Frequently Asked Questions: Each month, this page will answer a question commonly asked by parents.
- What are the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) ?
- How long does it take to complete an evaluation for Special Education service?
What are the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) ?
The DIBELS website states the following:
"The DIBELS measures were specifically designed to assess 3 of the 5 Big
Ideas of early literacy: Phonological Awareness, Alphabetic Principle, and
Fluency with Connected Text. The measures are linked to one another, both
psychometrically and theoretically, and have been found to be predictive of
later reading proficiency.
Measures of Phonological Awareness:
Initial Sounds Fluency (ISF): Assesses a child's skill to identify and
produce the initial sound of a given word.
Phonemic Segmentation Fluency (PSF): Assesses a child's skill to produce the
individual sounds within a given word.
Measure of Alphabetic Principle:
Nonsense Word Fluency (NWF): Assesses a child's knowledge of letter-sound
correspondences as well their ability to blend letters together to form
unfamiliar "nonsense" (e.g., fik, lig, etc.) words.
Measure of Fluency with Connected Text:
Oral Reading Fluency (ORF): Assesses a child's skill of reading connected
text in grade-level material word.
These measures link together to form an assessment system of early literacy
development that allows educators to readily and reliably determine student
progress."
How long does it take to complete an evaluation for Special Education service?
The school district is required to complete an evaluation within thirty
school days from the date the signed permission form is received from the
parent/guardian. The school has forty-five days from the date permission is
received to meet with parents/guardians and to develop, with the Team, an
Individualized Education Program for any child who qualifies for Special
Education services.
