Data Tool Selection Guidance
At the Texas Education Agency (TEA), our goal is for all Texas children to enter school with the foundational knowledge and skills to be curious, confident and successful learners. This guidance provides information about approved early childhood instruments available for school system (school district or open-enrollment charter school) use for prekindergarten, kindergarten and grades 1–2, and supports the selection of appropriate instruments aligned to state requirements.
Prekindergarten
Current Commissioner's List of Approved Pre-K Progress Monitoring Instruments
In accordance with Texas Education Code (TEC) §29.169, school systems must select prekindergarten progress monitoring instruments from the updated 2024-2025 through 2026-2027 Commissioner's List of Approved Prekindergarten Progress Monitoring Instruments when planning for school year 2024–25 and beyond.
The following progress monitoring instruments are on the new Commissioner’s List of Approved Prekindergarten Progress Monitoring Instruments to be used in the 2024–25 through 2026–27 school years:
- Circle Progress Monitoring System by Children’s Learning Institute (CLI)
- COR Advantage by HighScope Educational Research Foundation
- CPALLS+STEM by Circle Progress Monitoring administered through TANGO Software (formerly on the list as CIRCLE Assessment by Liberty Source)
- Frog Street Assessment – Criterion Referenced Assessment by Frog Street
- GOLD® by Teaching Strategies, LLC
- LION for Prekindergarten by Liberty Source
The Commissioner’s list, with detailed information about each instrument, can be found on the 2024-2025 through 2026-2027 Commissioner's List of Approved Prekindergarten Progress Monitoring Instruments.
Navigating the Prekindergarten Progress Monitoring Instrument Selection Process
The Prekindergarten Instrument Selection Guidance Tool was created to support school systems in navigating the prekindergarten progress monitoring instrument selection process. This optional tool helps narrow down the instruments to consider and review from the new list for the 2024-2025 school year. Specifically, the Guidance Tool includes sample criteria to establish non-negotiable requirements around budget, format, language, reporting capabilities, and data sharing features specific to a school system’s needs. It also offers targeted questions for school system use when analyzing and comparing instruments during the selection process aligned to best practices (phase 3 of TEA’s provided adoption process sample). By offering this framework, TEA aims to assist school systems who are looking to adopt new progress monitoring tools that will best serve their prekindergarten needs and fulfill state requirements.
Kindergarten Approved Reading Instrument Information
In accordance with TEC §28.006(c-2), school systems must use either the Texas Kindergarten Entry Assessment (TX-KEA) or mCLASS Texas Edition as the required beginning-of-year reading instrument.
The authorization period for mCLASS Texas Edition as a free, Commissioner-approved alternative reading instrument for kindergarten is through August 2025 (TEC §28.006(b-1)).
It is recommended that students are administered the kindergarten instrument within the first 60 days of school so that resulting data can be used for instructional purposes. Families must be notified of the BOY results in writing within 60 days of administration (TEC §28.006(d)(2)).
Click on an instrument name below to see more information directly from the publishers about the two Commissioner-approved kindergarten reading instruments.
Assessment Purpose
Texas Kindergarten Entry Assessment (TX-KEA) offers comprehensive kindergarten entry screening, progress monitoring, and observation tools hosted on CLI Engage platform. TX-KEA is available in Spanish and English and includes the TEA required BOY Literacy Screener and EOY Dyslexia Screener. More information on our measures, including those for literacy and dyslexia screening can be found on our website: https://public.cliengage.org/tools/assessment/tx-kea/
Reporting
Texas Kindergarten Entry Assessment (TX-KEA) provides several reports, both instructional and family-focused. Instructional Reports: We recognize that data reports should be easily accessible, quickly digestible, and provide multiple perspectives. Texas Kindergarten Entry Assessment (TX-KEA) reporting features provide snapshots of student skill levels at the individual, group, class, school, and district levels. The reports use clear visual indicators to flag students below established benchmarks. Student grouping features and links to recommended activities automatically provide the teacher with the first steps in beginning small group instruction that targets specific skill areas.
For more information about various reports available on CLI Engage visit: https://public.cliengage.org/training/support/accessing-reports/
More information on reports designed for families can be located on our website: https://public.cliengage.org/training/support/how-to-guides/implementation-guide-student-report-for-parents/
Progress Monitoring
Texas Kindergarten Entry Assessment (TX-KEA) provides teachers with immediate feedback that shows children’s progress through various measures throughout the year. Texas Kindergarten Entry Assessment (TX-KEA) includes multiple components and is administered three times each year. These windows are referred to as “waves,” typically occurring at the Beginning-of-Year (Wave 1), Middle-of-Year (Wave 2), and End-of-Year (Wave 3). An additional Wave 4 is available to programs who prefer to progress monitor more frequently or during summer programming. We recommend administering each of these waves to align with LEA school calendars to ensure there is sufficient time between each progress monitoring wave to gather important student data.
Instructional Supports
Texas Kindergarten Entry Assessment (TX-KEA) informs instruction by categorizing students based on benchmark status and automatically creating ability-level small group recommendations. These small group recommendations are then directly linked to supplemental activities that target the learning area of concern. Teachers can also use the grouping tools to create customized groups, record notes, and send activities directly to families for skill building at home. TX-KEA also includes options for teachers to document anecdotal notes linked to the measures assigned in each wave. Additionally, teachers can upload documents to a student’s profile on CLI Engage to support digital portfolios.
More information on instructional support can be located on our website: https://public.cliengage.org/training/classroom-resources/classroom-resources-by-age-group/kindergarten-classroom-resources/ filtered by age group or time of year: https://public.cliengage.org/training/
Family Supports
Texas Kindergarten Entry Assessment (TX-KEA) has several family-friendly resources to support families in understanding their child’s progress and connecting assessment results to home-based activities.
Family Friendly Descriptions of Assessment Measure: https://public.cliengage.org/training/support/how-to-guides/family-friendly-description-of-assessment-measures/
Understanding Your Child’s Assessment Results https://public.cliengage.org/training/support/how-to-guides/understanding-your-childs-assessment-results/
Comprehensive CIRCLE Activity Collection for Families: https://public.cliengage.org/tools/materials/cac-family/
Other family engagement resources can be found on CLI’s webpage: https://public.cliengage.org/tools/quality/family-engagement-resources/
Dyslexia Screening
Texas Kindergarten Entry Assessment (TX-KEA) is aligned to requirements for criteria for direct assessment in accordance with the most recent Dyslexia Handbook, in English and Spanish. CLI Engage also provides a comprehensive K-Dyslexia Referral Checklist (DRC) to support teachers with determining those students who may need further diagnostic referral.
More information can be found on our website: https://public.cliengage.org/tools/assessment/dyslexia-screener/
Accommodations
To view a comprehensive guide to specialized scoring and accommodations for students with identified disabilities, please refer to our Texas Kindergarten Entry Assessment (TX-KEA) User Guide: https://public.cliengage.org/training/support/how-to-guides/texas-kindergarten-entry-assessment-tx-kea-user-guide/.
Remote Administration
Texas Kindergarten Entry Assessment (TX-KEA) provides remote administration features.
More information can be located on our website: https://public.cliengage.org/tools/assessment/remote-assessment-administration-covid-19
View the Remote Tools for PK-2nd Grade Webinar: https://public.cliengage.org/training/classroom-resources/boy-resources/
Adoption Process
To become familiar with Texas Kindergarten Entry Assessment (TX-KEA), we recommend visiting our CLI Engage "Welcome: First Steps" webpage: https://public.cliengage.org/training/support/getting-started/. Here, LEAs and educators alike will find what they need to set up accounts and begin administering the tool with fidelity.
Contact Information
For support regarding onboarding, account creation, professional development and more, please submit a help ticket on our website: https://cliengage.atlassian.net/servicedesk/customer/portal/1.
Training
We offer a free self-paced online training course that provides assessment overview, administration guidelines, and reviews reports. For professional development on using Texas Kindergarten Entry Assessment (TX-KEA), please visit our website: https://public.cliengage.org/tools/online-learning/.
For specific, customized training requests, please submit a help ticket to reach our team: https://cliengage.org/help.
You may also browse our comprehensive library of professional development, available as on-demand webinars or certificate-bearing courses: https://public.cliengage.org/training/classroom-resources/classroom-resources-by-age-group/kindergarten-classroom-resources/
Assessment Purpose
mCLASS Texas Edition is an integrated, gold standard literacy system that offers teacher-administered assessment and holistic instruction for grades K–6. The mCLASS comprehensive system includes efficient one-minute measures, a built-in dyslexia screener, teacher-led and student-driven instruction, intervention, and robust reports for teachers and administrators. It’s all you’ll need to monitor and support every type of student learner in your classroom.
Foundational skills that are assessed within mCLASS TX:
- Phonological Awareness
- Phonics
- Reading fluency
- Reading accuracy
- Reading comprehension
*Additional measures for screening purposes include (mCLASS DIBELS 8 & Lectura):
- RAN (mCLASS DIBELS 8 only)
- Vocabulary
- Oral Language
- Spelling
Reporting
Quick and actionable reports provide detailed insight into students’ reading development across foundational literacy skills for classroom teachers and literacy specialists, principals and district leaders, and parents and guardians at home. mCLASS Texas Edition gives you instant results and clear next steps for each student. When mCLASS Texas Edition is used in tandem with the brand new, mCLASS Lectura, educators will have access to a dual language instructional report that shows how a student is reading in each language. More information can be found in the mCLASS Reporting Guide and on the Reporting and Analysis Suite (RAS) help website.
Progress Monitoring
Instructional Recommendations Students who have completed all the required mCLASS:DIBELS measures for their grade level and time of year are assigned an instructional recommendation based on their performance on the completed measures.
- Intensive (Red): Students whose instructional recommendation is Intensive have little chance of reaching their next developmental goal unless targeted and sustained small-group or individualized instruction is provided. DIBELS Progress Monitoring is recommended at least once every two weeks to determine whether the student is responding to intervention.
- Strategic (Yellow): Approximately half the students whose instructional recommendation is Strategic are unlikely to reach their next developmental goal if instruction remains consistent. Small-group or individualized instruction is highly recommended, and student growth should be checked at least once every two to four weeks with DIBELS Progress Monitoring.
- Benchmark (Green): Students whose instructional recommendation is Benchmark are likely to reach their next developmental goal if instruction remains consistent. While it is best practice to monitor these students to ensure they continue to progress toward the goal of independent reading, regular DIBELS Progress Monitoring is at the teacher's discretion.
Instructional Supports
mCLASS Texas DIBELS 8th Edition and mCLASS Texas Lectura both feature mCLASS Instruction, which provides educators with small group and individual student instructional recommendations based on analysis of student benchmark and progress monitoring assessment data. The Instruction tab is accessible from the Report Navigation bar in the Classroom Reports page. This tool puts students into groups based on specific patterns in their skills performance. It then recommends instructional activities based on diagnostic data and provides teachers with targeted one-on-one or group activities to address their students’ current needs. Instructional activities are available in English and Spanish. For both new and returning mCLASS users, the resources from the Training Tile will now live in the NEW PD Library, accessible through the Programs & Apps menu on the top global navigation bar. Additionally, for both new and returning users, the links in the mCLASS Support Home page will now live in the mCLASS Resources section of the Programs & Apps Menu, which can be accessed via the top global navigation bar.
Family Supports
Amplify offers mCLASS Home Connect® letters. These letters contain results from Benchmark assessments completed during the current time of year and are available in English or Spanish. Home Connect letters provide information about student results for completed measures as an overview and also a review of each skill measured. The letter explains the student’s Composite Score and/or mCLASS with Dyslexia Screening measures score. It also describes the measures used to determine the student’s proficiency, and what parents can do to help develop these skills. Additionally, the mCLASS Home Connect website houses literacy resources for parents and caregivers, including at-home lessons organized by skill to support students during remote learning. Our mCLASS caregiver letters in English and Spanish ensure that families know how to best support their student. More information about the mCLASS Home Connect website, as well as additional supports for parents and caregivers, can be found on the mCLASS Caregiver Hub.
Dyslexia Screening
mCLASS Texas DIBELS 8 and Lectura assess the updated skills required for dyslexia screening. The individual DIBELS 8 and mCLASS Lectura screening measures are validated using established measures of the specific skills that are indicative of dyslexia risk or the symptoms of dyslexia. These include the TOWRE-2 and CTOPP-2 for DIBELS 8th Edition and CELF–CF (Phonological Awareness), CELF–ERA (Rapid Automatized Naming), and WM-AP (Word Reading) for mCLASS Lectura. For additional information, please review the Amplify Dyslexia Guidance Document, the mCLASS Texas & mCLASS Lectura Measures Guidance Document, and the Updated TEA Dyslexia Handbook for 2024.
Accommodations
mCLASS Lectura is Amplify's Dual Language assessment and instruction for K-6! mCLASS Lectura delivers an authentic dual language assessment that works in tandem with mCLASS Texas Edition to deliver universal and dyslexia screening in both languages to help teachers know what instruction to prioritize. mCLASS Lectura is the only assessment to offer a dual language instructional report that shows how a student is reading in each language. This helps the teacher tailor instructional recommendations for each student based on the identified transferable skills from one language to another through suggested language considerations built into the instructional small grouping section. See the complete parity between English and Spanish solutions at all levels, with full coverage of the key foundational skills required by Texas. Click to learn more about mCLASS Lectura. View the TEKS alignment for both mCLASS D8 & Lectura.
Remote Administration
Whether your school is engaged in in-person, hybrid, or remote instruction, we know how important it is for teachers and administrators to understand every student’s literacy development. mCLASS has created a collection of resources to help you plan for a variety of scenarios. We’ve got you covered—no matter what you’re anticipating for back to school. Click for more information about implementing mCLASS remotely or in a hybrid setting.
Adoption Process
Check out our mCLASS Texas website to learn more. Looking to speak directly with an mCLASS Texas Edition representative? Get in touch with the mCLASS Texas team to learn more about using the program: • Amplify Texas hotline: (512)-877-9111 • Email: texas@amplify.com
Contact Information
Looking to speak directly with an mCLASS Texas Edition representative? Get in touch with the mCLASS Texas team to learn more about using the program: • Amplify Texas hotline: (512)-877-9111 • Email: texas@amplify.com
Training
mCLASS TX & mCLASS Lectura Online Modules 2024-25 are available to our mCLASS partners at no charge.
Additionally, teachers can use the mCLASS Leveled Practice Library to practice scoring different measures in both mCLASS & Lectura.
Finally, the Amplify Professional Development Website shares more in-depth professional development sessions. Please email texas@amplify.com for more information regarding costs for these sessions.
Grades 1 and 2 Approved Reading Instrument Information
In accordance with TEC§28.006(c), school systems must collect beginning-of-year data regarding student reading proficiency using an approved reading instrument (either from the Commissioner's List or selected by a district-level committee as authorized under TEC §28.006 (b)) for all students in grades 1 and 2.
There are two free, Commissioner-approved reading instruments for grades 1 and 2: TPRI/Tejas LEE (all vendor versions) and mCLASS Texas.
The authorization period for mCLASS Texas as a free, Commissioner-selected reading instrument for first and second grade is through August 2025 (TEC §28.006(b-1)).
It is recommended that students are administered the reading instrument within the first 60 days of school so that resulting data can be used for instructional purposes. Families must be notified of the BOY results in writing within 60 days of administration (TEC §28.006(d)(2)).
Click on an instrument name below to see more information directly from the publishers about the Commissioner-approved reading instruments for grades 1 and 2.
Assessment Purpose
TPRI™ is an early English reading assessment designed to identify the reading and comprehension development of students in grades 1 and 2. The reading concepts assessed on the TPRI are phonemic awareness, graphophonemic knowledge, reading accuracy, fluency, and comprehension. Listening comprehension is also assessed.
More information on measures can be found here on our website: https://public.cliengage.org/tools/assessment/tpri-tejas-lee/
Reporting
TPRI provides several reports, both instructional and family-focused. Instructional Reports: We recognize that data reports should be easily accessible, quickly digestible, and provide multiple perspectives. TPRI reporting features provide snapshots of student skill levels at the individual, group, class, school, and even district levels. The reports use clear visual indicators to flag students below established benchmarks. Finally, student grouping features and links to recommended activities automatically provide the teacher with the first steps in beginning small group instruction that targets specific skill areas.
For more information about various reports available on CLI Engage visit: https://public.cliengage.org/training/support/accessing-reports/
Family Reports: More information on reports designed for families can be located on our website: https://public.cliengage.org/training/support/how-to-guides/implementation-guide-student-report-for-parents/
Progress Monitoring
TPRI provides teachers with immediate feedback that shows students' progress through various measures throughout the year. It includes multiple components and is administered three times each year. These windows are referred to as “waves,” typically occurring at the Beginning-of-Year (Wave 1), Middle-of-Year (Wave 2), and End-of-Year (Wave 3). We recommend administering each of these waves to align with LEA school calendars to ensure there is sufficient time between each progress monitoring wave to gather important student data.
Instructional Supports
TPRI informs instruction by categorizing students based on benchmark status and automatically creating ability-level small group recommendations. These small group recommendations are then directly linked to supplemental activities that target the learning area of concern. Teachers can also use the grouping tools to create customized groups, record notes, and send activities directly to families for skill building at home. TPRI also includes options for teachers to document anecdotal notes linked to the measures assigned in each wave.
More information on instructional support can be located on our website:
- Grade 1: https://public.cliengage.org/training/classroom-resources/classroom-resources-by-age-group/grade-1-classroom-resources/
- Grade 2: https://public.cliengage.org/training/classroom-resources/classroom-resources-by-age-group/grade-2-classroom-resources/
Family Supports
TPRI has several family-friendly resources to support families in understanding their child’s progress and connecting assessment results to home-based activities.
Family Friendly Descriptions of Assessment Measure: https://public.cliengage.org/training/support/how-to-guides/family-friendly-description-of-assessment-measures/
Understanding Children's Assessment Results: https://public.cliengage.org/training/support/how-to-guides/understanding-your-childs-assessment-results/
Comprehensive CIRCLE Activity Collection for Families: https://public.cliengage.org/tools/materials/cac-family/
Other family engagement resources can be found on CLI’s webpage: https://public.cliengage.org/tools/quality/family-engagement-resources/
Dyslexia Screening
TPRI is aligned to requirements for criteria for direct assessment in accordance with the most recent Dyslexia Handbook. More information about Dyslexia Screeners on CLI Engage visit: https://public.cliengage.org/tools/assessment/dyslexia-screener/
CLI Engage also provides a comprehensive Dyslexia Referral Checklist (DRC) for grades 1 and 2 to support teachers with determining those students who may need further diagnostic referral. The Dyslexia Referral Checklist Manuals are located here: https://public.cliengage.org/training/support/how-to-guides/dyslexia-referral-checklist-manuals/
Accommodations
Accommodations for students can be used in administering TPRI. Decisions on accommodations should be made on an individual basis, taking into consideration the needs of the student and whether the student routinely receives the accommodation during classroom instruction. If the student has an Individualized Educational Plan or an instructional plan developed by a Section 504 committee, it may assist you in deciding which accommodations are appropriate.
Find guidance on how to use TPRI scores to identify students who qualify for instructional intervention.
TPRI Intervention Criteria: https://public.cliengage.org/training/support/how-to-guides/tpri-intervention-criteria/
More information is located in the user guide: https://public.cliengage.org/training/support/how-to-guides/tpri-user-guide/
Remote Administration
The TPRI provides remote administration features. More information can be located on our website: https://public.cliengage.org/tools/assessment/remote-assessment-administration-covid-19/
View the Remote Tools for PK-2nd Grade Webinar: https://public.cliengage.org/training/classroom-resources/boy-resources/
Adoption Process
To become familiar with TPRI, we recommend visiting our CLI Engage "Welcome: First Steps" webpage: https://public.cliengage.org/training/support/getting-started/. Here, LEAs and educators alike will find what they need to set up accounts and begin administering the tool with fidelity.
Contact Information
For support regarding onboarding, account creation, professional development and more, please submit a help ticket on our website: https://cliengage.atlassian.net/servicedesk/customer/portal/1.
Training
For professional development on using TPRI, please visit our website: https://public.cliengage.org/online-learning/
We offer a free self-paced online training course that provides assessment overview, administration guidelines, and reviews reports. For specific, customized training requests, please submit a help ticket to reach our team: https://cliengage.org/help
You may also browse our comprehensive library of professional development, available as on-demand webinars or certificate-bearing courses:
Assessment Purpose
Tejas LEE is an early Spanish reading instrument designed to be administered to students in grades 1 and 2. The instrument allows teachers to observe and record student performance in areas important to the development of Spanish reading and reading comprehension.
More information on measures can be found here on our website: https://public.cliengage.org/tools/assessment/tpri-tejas-lee/
Reporting
Tejas LEE provides several reports, both instructional and family-focused. Instructional Reports: We recognize that data reports should be easily accessible, quickly digestible, and provide multiple perspectives. Tejas LEE reporting features provide snapshots of student skill levels at the individual, group, class, school, and even district levels. The reports use clear visual indicators to flag students below established benchmarks. Finally, student grouping features and links to recommended activities automatically provide the teacher with the first steps in beginning small group instruction that targets specific skill areas.
For more information about various reports available on CLI Engage visit: https://public.cliengage.org/training/support/accessing-reports/
Family Reports: More information on reports designed for families can be located on our website: https://public.cliengage.org/training/support/how-to-guides/implementation-guide-student-report-for-parents/
Progress Monitoring
Tejas LEE provides teachers with immediate feedback that shows students' progress through various measures throughout the year. It includes multiple components and is administered three times each year. These windows are referred to as “waves,” typically occurring at the Beginning-of-Year (Wave 1), Middle-of-Year (Wave 2), and End-of-Year (Wave 3). We recommend administering each of these waves to align with LEA school calendars to ensure there is sufficient time between each progress monitoring wave to gather important student data.
Instructional Supports
Tejas LEE informs instruction by categorizing students based on benchmark status and automatically creating ability-level small group recommendations. These small group recommendations are then directly linked to supplemental activities that target the learning area of concern. Teachers can also use the grouping tools to create customized groups, record notes, and send activities directly to families for skill building at home. Tejas LEE also includes options for teachers to document anecdotal notes linked to the measures assigned in each wave.
More information on instructional support can be located on our website:
- Grade 1: https://public.cliengage.org/training/classroom-resources/classroom-resources-by-age-group/grade-1-classroom-resources/
- Grade 2: https://public.cliengage.org/training/classroom-resources/classroom-resources-by-age-group/grade-2-classroom-resources/
Family Supports
Tejas LEE has several family-friendly resources to support families in understanding their child’s progress and connecting assessment results to home-based activities.
Family Friendly Descriptions of Assessment Measure: https://public.cliengage.org/training/support/how-to-guides/family-friendly-description-of-assessment-measures/
Understanding Children's Assessment Results: https://public.cliengage.org/training/support/how-to-guides/understanding-your-childs-assessment-results/
Comprehensive CIRCLE Activity Collection for Families: https://public.cliengage.org/tools/materials/cac-family/
Other family engagement resources can be found on CLI’s webpage: https://public.cliengage.org/tools/quality/family-engagement-resources/
Dyslexia Screening
Tejas LEE is aligned to requirements for criteria for direct assessment in accordance with the most recent Dyslexia Handbook. More information about Dyslexia Screeners on CLI Engage visit: https://public.cliengage.org/tools/assessment/dyslexia-screener/
CLI Engage also provides a comprehensive Dyslexia Referral Checklist (DRC) for grades 1 and 2 to support teachers with determining those students who may need further diagnostic referral. The Dyslexia Referral Checklist Manuals are located here: https://public.cliengage.org/training/support/how-to-guides/dyslexia-referral-checklist-manuals/
Accommodations
Accommodations for students can be used in administering the Tejas LEE. Decisions on accommodations should be made on an individual basis, taking into consideration the needs of the student and whether the student routinely receives the accommodation during classroom instruction. If the student has an Individualized Educational Plan or an instructional plan developed by a Section 504 committee, it may assist you in deciding which accommodations are appropriate.
More information is located in the user guide at: https://public.cliengage.org/training/support/how-to-guides/tejas-lee-user-guide/
Remote Administration
The Tejas LEE provides remote administration features. More information can be located on our website: https://public.cliengage.org/tools/assessment/remote-assessment-administration-covid-19/
View the Remote Tools for PK-2nd Grade Webinar: https://public.cliengage.org/training/classroom-resources/boy-resources/
Adoption Process
To become familiar with Tejas LEE, we recommend visiting our CLI Engage "Welcome: First Steps" webpage: https://public.cliengage.org/training/support/getting-started/. Here, LEAs and educators alike will find what they need to set up accounts and begin administering the tool with fidelity.
Contact Information
For support regarding onboarding, account creation, professional development and more, please submit a help ticket on our website: https://cliengage.atlassian.net/servicedesk/customer/portal/1.
Training
For professional development on using Tejas LEE, please visit our website: https://public.cliengage.org/training/.
We offer a free self-paced online training course that provides assessment overview, administration guidelines, and reviews reports. For specific, customized training requests, please submit a help ticket to reach our team: https://cliengage.org/help.
You may also browse our comprehensive library of professional development, available as on-demand webinars or certificate-bearing courses:
Assessment Purpose
mCLASS Texas Edition is an integrated, gold standard literacy system that offers teacher-administered assessment and holistic instruction for grades K–6. The mCLASS comprehensive system includes efficient one-minute measures, a built-in dyslexia screener, teacher-led and student-driven instruction, intervention, and robust reports for teachers and administrators. It’s all you’ll need to monitor and support every type of student learner in your classroom.
Foundational skills that are assessed within mCLASS TX:
- Phonological Awareness
- Phonics
- Reading fluency
- Reading accuracy
- Reading comprehension
*Additional measures for screening purposes include (mCLASS DIBELS 8 & Lectura):
- RAN (mCLASS DIBELS 8 only)
- Vocabulary
- Oral Language
- Spelling
Reporting
Quick and actionable reports provide detailed insight into students’ reading development across foundational literacy skills for classroom teachers and literacy specialists, principals and district leaders, and parents and guardians at home. mCLASS Texas Edition gives you instant results and clear next steps for each student. When mCLASS Texas Edition is used in tandem with the brand new, mCLASS Lectura, educators will have access to a dual language instructional report that shows how a student is reading in each language. More information can be found in the mCLASS Reporting Guide and on the Reporting and Analysis Suite (RAS) help website.
Progress Monitoring
Instructional Recommendations Students who have completed all the required mCLASS:DIBELS measures for their grade level and time of year are assigned an instructional recommendation based on their performance on the completed measures.
- Intensive (Red): Students whose instructional recommendation is Intensive have little chance of reaching their next developmental goal unless targeted and sustained small-group or individualized instruction is provided. DIBELS Progress Monitoring is recommended at least once every two weeks to determine whether the student is responding to intervention.
- Strategic (Yellow): Approximately half the students whose instructional recommendation is Strategic are unlikely to reach their next developmental goal if instruction remains consistent. Small-group or individualized instruction is highly recommended, and student growth should be checked at least once every two to four weeks with DIBELS Progress Monitoring.
- Benchmark (Green): Students whose instructional recommendation is Benchmark are likely to reach their next developmental goal if instruction remains consistent. While it is best practice to monitor these students to ensure they continue to progress toward the goal of independent reading, regular DIBELS Progress Monitoring is at the teacher's discretion.
Instructional Supports
mCLASS Texas DIBELS 8th Edition and mCLASS Texas Lectura both feature mCLASS Instruction, which provides educators with small group and individual student instructional recommendations based on analysis of student benchmark and progress monitoring assessment data. The Instruction tab is accessible from the Report Navigation bar in the Classroom Reports page. This tool puts students into groups based on specific patterns in their skills performance. It then recommends instructional activities based on diagnostic data and provides teachers with targeted one-on-one or group activities to address their students’ current needs. Instructional activities are available in English and Spanish. For both new and returning mCLASS users, the resources from the Training Tile will now live in the NEW PD Library, accessible through the Programs & Apps menu on the top global navigation bar. Additionally, for both new and returning users, the links in the mCLASS Support Home page will now live in the mCLASS Resources section of the Programs & Apps Menu, which can be accessed via the top global navigation bar.
Family Supports
Amplify offers mCLASS Home Connect® letters. These letters contain results from Benchmark assessments completed during the current time of year and are available in English or Spanish. Home Connect letters provide information about student results for completed measures as an overview and also a review of each skill measured. The letter explains the student’s Composite Score and/or mCLASS with Dyslexia Screening measures score. It also describes the measures used to determine the student’s proficiency, and what parents can do to help develop these skills. Additionally, the mCLASS Home Connect website houses literacy resources for parents and caregivers, including at-home lessons organized by skill to support students during remote learning. Our mCLASS caregiver letters in English and Spanish ensure that families know how to best support their student. More information about the mCLASS Home Connect website, as well as additional supports for parents and caregivers, can be found on the mCLASS Caregiver Hub.
Dyslexia Screening
mCLASS Texas DIBELS 8 and Lectura assess the updated skills required for dyslexia screening. The individual DIBELS 8 and mCLASS Lectura screening measures are validated using established measures of the specific skills that are indicative of dyslexia risk or the symptoms of dyslexia. These include the TOWRE-2 and CTOPP-2 for DIBELS 8th Edition and CELF–CF (Phonological Awareness), CELF–ERA (Rapid Automatized Naming), and WM-AP (Word Reading) for mCLASS Lectura. For additional information, please review the Amplify Dyslexia Guidance Document, the mCLASS Texas & mCLASS Lectura Measures Guidance Document, and the Updated TEA Dyslexia Handbook for 2024.
Accommodations
mCLASS Lectura is Amplify's Dual Language assessment and instruction for K-6! mCLASS Lectura delivers an authentic dual language assessment that works in tandem with mCLASS Texas Edition to deliver universal and dyslexia screening in both languages to help teachers know what instruction to prioritize. mCLASS Lectura is the only assessment to offer a dual language instructional report that shows how a student is reading in each language. This helps the teacher tailor instructional recommendations for each student based on the identified transferable skills from one language to another through suggested language considerations built into the instructional small grouping section. See the complete parity between English and Spanish solutions at all levels, with full coverage of the key foundational skills required by Texas. Click to learn more about mCLASS Lectura. View the TEKS alignment for both mCLASS D8 & Lectura.
Remote Administration
Whether your school is engaged in in-person, hybrid, or remote instruction, we know how important it is for teachers and administrators to understand every student’s literacy development. mCLASS has created a collection of resources to help you plan for a variety of scenarios. We’ve got you covered—no matter what you’re anticipating for back to school. Click for more information about implementing mCLASS remotely or in a hybrid setting.
Adoption Process
Check out our mCLASS Texas website to learn more. Looking to speak directly with an mCLASS Texas Edition representative? Get in touch with the mCLASS Texas team to learn more about using the program: • Amplify Texas hotline: (512)-877-9111 • Email: texas@amplify.com
Contact Information
Looking to speak directly with an mCLASS Texas Edition representative? Get in touch with the mCLASS Texas team to learn more about using the program: • Amplify Texas hotline: (512)-877-9111 • Email: texas@amplify.com
Training
mCLASS TX & mCLASS Lectura Online Modules 2024-25 are available to our mCLASS partners at no charge.
Additionally, teachers can use the mCLASS Leveled Practice Library to practice scoring different measures in both mCLASS & Lectura.
Finally, the Amplify Professional Development Website shares more in-depth professional development sessions. Please email texas@amplify.com for more information regarding costs for these sessions.
Early Childhood Education Support Portal
Texas Education Agency
1701 North Congress Avenue
Austin, Texas 78701-1401