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Intro

Dyslexia Screening

iSTEEP: Approved Dyslexia Screener

iSTEEP, an approved vendor in multiple states for early literacy and dyslexia screening, embraces a proactive approach to identifying potential dyslexia.  We strive to provide educators with the tools and support needed to follow a research-based consensus:

  1. Routine Universal Screening: Identify potential issues early.
  2. Targeted Intervention and Progress Monitoring: Provide strong MTSS support and rule out instructional factors.
  3. In-Depth Evaluation and Ongoing Support: If the student does not respond satisfactorily to intervention, conduct comprehensive assessments and determine appropriate next steps.

The key to this process is intervention.  By intervening early and monitoring progress, we can assist educators to support every student as they learn literacy skills.

 STEP 1:  Routine Universal Screening

iSTEEP prioritizes early identification of potential dyslexia through routine universal screening.  This means all students are assessed for phonological skills, like hearing sounds in words and decoding letters, which can be challenging for individuals with dyslexia.

Why is early screening important?

  • Identify needs early: Detecting potential issues early allows for timely intervention, maximizing the impact on learning,
  • Stronger foundation: By identifying and addressing early literacy skills, we build a solid foundation for future learning.
  • Targeted support: Early screening allows schools to personalize instruction and provide the support students need.

Literacy Skills Assessed-Phonics, Fluency, Phonological Awareness, Rapid Naming, Letter Sounds, Word Identification/.

iSTEEP offers a variety of assessments addressing different literacy skills, enabling us to work with your district to:

  • Identify priority skills: Determine which areas need the most attention at each grade level.
  • Choose the right assessment: Select the most appropriate iSTEEP assessment to address those specific skills.

STEP 2:  Targeted Intervention and Progress Monitoring

Building on universal screening, Step 2 involves targeted intervention and progress monitoring.  This is a common practice in MTSS systems, with the ultimate goal of improving student performance.

However, in the context of dyslexia identification, intervention serves a unique purpose:

  • Ruling out instructional issues: When students perform below grade level, it could be due to learning challenges or instructional factors.  Dyslexia identification uses targeted intervention to assist schools in ruling out the latter.

  • Providing intensive support: Students receive more intensive instruction during this stage.
  • Evaluating response to intervention: If the student displays significant improvement with targeted intervention, dyslexia can often be ruled out.  There are many reasons students do not learn early literacy skills such as absences, emotional challenges, or disruptions due to COVID could have impacted learning.
  • Importance of intervention: Since no single test can definitely identify non-instructional factors affecting learning, intervention remains crucial in this process.

By providing targeted support and monitoring progress, Step 2 helps determine the root cause of low achievement and allows for informed decisions about next steps.

STEP 3:  In-Depth Evaluation and Ongoing Support

Step 3 focuses on providing in-depth evaluation and ongoing support for students who require additional support after Tier 2. This may involve:

  • Comprehensive diagnostic assessments: iSTEEP's reading diagnostic and Random Automatic Naming test (if not already administered) can provide deeper insights into specific skill areas.
  • Intensified intervention: The frequency, duration, and intensity of intervention are typically ramped up to address the identified needs.
  • Continuous progress monitoring: Progress is closely monitored to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention and make necessary adjustments.

Next steps:

  • If a student continues to struggle despite comprehensive interventions, next steps may differ based upon district preferences and state regulations.  Among other things, a more formal evaluation may be necessary to determine if the student appears to have characteristics of dyslexia.  iSTEEP does not provide specialized assessment used during clinical evaluation. 
  • Considering the need for special education: In cases where students require significant ongoing resources to achieve learning goals, exploring the need for special education services may be appropriate.

Emphasis in Step 3:

  • Providing a multi-pronged approach to support students at risk of dyslexia.
  • Making informed decisions about next steps based on comprehensive data and ongoing progress monitoring.
  • Ensuring appropriate educational resources are available to meet individual student needs.

Our Commitment to Literacy: IDA-Aligned Dyslexia Screening

Screening requirements for dyslexia are continually evolving. iSTEEP Assessments are specifically engineered to meet and exceed the rigorous Universal Screening standards established by the International Dyslexia Association (IDA)and state mandates. While many states are currently updating their requirements to reflect the latest IDA guidance, our platform is already fully aligned with these evidence-based recommendations.

Core Components of Effective Screening

According to the IDA, effective screening must be universal, brief, and actionable. Our platform supports the five pillars of early identification, providing the data necessary to intervene before a student falls behind.

Areas Recommended for Assessment

iSTEEP provides validated measures for each skill area identified by the IDA as critical for a comprehensive dyslexia evaluation:

  • Phonological Awareness: The ability to recognize and manipulate the spoken parts of sentences and words, such as syllables and rhymes. (iSTEEP: Initial Sound Fluency)
  • Phonological / Language-Based Memory: The capacity to briefly hold and process verbal information (sounds and words) in the mind. (iSTEEP: Nonword Repetition)
  • Rapid Automatic Naming (RAN): The speed at which a student can orally name a series of familiar items, digits, or letters, which is a key predictor of reading fluency. (iSTEEP: RAN Letters & Objects)
  • Receptive Vocabulary: The breadth of words a student understands when they are heard or read. (iSTEEP: Reading Vocabulary)
  • Phonics Skills: The foundational understanding of how individual letters and letter combinations represent specific sounds. (iSTEEP: Letter Sound Fluency, Nonsense Word Fluency)
  • Decoding: The technical ability to translate printed symbols into spoken words.
    • Real Words: Accurate identification of established words. (iSTEEP: Word Identification Fluency)
    • Nonsense Words: Decoding "pseudo-words" to ensure students are using phonetic rules rather than memorization. (iSTEEP: Nonsense Word Fluency)
  • Oral Reading Fluency (ORF): The ability to read text with accuracy, appropriate speed, and proper expression to support overall comprehension. (iSTEEP: ORF)
  • Spelling: The ability to encode sounds into written symbols, reflecting a deep understanding of orthographic patterns. (iSTEEP: Spelling)
  • Oral Expressive Language: The ability to use spoken language to define and explain grade-appropriate words by describing what the word is or what it does.

 

For additional information on how teams might use these assessments to formulate hypotheses and make decisions about where to begin intervention, download this free guide for MTSS Teams.

 

 

 

Implementation & Protocol

  • Timing & Frequency: Universal screening should begin as early as preschool or kindergarten, with mandatory screenings three times per year through at least the end of second grade.
  • Target Population: Screening is universal—required for all children, including English Language Learners and those with potential familial or educational risk factors.
  • Key Developmental Indicators:
    • K / Early 1st Grade: Focus on Phonological Awareness, Oral Language, and RAN.
    • Late 1st / 2nd Grade: Focus on Word Reading Accuracy, Decoding, and Spelling.

 

Beyond Screening: The iSTEEP RTI Evaluation Protocol

Screening is only the first alert. The IDA promotes a "Preventive Intervention" model, emphasizing that specialized instruction must begin at the first sign of struggle. Waiting for a formal disability label can waste a critical window when a child is most receptive to learning.

Our standardized Response to Intervention (RTI) protocol helps educators act on data immediately:

  • Tiered Intervention Mapping: Automatically groups students into instructional tiers based on specific risk levels.
  • High-Frequency Progress Monitoring: Brief, 2–4 minute assessments conducted every 2–4 weeks to track the effectiveness of the intervention.
  • Data-Driven Adjustments: Utilize our "Response to Evaluation" guide to pivot instructional strategies in real-time if a student is not meeting growth targets.

 

Why Choose iSTEEP?

  • Efficiency: Comprehensive screening is completed in approximately 30 minutes and is designed for easy administration by classroom teachers.
  • Actionable Reporting: Our system provides immediate "Red Flag" indicators and specific Tier 2/3 instructional recommendations.
  • Full Compliance: Our tools are built to satisfy the complex requirements of state-level legislation and emerging dyslexia mandates.

 

Learn More: For deeper insights into the science of early identification, visit the International Dyslexia Association's Universal Screening Guide.