Both Star Early Literacy and Star CBM provide efficient, valid measures of screening and progress monitoring, including characteristics for dyslexia.

WISCONSIN RAPIDS, Wis. (March 12, 2020) – Renaissance, a global leader in pre-K–12 education technology, today announced that Star Early Literacy and Star CBM—two key components of Star Assessments—were approved as K–2 universal screening tools in South Carolina for the 2020–2021 school year.

In accordance with Act 213, districts and charter schools in South Carolina must screen all kindergarten and first-grade students three times a year for potential reading difficulties, including characteristics of dyslexia. Districts and charter schools must select from the approved tools on the list—which includes Star Early Literacy paired with Star CBM for oral reading fluency—to offer all kindergarten and first-grade students, and second-grade students as needed.

The state’s Learning Disorders Task Force (LDTF) set several requirements for approval: The screener must be brief, the screener must contain normative data for cut points, and the screener must screen for dyslexia and have the ability to progress monitor and measure certain abilities like alphabetic principle, alphabet knowledge, phonological awareness, and more.

“We’re thrilled that Star Early Literacy and Star CBM meet South Carolina’s high standards of assessment quality,” said Laurie Borkon, vice president of government affairs at Renaissance. “We’re looking forward to partnering with educators across the state to further their students’ learning and position them for success.”

Star Early Literacy measures letter sounds, letter naming, phonological awareness, phonics, estimated oral reading fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. Students typically complete a Star Early Literacy computer-adaptive assessment in 10 minutes.

Star CBM includes letter sounds, letter naming, phonemic segmentation, receptive and expressive nonsense word fluency, and oral reading fluency. There are also rapid automatic naming measures for colors and shapes, which are often used as part of a screening process when determining if a child is at risk for reading problems. Each measure is completed in one minute and administered one-on-one.

For more information about Star Early Literacy or Star CBM, please visit www.renaissance.com.

About Renaissance

As a global leader in assessment, reading, and math solutions for pre-K–12 schools and districts, Renaissance is committed to providing educators with insights and resources to accelerate growth and help all students build a strong foundation for success. Renaissance solutions are used in over one-third of US schools and in more than 90 countries worldwide. The Renaissance portfolio includes Star Assessments, for reliable, accurate insights into K–12 student learning; myIGDIs, for accurate assessment of early learning; myON, to increase students’ access to high-quality reading materials; Accelerated Reader, to support independent reading practice; Freckle, for teacher-led differentiated instruction; and Schoolzilla, to give educators actionable insights into trends in student attendance and achievement. For more information, visit www.renaissance.com.

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