Dibels test, not MAP for K-2 Reading tests

[Anonymous]

Did anyone else see MCPS is shifting to Dibels from MAP? I have an older kid who's been taking the MAP test for years now so we're used to that system, but will have a kindergartener this fall and want to understand more about Dibels. Any thoughts or wisdom?

[Anonymous]

Do you have a link to the announcement, OP? The K-2 MAP reading test was the RF, different from the test taken in 3rd grade. I found it frustrating that they tested K-2 three times a year with MAP but refused to provide results.

[Anonymous]

Found the announcement here: https://news.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/staff-bulletin/the-shift-to-structured-literacy-in-elementary-schools-2/

[Anonymous]

https://news.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/staff-bulletin/the-shift-to-structured-literacy-in-elementary-schools-2/

It seems it will still be administered 3x a year but they are short tests, less than 5 minutes, that somehow arrive at your kids' reading needs/ level.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Did anyone else see MCPS is shifting to Dibels from MAP? I have an older kid who's been taking the MAP test for years now so we're used to that system, but will have a kindergartener this fall and want to understand more about Dibels. Any thoughts or wisdom?

Funny they used this with my older kid a few years back. I didn't even know they'd stopped.

[Anonymous]

Teacher here. I’ve administered DIBELS and MAP-RF. Previously, dibels was 3x/year. I imagine it will be the same next year. Previously, parents did not receive information about scores. I don’t see how the information would be helpful to parents either.
DIBELS is a series of timed exercises that test phonemic awareness and fluency. Each timed test takes 1 minute. All tests are done individually, one on one with the teacher. Tests are different based on grade level. They do not address reading level.

[Anonymous]

DIBELS progress monitoring for students far below grade level is every 3 weeks so it can be time-consuming if you have a lot of students in the red. Below grade level kids were tested every 6 weeks if I remember correctly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did anyone else see MCPS is shifting to Dibels from MAP? I have an older kid who's been taking the MAP test for years now so we're used to that system, but will have a kindergartener this fall and want to understand more about Dibels. Any thoughts or wisdom?

Funny they used this with my older kid a few years back. I didn't even know they'd stopped.

I remember it being something they did in K and maybe first and I did see the results somehow.

[Anonymous]

So with MAP-RF, our teachers would tell us the guided reading level of our kid. Is this still going to be a thing? Will the DIBELS test inform reading group placement and all the things MAP led to?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So with MAP-RF, our teachers would tell us the guided reading level of our kid. Is this still going to be a thing? Will the DIBELS test inform reading group placement and all the things MAP led to?

They used both when DC was in K. I don't know if they did Dibels more than once or twice. I remember it was about knowing the sounds that letters made and different than guided reading level.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So with MAP-RF, our teachers would tell us the guided reading level of our kid. Is this still going to be a thing? Will the DIBELS test inform reading group placement and all the things MAP led to?

Guided reading is out, at least for beginning readers. If your child isn't proficient in the subtests on DIBELS (phonemic segmentation, letter naming fluency, nonsense word fluency and word reading fluency), guided reading isn't for them. Once a kid has been taught all of the sound-spelling patterns and is on or above grade levels on DIBELS, guided reading is for them. Decodable books are for beginning readers to apply these sound-spelling patterns.

[Anonymous]

OP here. It seems one DIBELS assessment was done at the beginning of the year, but nothing since then. Is that the plan? Will there be a winter assessment, similar to how the older kids do MAP 3x/year?

Trying to understand how the switch to DIBELS is being implemented to help the kids with phonics and reading, especially in KG.

TIA!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Teacher here. I’ve administered DIBELS and MAP-RF. Previously, dibels was 3x/year. I imagine it will be the same next year. Previously, parents did not receive information about scores. I don’t see how the information would be helpful to parents either.
DIBELS is a series of timed exercises that test phonemic awareness and fluency. Each timed test takes 1 minute. All tests are done individually, one on one with the teacher. Tests are different based on grade level. They do not address reading level.

It's helpful when they do it incorrectly, which is all too common. DC had a new teacher who seemed overwhelmed with administering this and unfortunately just used the previous year's scores. It took nearly a year for other teachers to sort it out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. It seems one DIBELS assessment was done at the beginning of the year, but nothing since then. Is that the plan? Will there be a winter assessment, similar to how the older kids do MAP 3x/year?

Trying to understand how the switch to DIBELS is being implemented to help the kids with phonics and reading, especially in KG.

TIA!

3X a year is plenty for standardized testing less would be even better

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DIBELS progress monitoring for students far below grade level is every 3 weeks so it can be time-consuming if you have a lot of students in the red. Below grade level kids were tested every 6 weeks if I remember correctly.

We use it in my district and progress monitoring 3/4 of the class every 3 weeks is tedious and time consuming. It does yield useful results for beginners though.