Savvas Launches Literacy Screener and Assessment Tool for Use With Its Realize LMS

• By Kristal Kuykendall
• 02/18/22

K–12 learning solutions provider Savvas Learning Co. this week introduced a new Literacy Screener and Diagnostic Assessments for use with its literacy software.

Delivered on the Savvas Realize learning management system, the Literacy Screener and Diagnostic Assessments integrate with the company's core K–8 literacy programs, including myView Literacy Grades K–5, ReadyGEN Grades K–6, and myPerspectives English Language Arts Grades 6–8, Savvas said in a news release.

The LSDA is equipped with multistage adaptive technology, allowing educators to “test less and teach more, accelerating learning for all students.”

“After three school years of disrupted education, assessing students' literacy skills is more critical than ever,” said Savvas Learning CEO Bethlam Forsa. “Our new LSDA program offers easy-to-administer screeners that provide a clear picture of where students are when they come into a classroom, and purposeful diagnostic assessments that deliver powerful results, helping educators address the needs of every learner.”

Developed in collaboration with nonprofit WestEd, the LSDA system identifies individual students' specific needs by pairing performance and assessment data with targeted, personalized instructional content recommendations to make it easier for teachers to help students master the specific skills needing improvement.

The screener and diagnostic assessments generate results that are both compared to grade-level expectations for their location and to average results of same-grade students across the country. “The Savvas Literacy Screener and Diagnostic Assessments empower teachers by giving them deep insights into their students' literacy skills and seamless access to instructional content to personalize learning for every student,” the company said.

The comprehensive LSDA combines the following:

• Universal Screener: Given by a teacher to the entire class, this short screener assesses proficiency in prior year's literacy skills and identifies the diagnostic most appropriate to assign to an individual student.
• Multistage Adaptive Diagnostic Assessment: Adjusting to the individual's weaknesses and strengths in real-time, the adaptive diagnostic digs deeper to pinpoint each student’s mastery level areas such as phonological awareness, phonics, vocabulary, and comprehension.
• Scoring and Flexible Instructional Recommendations: Robust data and reporting from the diagnostic assessments generate personalized instructional content with on-, above-, or below-level suggestions.

The roll-out of Savvas Learning’s LSDA follows the company’s launch last year of its Math Screener and Diagnostic Assessments (MSDA) for enVision Mathematics Grades K–8. That diagnostic solution also was developed in coordination with WestEd, whose mission is to “promote excellence, achieve equity, and improve learning for children, youth, and adults.”

“Our staff has experience working with a range of audiences, from preschool teachers to federal policymakers, to accelerate success for every learner,” said WestEd CEO Glen Harvey. “In collaboration with Savvas, we've developed powerful new assessments that are valid, reliable, and reflect industry best practices. We are proud that these vital tools will help teachers understand where their students are on their path to college- and career-readiness in literacy.”