Official Letter
Official Letter
Dear County and District Superintendents and Charter School Administrators:
Approved List of Screening Instruments to Assess Students for Risk of Reading Difficulties
I am pleased to announce that the Reading Difficulties Risk Screener Selection Panel (RDRSSP), in accordance with a review process and evaluation criteria adopted by the State Board of Education (SBE), has approved a list of evidence-based, culturally, linguistically, and developmentally appropriate screening instruments to assess all students in kindergarten and grades one and two for risk of reading difficulties, including possible neurological disorders such as dyslexia.
Local educational agencies, including school districts, charter schools, and county offices of education, serving students in kindergarten or grades one or two must now adopt screening instruments at a public meeting of their governing board before June 30, 2025. Screenings must be conducted beginning in the 2025–26 school year.
Please see Education Code Section 53008 at https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?sectionNum=53008&lawCode=EDC for specific requirements. See also the California Department of Education (CDE) letter Screening Students for Risk of Reading Difficulties, dated December 11, 2024, for more information and resources at https://www.cde.ca.gov/nr/el/le/yr24ltr1211.asp.
The following are the screening instruments approved by the RDRSSP:
| Organization | Title | Grade Levels | Languages |
|---|---|---|---|
Amira Learning, with HMH as distribution partner |
Amira |
Kindergarten, Grade One, and Grade Two |
English and Spanish |
Amplify Education |
mCLASS with DIBELS Edition 8 and mCLASS Lectura |
Kindergarten, Grade One, and Grade Two |
English and Spanish |
Stanford University, Brain Development and Education Lab |
Rapid Online Assessment of Reading (ROAR) |
Grade One and Grade Two |
English only |
University of California San Francisco, Dyslexia Center |
Multitudes |
Kindergarten, Grade One, and Grade Two |
English and Spanish |
These tools have been selected by the panel using the evaluation criteria adopted by the SBE. These criteria include the validity and reliability of the instruments, whether the instrument was normed using a population that is reflective of California’s student population, and whether the instrument is available in English and other languages. The evaluation criteria can be viewed here: https://cde.ca.gov/be/ag/ag/yr24/documents/may24item04a2.docx.
Information overviews, with detailed information about each instrument, will be posted on the CDE California Literacy web page https://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/cl/ on the Screening tab. This web page also includes links to Education Code Section 53008, frequently asked questions, and other resources related to screening for risk of reading difficulties. Please watch for announcements of a series of informational webinars that will begin Tuesday, January 21, 2025. You may also subscribe to the California Literacy listserv by sending a blank email to join-cde-literacy@mlist.cde.ca.gov.
Screening students for risk of reading difficulties in the early grades is an important component of a comprehensive instructional strategy to ensure that students who are identified as being at risk receive effective first instruction and early intervention.
Consistent with the goal for all students to learn to read by third grade, I welcome these new screening tools and applaud the hard work of the RDRSSP and the SBE, CDE, and WestEd staff who supported the panel.
If you have additional questions, please contact the Statewide Literacy Office at statewideliteracycampaign@cde.ca.gov.
Sincerely,
Tony Thurmond
State Superintendent of Public Instruction
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