Amira Overview

Note: The information included on this web page is based on information provided by the publisher, is subject to change, and should be confirmed by potential purchasers.

General Information

Screening Instrument Title:

Amira

Organization:

Amira Learning, Inc. with Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH) as official distribution partners

Web page:

Amira Learning

Contact Information:

• Amira Learning, Dianne Henderson, Vice President Impact, Dianne.Henderson@amiralearning.com
• HMH official distribution partner, Edward Howard, Vice President of Product Management, edward.howard@hmhco.com

Recommended grade(s):

• Kindergarten
• Grade one
• Grade two

Recommended for use with the following student populations:

• General education students
• Students with disabilities
• English learners
• Bi/multilingual learners (English–Spanish)

Languages available:

• English
• Spanish

Skills Measured (English and Spanish):

Refer to the Key below the table.

Universal Screening

Key: Y = Approved, NA = Not available, K = Kindergarten, G1 = Grade One, G2 = Grade Two
Except for Other, the Skills Measured shown in the table are from California Education Code (EC) Section 53008 (g)(1)(B).

Information about establishing student language proficiency to administer screener:

Amira offers four ways to screen students for reading risk, depending on English language proficiency:

• English screener with English proctoring – Proficient in English, or English Language Proficiency Assessments for California (ELPAC) Level 3 or higher
• English screener with Spanish proctoring – ELPAC Level 3 or higher
• Spanish screener (Amira Español) with Spanish proctoring – ELPAC Levels 1 or 2 for Spanish speaking English learners
• English and Spanish screener – Spanish-speaking English learner identified as “high risk” on the English screener

Supports for students who are not yet proficient with English:

Amira's decision-based guidance, including decision trees in the Amira Teacher Manual, helps educators make informed choices about language use in screening.

Accommodations for students with disabilities:

Amira offers automated accommodations and publishes guidance with decision-tree aids for educators to tailor the screening process. Amira's decision-based guidance, including decision trees in the Amira Teacher Manual, helps educators make informed choices about whether to administer digital or print assessments, and other special considerations. Amira's training resources inform educators to understand and implement accommodations effectively.

Administration

Mode:

Digital. Paper-based administration is available as an accommodation.

Grouping:

Group administration. Small group recommended for kindergarten and/or based on individual student needs. If needed, one-on-one administration is available.

Required technology:

Computer or tablet and internet connection.

Administration time for required assessment in minutes:

• Kindergarten: Median 16 minutes per group
• Grade one: Median 18 minutes per group
• Grade two: Median 17 minutes per group

Training

Time required for screener administrator training:

Two hours to complete the basic training.

Type of training available for screener administrators:

Key training components include “Getting Started with Amira” and Amira Screener trainings, and interpreting data workshop, which are available in both synchronous and asynchronous formats. Additional ongoing support, including office hours and on-demand resources, is also available.

Scoring

Scores are calculated:

Automatically (computer-scored)

Scoring time in minutes:

Less than one minute per task.

Cost Information

Initial cost for implementing program:

Per-student license model of $4.99 per student, per year.

Basic pricing plan and structure:

All subscription plans include unlimited administration per student and administrator licenses, as well as access to the teacher and proctor screening training, science of reading dashboard, family portal, on-demand user and technical support, online chat, Amira University, and office hours.

• Screener Subscription for $20 per student: Districts can acquire a free subscription for the screener when they pay for professional development for live virtual training, which includes an introduction to Amira, teacher training specific to instrument administration and a second training on data and reporting.
• Screener Subscription for $4.99 per student: Districts can use just the screener for $4.99 per student, with free, asynchronous professional development and training incorporated into the subscription. Additional professional development is available at additional cost.
• Amira Suite Subscription for $20 per student: Districts may acquire a full Amira Suite subscription for Amira Tutoring & Practice and Amira Assessment. The suite includes unlimited use for each student of the screener. The Suite also includes progress monitoring, benchmarking and unlimited access to the Amira Tutor to remediate reading difficulties and accelerate reading growth. Free asynchronous virtual professional development and training costs are incorporated into the per student subscription. Additional professional development is available at additional cost.
• HMH Bundle for $9 per student: Districts may use the Screening Subscription plus embedded training sessions for getting started. Sessions are tailored to help teachers proctor the screener and best interrupt the results.

Bulk pricing plan:

Bulk pricing is available for purchases above 1,000 student subscriptions. Bulk pricing discounts are available for purchases of either Screener-only or Amira Suite Subscriptions.

Replacement cost per unit for subsequent use:

There are no limits on the number of screenings or assessments administered per student.

Cost required for training:

Training costs vary based on the Amira Screener subscription. There is no cost for basic, asynchronous training with an Amira Screener subscription for $4.99 per student. Additional professional development is provided with Amira Screener subscription for $20 per student and the Amira Suite subscription. Additional on-site training is available from $3,200 to $4,800.

Communication and Resources

Types of resources available for educators, screener administrators, and families:

For educators: Amira offers a comprehensive, research-driven training and professional development program and a range of mechanisms for teachers to track the screening process and view scores.

For parents: Parent Portal allows parents and guardians to access real-time reports and updates in English and Spanish on their child's reading progress.

User interfaces and data management system:

Teachers and leaders can access an interface for entering and viewing scores, including various reports at the student, classroom, and district level. Numerous data extracts are also available. Families can also access reports and resources in English and Spanish. Students, teachers, administrators, and families access Amira via the web; no additional equipment or plug-ins are required.

Amira supports Single Sign On (SSO) with Clever and Classlink natively, and can support most SIS systems through OneRoster import.