ROAR 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:

Rapid Online Assessment of Reading (ROAR)

Organization:

Brain Development and Education Lab, Stanford University

Web Page:

ROAR

Contact Information:

• Carrie Townley-Flores, Director of Research and Partnerships, ctflores@stanford.edu
• Jason Yeatman, Associate Professor of Education and Pediatrics, jyeatman@stanford.edu

Recommended grade(s):

• Grade one
• Grade two

Recommended for use with the following student populations:

• General education students
• Students with disabilities
• English learners

Languages Available:

• English

Skills Measured (English):

Refer to the Key below the tables.

Required

Recommended

Additional/Optional

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

Information about establishing student language proficiency to administer screener:

The ROAR Guidance for English Language Learners provides information to determine the language of assessment and student’s scores, depending on a student’s language proficiency. In general, English learners who are nearing proficiency in understanding spoken English may take ROAR unassisted. For students with beginning to intermediate English proficiency, teachers are encouraged to preview the instruction before each assessment and check that students understand the task. Written descriptions of the instructions in English and Spanish are provided in the Teacher Guidance. English ROAR assessments are not recommended when students are unable to understand the English instructions and translation is not available.

Supports for students who are not yet proficient with English:

The ROAR Guidance for English Language Learners provides information on how administrators can support students at different levels of proficiency in the language of the instrument to support fair and accurate outcomes. It suggests that students with beginning to intermediate proficiency should have the instructions reviewed with an instructor and that their understanding is checked prior to beginning the assessment. The ROAR Teacher Guide also provides a Spanish script of assessment instructions that can be read to Spanish-speaking students when administering the English version.

Accommodations for students with disabilities:

The ROAR Guidance for Students Receiving Special Education Services and 504 Accommodations as well as a ROAR Quick-Start for Paraprofessionals and Classroom Assistants Guidance provides support for administration to students with disabilities. These documents provide detailed instructions on implementing evidence-based accommodations such as extended time, breaks, alternate settings, and scribing. Guidelines emphasize that the Individualized Education Program (IEP) or 504 team should determine whether ROAR is appropriate for each student and should select accommodations accordingly. ROAR resources provide specific guidance on how to administer the assessments for students with various disabilities, in a way that promotes fair and accurate outcomes.

Administration

Mode:

Digital

Grouping:

Whole-class administration. Small-group or one-on-one administration for ROAR-RAN.

Required technology:

Computer or tablet, internet connection, headphones

Administration time for required assessment in minutes:

• Grade one: 18 minutes per class for required assessments
• Grade two: 8 minutes per class for required assessments

Training

Time required for screener administrator training:

Spending 60 minutes with the video guides, Teacher Administration Guide, and other curated ROAR professional development educator resources will prepare a teacher for administering ROAR.

Type of training available for screener administrators:

ROAR Professional Development consists of a self-paced review of the following educator resources:

• Detailed video guides that describe how to access and use the student and teacher dashboards
• A comprehensive Teacher Guide, which includes all of the information from the video guides in pdf format and optional scripts in Spanish and English, which a teacher may share with their class to prepare for the ROAR assessments.
• A brief guide for paraprofessionals and classroom assistants who are supporting the ROAR administration
• Additional guidance for students receiving special education services and 504 accommodations
• Additional guidance for English language learners
• A Next Steps Guide for supporting teachers making instructional choices based on the ROAR assessments
• A Family Guide that can be shared with parents and guardians

Scoring

Scores are calculated:

Automatically (computer-scored)

Scoring time in minutes:

Scored in real-time.

Cost Information

Initial cost for implementing program:

ROAR is provided at no cost to schools and districts.

Basic pricing plan and structure:

When a school uses the no-cost ROAR browser-based assessment, they have access to the assessment, all educator resources, and score reports.

Bulk pricing plan:

Not applicable.

Replacement cost per unit for subsequent use:

Not applicable.

Cost required for training:

ROAR professional development resources are available on the ROAR website for free.

Communication and Resources

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

Detailed video guides to accessing and using the student and teacher dashboards, brief guide for paraprofessionals and classroom assistants, guidance for students receiving special education services and 504 accommodations, guidance for English language learners, Next Steps Guide for supporting teachers making instructional choices based on the ROAR assessments, Family Guide.

Score reports include data visualizations at the group level and individual scores in a table that can be sorted or filtered to support sorting groups for interventions. Reports can be downloaded to csv format, pdf format, or printed. Individual score reports are accessible to teachers, school leaders, and district leaders, and these can be saved in pdf format or printed and shared with parents/guardians.

User interfaces and data management system:

ROAR is a browser-based app that can be viewed via the most commonly-used browsers, such as Firefox, Safari, Chrome, and other Chromium browsers, by logging in at ROAR: Sign In . ROAR can also be viewed through common learning management systems such as Clever and ClassLink.