needed arrangements for their use with students with specific accommodation needs that cannot be met with the interim assessment typically used for participation in the requirements of the READ Act.

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Pathway #3:  Three Options

In Pathway #3, students are unable to access the approved interim assessments based on the nature of their disability.  Assessment options have been established for these students who may have been previously exempted from the Read Act. 

Braille Option | If you have any questions regarding this option, Email Tanni Anthony

The administrative unit's teacher of students with visual impairments (TVI) should be consulted for all students requiring a braille format assessment. This may include students just learning braille or those proficient in the Unified English Braille Code.

If the district is using a paper-based approved interim assessment, it can be transcribed into braille for the student by appropriate school personnel (the TVI and/or a braillist). Transcription can be customized to the student’s present level of understanding uncontracted or contracted braille.

A TVI should be present for test administration and, in fact, may be the best person to administer the assessment. The TVI should also work with general education team, including literacy specialists, to interpret the findings for whether the child does or does not have a significant reading deficiency.

Deaf and Hard of Hearing | If you have questions now, please Email Shauna Moden

For Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) students who have limited or no measurable auditory access, the typical READ Act assessments may not be appropriate or fully accessible. In these cases, a "Body of Evidence" approach is used to determine if the student is experiencing a Significant Reading Deficiency (SRD).

A "Body of Evidence" approach involves gathering various types of data and information about the student's literacy and pre-reading skills from multiple sources. This might include observations, work samples, alternative assessments, progress monitoring data, and other relevant documentation. The goal is to create a comprehensive view of the student’s literacy abilities, rather than relying solely on standard assessments that may not accurately reflect their skills due to their hearing differences.

This method ensures that the determination of SRD is appropriate and accurate, taking into account the unique needs and abilities of DHH students who may not be able to access auditory components of the standard assessments.

READ Act Guidance for Students who are Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing (PDF)

The following are grade specific Body of Evidence Tools:

• Body of Evidence Kindergarten Document (Google Sheet)
• Body of Evidence First Grade Document (Google Sheet)
• Body of Evidence Second Grade Document (Google Sheet)
• Body of Evidence Third Grade Document (Google Sheet)

Before using the tool please review the Body of Evidence Document found in the READ Act Guidance for Students who are Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing