What is Screening for Risk of Reading Difficulties and why did DDCA work so hard for it?
- Screening assessments are brief snapshots – analogous to having your temperature and blood pressure checked when you go to the doctor. Similar to health screeners, they indicate if the learner is on track or not.
- Reading screeners assess the skills that are the building blocks of reading and compare them to benchmarks for that grade-level. Some screeners include benchmarks at the beginning, middle and end of the school year. The screener informs if the child is at, above, below or far below benchmark. This feedback helps the teacher see which children need additional support and in which building blocks of reading.
- The goal is to reduce the prevalence of reading impairments, including dyslexia, by taking early preventive actions in providing evidence-based interventions in response to screening, delivered in the general education classroom.
Decoding Dyslexia CA has advocated for universal screening in reading from our inception because early intervention is most effective for addressing (or remediating) dyslexia and for preventing the social-emotional challenges created by the traditional wait-to-fail model. Important related facts:
- Without early intervention, the poor 1st grade reader will rarely catch up.
- The time from birth to age 8 is a critical period for literacy development due to rapid brain growth and its response to instruction.
- 90% of children with reading difficulties will achieve grade level in reading if they receive the right help before the end of 1st grade.
See the Universal Screening Fact Sheet for more statistics with citations.
What did California’s Screening legislation do?
Prior to July 2023, California was one of only a few states that did NOT mandate screening for reading risk or dyslexia. After several legislative attempts, SB 691 was incorporated into SB 114 TK-12 Education Omnibus Trailer Bill, and was signed into law on July 10, 2023. As a result of the bill:
- The State Board of Education developed evaluation criteria and appointed a panel of independent experts (by January 2024).
- The Independent Expert Panel approved a list of 4 selected screening instruments in December 2024.
- Local Education Agencies (LEAs)/school districts were required to formally adopt their screener(s) from the approved list by the end of June 2025.
- LEAs must annually screen students in kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grades for risk of reading difficulties, starting in the 2025-26 school year.
- LEAs must share the results with parents/guardians no later than 45 days from the date of screening
Do the screeners diagnose dyslexia?
No, screening does not diagnose dyslexia, and it does not determine special education eligibility. Screening simply identifies who is at risk for developing reading difficulties, including dyslexia. Screening provides information about which children are likely to encounter difficulty learning to read and the targeted support that they need. Universal screening is a key part of the Multi-tiered Systems of Support (MTSS). For English Language Arts, MTSS usually includes 3 screening timeframes per year. (The SB 114 screening requirement actually only requires one per year.)
If my child’s screener results indicate risk (“Below” or “Far Below”), what should I do?
First, review the provided report. If you have questions or concerns, ask your child’s teacher for a meeting to discuss the results. In the meeting, ask about the Tier 1/classroom curriculum being used – does it align with evidence-based means of teaching reading? Is the instruction explicit/systematic, with lots of opportunity for your child to practice skills? Then ask about the school’s plan for your child – how will their needs be addressed?
What support and services should my child receive if they are at risk?
The supports and services should address the specific challenges identified by the screening instrument. They may include any of the following, which are named in the law:
- Progress monitoring
- Early intervention in the regular general education program
- One-on-one or small group tutoring
- Further evaluation or diagnostic assessment
Does the intervention have to be provided by a special education teacher? Or by a reading specialist?
No, the intervention does not have to be provided by a special education teacher or reading specialist, but the person providing the intervention should be trained to provide the instruction for the skill that is being worked on and be able to provide corrective feedback to the student.
If the screener indicates that my child is at risk, should I have them tested for dyslexia?
No, if a child does poorly on the screening, it alerts their teacher that they need more work on specific skills. Typically, this would first be addressed by Tier 1 instruction and/or Tier 2 intervention as part of the general education program, including progress monitoring. Depending on the age of the student and the skill level, a diagnostic assessment might be done to better pinpoint what skills need additional work.
Should I ask for an IEP or a 504 plan?
If a child doesn’t progress with Tier 2 intervention, they might be given Tier 3 intervention. Tier 3 doesn’t need a different curriculum; but it should increase the time/intensity and opportunities to practice skills. Many school districts equate Tier 3 with Special Education services; others do not. The setting doesn’t matter. What does matter is for the instruction to be direct, explicit, systematic instruction aligned with the evidence-base known as the Science of Reading – also referred to as Structured Literacy.
If the student is having trouble accessing grade-level material in reading, writing, math, science, etc., a 504 Plan (or IEP) is helpful for ensuring that they have accommodations to access the material.
Which of the approved screeners does DDCA prefer?
The expert panel approved four screening instruments. Decoding Dyslexia CA does not advocate for specific screeners. It is important that districts select a screener that best meets their needs and reflects their student population. We closely followed the expert panel’s meetings and were pleased with their careful deliberations, diverse perspectives, and breadth of expertise they applied to their decision-making.
The approved screeners are listed below, along with links to CA Department of Education informational overviews of each:
- Amira (Grades K, 1, 2; English & Spanish): Amira Overview Information
- mCLASS w/ DIBELS Ed. 8 and mCLASS Lectura (Grades K, 1, 2; English & Spanish): mClass with DIBELS Ed. 8 & mClass Lectura Information Overview
- Multitudes (Grades K, 1, 2; English & Spanish): Multitudes Information Overview
- Rapid Online Assessment of Reading (ROAR) (Grades 1, 2; English only): ROAR Information Overview
Are the screeners going to provide helpful information for struggling readers – such as pin pointing which skills are lagging?
Yes, that’s the point. It’s essential to recognize that the skills screened vary by grade level and, in some cases, from one benchmark to another. And the benchmarks change for each checkpoint during the school year, if giving it multiple times per year. For students identified at risk, further diagnostic assessment might be given to provide more information about where in the curriculum scope and sequence to target instruction.
When should my child be retested?
The law only requires annual screening in grades K-2, but hopefully as districts and individual schools see the overlap with the MTSS process, they would administer the screeners three times per year, as they are typically designed. If students aren’t making progress in intervention, the team should be looking at further diagnostic assessment or referral for special education assessment.
What about English Language Learners and Multilingual Students – should they be screened?
A student must have sufficient English language knowledge and fluency to be assessed using a screening instrument in English. Or, if a screening instrument in their primary language becomes available, the pupil should be assessed using the appropriate screening instrument.
If my child has an IEP for autism, intellectual disability, or any other eligibility category, should I opt them out of screening?
If the child’s reading/literacy needs are already well-understood, being addressed, and progress monitored, it wouldn’t be necessary. But if their IEP doesn’t address reading skills, the screener would provide helpful information – either that their reading is on track or needs to be addressed.
If my child with dyslexia does well on the screener, do they no longer have dyslexia?
Remember, the screening is a snapshot. If a child with dyslexia does well on the screener that would be a reason to celebrate, but it would be wise to stay on top of it.
How about kids with vision or hearing impairments – should they be screened and are there adapted tests for them?
Accommodations and considerations will be necessary for students with vision or hearing impairments to ensure the screenings are accurate. Guidelines for each of the screeners should be reviewed to determine the appropriate use of the tools, and in certain cases, such as for students who are deaf, the screening may not be appropriate.
What if a school uses the screening and intervention as a reason to delay assessment for an IEP? Advice for families in this situation:
We expect that as schools implement the screening requirements and learn how to respond to the needs of students who score below benchmark, they will understand how the screening requirement fits in their MTSS, including special education services. We also expect that the requirements to communicate screening results with parents and caregivers will open up lines of communication about intervention and opportunities to partner with families. It really doesn’t matter in what setting the evidenced-based instruction occurs; just that it occurs.
As far as the concern about using it as a way to delay assessment – we would encourage parents to ask questions and to see progress monitoring results. If students aren’t showing improvement, ask for further diagnostics, more intervention, and then possibly assessment for special education services.
How is implementation of the new requirement going?
DDCA, along with the California Literacy Coalition, is following implementation. Our partner EdVoice published the K-2 Reading Difficulties Risk Screener (CA SB 114) Implementation Update Report, in November 2025.