New Dyslexia Screener Added as Option for Indiana Schools

Portland, Ore. – August 6, 2021NWEA – the not-for-profit research and education services provider – announced today that its MAP® Reading Fluency™ assessment which includes a new dyslexia screener is now an approved option for Indiana schools to use for understanding students’ literacy strengths and areas of concern. Screening for dyslexia is a key priority for Indiana as established under the state’s Senate Enrolled Act No. 21, which requires all Indiana schools to screen students in kindergarten through second grade for dyslexia.

According to the International Dyslexia Association (IDA), perhaps as much as 15 to 20 percent of the population exhibits characteristics of dyslexia, including slow or inaccurate word recognition, poor spelling, and difficulties with decoding. Early identification, even as early as kindergarten, with targeted intervention in reading is tremendously effective in driving long-term literacy outcomes for students. With NWEA’s MAP Reading Fluency, a teacher can screen an entire class within 20 minutes in multiple areas, including phonological and phonemic awareness, sound and symbol recognition, alphabet knowledge, decoding, rapid naming, and encoding while also getting insight into which students may be exhibiting early signs of reading difficulties so further evaluation can be done and interventions applied.

About MAP Reading Fluency 

It’s the first computer adaptive, automatically scored pre-K–5 universal screening and progress monitoring assessment that eliminates the need for one-on-one, teacher-student administration. The innovative assessment of oral reading fluency, comprehension, and foundational reading skills is delivered online, enabling educators to assess an entire class in a short time. Teachers receive immediate objective results, actionable data, and instructional guidance to support individualized reading development for every student. MAP Reading Fluency is available for remote and on-site administration, and efficiently assesses in English and Spanish.

To learn more about the dyslexia screening in Indiana, visit: https://www.in.gov/doe/students/indiana-academic-standards/literacy/dyslexia/

To learn more about NWEA’s MAP Reading Fluency, visit: https://www.nwea.org/map-reading-fluency/

About NWEA

NWEA® (formerly known as Northwest Evaluation Association) is a mission-driven, not-for-profit organization that supports students and educators in more than 146 countries through research, assessment solutions, policy and advocacy services, professional learning and school improvement services that fight for equity, drive classroom impact and push for systemic change in our educational communities. Visit NWEA.org to learn more about how we’re partnering with educators to help all kids learn.

Contact: Simona Beattie, Sr. Manager, Public Relations, simona.beattie@nwea.org or 971.361.9526