Literacy and Students with Disabilities

Literacy Resources Specific to Students with Disabilities

Dyslexia Handbook

View the online Colorado Department of Education Dyslexia Handbook.

Literacy Resources for Specific Learning Disability (SLD)

Literacy Instruction and Intervention Resources
Dyslexia Resources

READ Act Information for Learners with Disabilities

This document provides information on the implementation of READ plans for students with IEPS. Check out the IDEA and Colorado's READ Act Guidance document.

Differentiated Pathways: Including ALL Students with Disabilities in the Colorado READ Act

Overview

Beginning in the 2015-2016 school, students previously exempted or excluded from participation requirements of the READ ACT, including those with disabilities, will be assessed for a significant reading deficiency (SRD) and reported in the Spring, 2016 READ Act data collection. In order to meet the legal mandate that ALL students in grades K-3 be screened for an SRD, the Exceptional Student Services Unit, in collaboration with the Office of Literacy, has developed a Differentiated Pathways process. The Differentiated Pathways have been designed to include all students, even those who previously could not be assessed using one of the State-Approved READ Act interim assessments. Nine regional training were conducted in the late Fall of 2015 and early in 2016 which explained the features of the Differentiated Pathways.

Pathway #1

Differentiated Pathway #1 is simply using your choice of the State-approved READ Act interim assessments to screen students in grades Kindergarten through the third grade for a Significant Reading Deficiency. You have a choice of using any one of the seven approved interim assessments.

For more information (Office of Literacy and the READ Act)

Pathway #2

In Pathway #2, students who cannot be assessed with the interim assessment typically used in Pathway #1 as a result of an accessibility issue, are assessed using one of the other six State-approved interim assessments that will yield a valid score.

Read Act Approved Assessments
i-Ready licenses: CDE is no longer able to provide complimentary i-Ready licenses for students who require accommodation and cannot be assessed with a READ Act interim assessment that requires expressive language skills. We apologize for any inconvenience. Districts and administrative units should directly contact the vendor of this assessment or another appropriate READ Act interim assessment to make needed arrangements for their use with students with specific accommodation needs that cannot be met with the interim assessment typically used for participation in the requirements of the READ Act.

Pathway #3: Three Options

In Pathway #3, students are unable to access the approved interim assessments based on the nature of their disability. Assessment options have been established for these students who may have been previously exempted from the Read Act.

Braille Option | If you have any questions regarding this option, Email Tanni Anthony

The administrative unit's teacher of students with visual impairments should be consulted for all students requiring a braille format assessment.
If the district is using a paper-based approved interim assessment, it can be transcribed into braille for the student by appropriate school personnel (the TVI and/or a braillist). If the district uses DIBELS or would like to use DIBELS for their braille students, this tool is available in commercial braille. Copies of DIBELS in the Unified English Braille (UEB) format can be requested at no cost by the TVI through the Colorado Instructional Resource Center.
A teacher of students with visual impairments (TVI) should be present for test administration and the analysis of the results.

Deaf and Hard of Hearing | If you have questions now, please Email Shauna Moden

For Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) students who have limited or no measurable auditory access, the typical READ Act assessments may not be appropriate or fully accessible. In these cases, a "Body of Evidence" approach is used to determine if the student is experiencing a Significant Reading Deficiency (SRD).

A "Body of Evidence" approach involves gathering various types of data and information about the student's literacy and pre-reading skills from multiple sources. This might include observations, work samples, alternative assessments, progress monitoring data, and other relevant documentation. The goal is to create a comprehensive view of the student’s literacy abilities, rather than relying solely on standard assessments that may not accurately reflect their skills due to their hearing differences.

This method ensures that the determination of SRD is appropriate and accurate, taking into account the unique needs and abilities of DHH students who may not be able to access auditory components of the standard assessments.

READ Act Guidance for Students who are Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing (PDF)

The following are grade specific Body of Evidence Tools:

Before using the tool please review the Body of Evidence Document found in the READ Act Guidance for Students who are Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing

Colorado Emergent Literacy Scales (CELS) | If you have any questions regarding this option, Email Gina Herrera

Colorado Emergent Literacy Scales (CELS) – this framework is designed to collect information through a structured portfolio process to determine if a student has a significant reading deficiency (SRD). It is also designed to inform instruction for students who receive their instruction based on the alternate achievement standards or Extended Evidence Outcomes.

For general questions or more information, please contact:

Ellen Hunter
Phone: 720-512-8614
Email Ellen Hunter

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If you have problems with broken links or accessing the content on this page, please contact the Exceptional Student Services Unit at [email protected]. Please copy the URL link for this page into the email when referencing the problem you are experiencing.