Early Literacy Assessment Tool Project

 

Early Literacy Assessment Tool

The 2012 School Finance Act required the Colorado Department of Education to select a contractor to supply an early literacy assessment tool that teachers may use to obtain real-time assessments of the reading skill levels of students in kindergarten through third grade. The intent of the program was to support state purchase of software that would provide individualized assessments with immediate results, store and analyze those results, and recommend activities based on those results. Through a competitive bid process, the contract was awarded to Amplify for its DIBELS Next system and diagnostic reading assessments in January 2013 through June 30, 2018.

In the spring 2018 through a new competitive process the award was made to both Amplify and Istation for the approved interim assessments on both platforms. The new contract duration is for the next five years.  Legislative funding was passed in the spring of 2018, therefore the department will offer the project for the 2018-2019 school year. This is a non-competitive project. 

By participating in the Early Literacy Assessment Tool Project, applicants will select one of the two vendors and then receive access to the LEA selected online approved READ Act assessment:

• Amplify for DIBELS Next and IDEL, approved interim assessments, and DIBELS Deep PA/WRD diagnostic reading assessment, an approved diagnostic measure.
• Istation for ISIP Early Reading, Istation and ISIP Lectura Temprana, Istation, approved interim assessments for the READ Act.

All approved applicants will receive software licenses to use the assessment that they select. The tool will store and analyze the results and recommend school and home activities based on those results. Applicants will be responsible for providing their own hardware.

Hardware is not included. A list of devices that support the software is available for each vendor:

• Amplify devices
• Istation devices

Submit a Letter of Intent for the 2019-2020 Early Literacy Assessment Tool (ELAT) Project

DIBELS Next and ISIP are Early Literacy Assessment Tools that teachers may use to obtain real-time assessments of the reading skill levels of K-3 students, in support of the READ Act. Pending legislative approval during the 2019 session, the department will offer DIBELS Next and ISIP through ELAT for the 2019-2020 school year. This is a non-competitive project.

ELAT will require a Letter of Intent this fall (2018) for participation in the 2019-2020 school year. The letter of intent process will allow for a timelier budget request from the Joint Budget Committee.

The letter of intent process will run from October 15, 2018 to November 16, 2018. The received responses will inform our request for funding from the Joint Budget Committee; therefore, districts that do not submit a Letter of Intent will not be considered in the application process.

2019-2020 ELAT Letter of Intent (paper copy)

Click here to submit your Letter of Intent through Survey Monkey

 

 

 

 

 

 

Support Staff

Colorado Department of Education Project Manager

Tammy Yetter
CDE Senior Literacy Consultant
720-955-8055
yetter_t@cde.state.co.us

ELAT Email List

If you would like to be added to the email list for ELAT updates please email Tammy Yetter, yetter_t@cde.state.co.us.