Reading Assistant Screener Only Administrator Guide
This guide is designed for district leaders using the Dyslexia Screener (Assessment Only) implementation of Reading Assistant. Many states require districts to administer a universal literacy screener, and the Benchmark Assessment fulfills that requirement. Because this is an assessment-only implementation, students will not have access to Reading Assistant practice activities or instructional content within the platform.
The Reading Risk Report flags students who may be at risk for reading difficulties, including dyslexia, using a Dyslexia Risk Indicator (DRI) score, so teachers can prioritize screening and intervention.
Reading Assistant does not diagnose dyslexia- this report is an early-warning tool, not a clinical determination.
Overview
The Benchmark Assessment includes the Dyslexia Screener and consists of a series of brief tasks designed to measure critical literacy skills. Assessment results help identify students who may be at risk for reading difficulties and provide valuable information to support instructional decision-making and intervention planning.
For more information about the Benchmark Assessment tasks, please refer to the article below.
Inside the Reading Assistant Benchmark Assessment
Assessment Configuration
Administrators can customize assessment tasks, accommodations, and language settings to align with district and state requirements.
For more information about configurations, please refer to the resources below:
Interactive Configuration Walk through
Assign the Assessment
Assessments can be scheduled in advance from the Administrator Dashboard. Once a Benchmark Assessment window is opened, students will automatically be directed to the assessment the next time they log in.
For districts using the platform exclusively as a screener, students should be assigned the appropriate Benchmark Assessment (BOY, MOY, or EOY depending on time of year) rather than a Progress Monitoring assessment. This will ensure data is easily accessible.
For more information about the assigning the screener, please refer to the article below:
Prepare Students and Teachers for Success
Before Administering the Assessment:
- Verify that student rosters are accurate.
- Confirm that microphones and headphones are functioning properly.
- Schedule time for students to complete the assessment without interruption.
- Review district accommodations and language settings before opening the assessment window.
- Utilize the lesson plans below to familiarize students with the assessment experience.
Introduction to Reading Assistant Lesson (PowerPoint Slides)
Introduction to Reading Assistant Lesson (Google Slides)
View Assessment Results
Assessment results can be viewed by administrators and teachers. Generating Family Letters can only be done from the teacher dashboard.
For more information about viewing and printing the assessment results, please refer to the articles below:
How to check for assessment completion
Reading Risk Report - Administrator View
Interpreting Results
After taking the Benchmark Assessment, each student will receive a DRI and ARM Score.
DRI - The Dyslexia Risk Indicator Score indicates a level of risk for reading difficulties. Reading Assistant does not diagnose dyslexia. If a student is flagged as At Risk, it indicates they may need further testing, intervention, or support.
For more inforamtion about the DRI, please see the article below:
ARM - The Amira Reading Mastery score is a composite measure that combines results from all tasks observed. Each task is weighted based on how wel it predicts reading outcomes, with skils like Oral Reading Fluency gaining more influence as students progress to higher grades. Alongside the overal score, subscores highlight performance in key literacy areas such as Phonemic Awareness, Vocabulary, and Comprehension. This adaptive design ensures the ARM score reflects a comprehensive view of a student’s reading ability, rather than just isolated tasks.
For more inforamtion about the ARM Score, please see the article below: