The Iowa Reading Research Center is excited to release two new resources: the Educator Letter Builder and the "Understanding Your Student’s Literacy Data” eLearning module. The purpose of these resources is to provide caregivers and educators with learning materials and tools that can facilitate communication about student reading assessment data. Having a shared understanding and language with which to discuss student reading progress can help caregivers and educators work together to support their students.
The Educator Letter Builder allows educators to generate a customized letter to a student’s family to provide information, context, and further resources about a student’s universal screening data. Educators can enter information about a student’s screening results—including the assessment name, assessment window, student score, benchmark score, and more—and the Letter Builder will generate a unique letter that not only provides details about the student score but also breaks down what universal screeners are and why they are administered. This tool can help educators clarify information about students' universal screening scores, supplementing their communications to caregivers about screening data.
Letters created with the Educator Letter Builder also direct caregivers to resources such as the "Understanding Your Student’s Literacy Data” eLearning module, which provides caregivers with the knowledge needed to understand and interpret their student’s assessment data. Educators use data from several types of assessments to evaluate the effectiveness of classroom instruction and guide changes when necessary. These assessments also identify students’ strengths and areas for improvement, helping educators determine which supports a student may need, such as an individualized reading plan or small group instruction. Understanding these types of assessments and supports can help caregivers actively and meaningfully support their children’s academic growth.
The module defines and explains the purpose of four types of assessments: universal screening, diagnostic, progress monitoring, and summative. In addition, the module explains terms that are useful for caregivers to understand when reading assessment reports (e.g., benchmark scores, composite scores, and growth scores). A series of cartoon scenarios illustrate how instructors, students, and caregivers gather, interpret, and communicate assessment data and apply this information to create effective learning plans.
This module also includes the Caregiver Data Discussion Tool, a flexible template to help caregivers prepare for meetings with their child’s instructors. This printable tool provides note-taking space and specific example questions caregivers can ask educators before and after each type of assessment is administered to better understand their child’s results.
Visit our Caregivers Resource Hub to explore this eLearning module and visit the “Resources” section of our website to use the Educator Letter Builder!
