Reading Assessment & Support

On September 27, 2023, district administrators and faculty presented information on the district's response to the new Dyslexia Law, as well as on the state's Third Grade Reading Guarantee. Watch the presentation below.  > Download Presentation Slides

First-, second-, and third-grade students will be assessed in the Fall of 2023 and kindergarteners will be assessed in Winter of 2024. Students who are identified as “at-risk” in any area will receive intervention and additional assessments to monitor their progress.

Dyslexia is a brain-based reading disability that specifically impairs a person’s ability to read. People with dyslexia have many strengths, but have unexpected trouble learning to read. Difficulties are not related to a person’s intelligence or motivation. Children with dyslexia can learn to read.

Our goal is to use a screening process to provide early intervention to struggling readers, NOT identify or diagnose dyslexia.

The State of Ohio Dyslexia Guidebook indicates the risk of dyslexia is indicated by:

• Difficulty blending and segmenting sounds in spoken words
• Difficulty naming letters
• Difficulty matching sounds to letters
• Difficulty with automatic word recognition
• Inaccurate reading of text
• Dysfluent reading of text
• Slow progress or resource-intensive progress despite effective Structured Literacy instruction and intervention.

Ohio law requires elementary schools to take specific actions annually to support the “Third Grade Reading Guarantee.” 

The intent of the Third Grade Reading Guarantee is to provide early literacy support to ensure that students in grades kindergarten through grade 3 are “on-track” for reading success by the end of third grade. 

The required “Third Grade Guarantee” provisions include the following:

• District staff must administer diagnostic reading assessments to all Kindergarten, Grade 1, Grade 2, and Grade 3 students by September 30.
• Districts identify students as “on-track” or “not-on-track” performance on these diagnostic assessments.
• School districts must notify parents/guardians in writing of any student who is “not-on-track.”
• Student Reading Intervention and Monitoring Plans (RIMPs) are developed in partnership with parents/guardians for “not-on-track” students.