Early Literacy Screening

Our school’s early literacy universal screening assessment is mCLASS, which has the highest possible rating and is approved by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

mCLASS is computer adaptive, so questions are adjusted (made easier or more difficult) based on student responses. For this reason, your child’s report may not include the same information as other children’s reports, even among those at the same grade level.  mClass assessments are conducted in the Fall and Spring for students in grades K-5.  These actions are included in Massachusetts regulation 603 CMR 28.03(1)(f), which requires all public schools in the state to assess students’ reading skills in the early grades at least twice a year.

As a reminder, early literacy universal screening is used to determine a student’s risk for reading difficulty and to guide us in providing reading support. It is not a diagnosis or determination of a disability.

Important Early Reading Skills

Early literacy universal screening assessments are used to assess skills that may predict future reading difficulties. These skills include alphabetic knowledge, phonemic awareness, word reading, reading comprehension, and rapid automatized naming. Skills are assessed differently depending on the student’s grade level. You can learn more about them here.

Family Communication

If your child scores “well below benchmarks” someone from your child’s school will contact you within 30 school days by email to offer ways we can support your child’s reading development. Families are also encouraged to explore the mCLASS Home Connect which offers strategies on supporting your child with their reading.