
Give One – Get One
◦ On an index card or half sheet of paper, write 2
things you hope are improvements made on the
DIBELS Next
◦ In 2 minutes, speak to 2 different people – share
your ideas and listen to theirs – add one of their
ideas to your list, if you agree
Introduction
1
Training presented by:
ELA Cadre, Literacy Coaches, and Building Level Trainers
August 2011

Review DIBELS Next Assessments
◦ What’s the same?
◦ What’s new?

Model / practice opportunities
Introduction
3
Basic Early Literacy Skill
DIBELS Indicator
Phonemic Awareness
First Sound Fluency (FSF)*
Phoneme Segmentation Fluency
(PSF)
Alphabetic Principle and Basic
Phonics
Nonsense Word Fluency
• Correct Letter Sounds (CLS)
• Whole Words Read (WWR)*
Advanced Phonics and Word Attack DIBELS Oral Reading Fluency
Skills
(DORF)
• Accuracy*
Introduction
4
Basic Early Literacy Skill
DIBELS Indicator
Accurate and Fluent Reading of
Connected Text
DIBELS Oral Reading Fluency
(DORF)
• Correct Words per Minute
• Accuracy*
Reading Comprehension
DAZE*
DIBELS Oral Reading Fluency
(DORF)
• Correct Words per Minute
• Retell Total / Quality of
Response
Introduction
5






https://dibels.org/next/downloads/DIBELSNext_Be
nchmark_GK_Student.pdf
https://dibels.org/next/downloads/DIBELSNext_Be
nchmark_G1_Student.pdf
https://dibels.org/next/downloads/DIBELSNext_Be
nchmark_G2_Student.pdf
https://dibels.org/next/downloads/DIBELSNext_Be
nchmark_G3_Student.pdf
https://dibels.org/next/downloads/DIBELSNext_Be
nchmark_G4_Student.pdf
https://dibels.org/next/downloads/DIBELSNext_Be
nchmark_G5_Student.pdf
Introduction
6






https://dibels.org/next/downloads/DIBELSNext
_Benchmark_GK_Scoring.pdf
https://dibels.org/next/downloads/DIBELSNext
_Benchmark_G1_Scoring.pdf
https://dibels.org/next/downloads/DIBELSNext
_Benchmark_G2_Scoring.pdf
https://dibels.org/next/downloads/DIBELSNext
_Benchmark_G3_Scoring.pdf
https://dibels.org/next/downloads/DIBELSNext
_Benchmark_G4_Scoring.pdf
https://dibels.org/next/downloads/DIBELSNext
_Benchmark_G5_Scoring.pdf
Introduction
7



Legal size paper – more room for scoring and
prompts
Response patterns included – link assessment
to instruction
Directions included each time*
◦ Reminders
◦ Scoring prompts
*Included on downloadable assessor materials only
Introduction
8

Measures are standardized
◦ Directions must be read verbatim
◦ Measures are timed – must be accurate




No penalty for articulation or dialect (also
schwa added on PA or Phonics tasks)
Discontinue rules provided
Note consistent patterns in performance
DIBELS approved accommodations list (see
guidelines – administer with standardized
procedures first, then repeat with
accommodations)
Introduction
9
Grade
BOY
MOY
EOY
Change from
6th edition
K
3 minutes
6.5 minutes
5 minutes
-1.5 minutes
1
5 minutes
9 minutes
9 minutes
-1.5 minutes
2
9 minutes
7 minutes
7 minutes
+ 3 minutes
3-5
11 minutes
11 minutes
11 minutes
+ 4 minutes
if Daze is
group
administered
Note: 6th edition times did not include RTF. In Red Clay, RTF was
required, so there is really NO change in time needed at Grade 2. The
only change in time for Grades 3-5 is the time needed for group
administration of Daze.
Introduction
10




Research foundations
Guidelines for administration & scoring
Model scoring pages
Materials to practice administration & scoring
◦ practice scoring sheets
◦ answer keys
◦ accuracy checklists

Resources for interpreting data and
implementing DIBELS Next
Introduction
11
Kindergarten, Grades 1 and 2
12
Kindergarten, Grades 1 and 2
13
Kindergarten, Grades 1 and 2
14

Whole Words Read (WWR)
◦ This is the number of words read correctly as whole
words.
◦ “The word, the whole word, and nothing but the
word”
◦ Do NOT award points for WWR if the student
repeats the word, first sounds out the word, says
the initial sound and then the word, etc.
◦ Self-correct rule does not apply to WWR score
Kindergarten, Grades 1 and 2
15

If a student automatically reads dif as the
whole word, “dif”
◦ Use one continuous line under the whole word (dif )
◦ Award 3 points for CLS score
◦ Award 1 WWR point

If the student reads dif as “/d/ /i/ /f/ dif”
◦
◦
◦
◦
Use a line under each sound
Draw a continuous line under the whole word
Award 3 points for CLS score
No points for WWR
dif
Kindergarten, Grades 1 and 2
16


Let’s get familiar with the directions and
practice item (kindergarten scoring booklet
page 14)
Scoring examples are on pages70 – 77 of the
assessment manual
◦ https://dibels.org/next/downloads/DIBELSNext_As
sessmentManual.pdf
Kindergarten, Grades 1 and 2
17
Student Behavior
Reminder
These reminders may each be used only once.
Does not go left to right
Go this way.
Says letter names
Say the sounds, not the letter
names.
Reads the word first, then says
letter sounds
Just read the whole word.
Says all letter sounds correctly in
the first row, but makes no
attempt to blend or recode
Try to read the words as whole
words.
Kindergarten, Grades 1 and 2
18
Student Behavior
Reminder
These reminders may be used as often as needed.
Hesitates 3 seconds on an item
Give the sound or word, score as
incorrect, if necessary point to the
next word and say, “Keep going.”
Stops reading (not a hesitation on
a specific item)
Keep going.
Loses her/his place while reading
(Point to the next item)
Kindergarten, Grades 1 and 2
19

During testing
◦ Mark responses by underlining exactly as student
responds

Immediately after finishing the measure
◦ Make a note about any patterns in the student’s
responses

At a later time
◦ Compute students’ final scores for the measure
◦ Computing scores while the student is waiting will
increase testing time and may result in student
boredom and fatigue.
Kindergarten, Grades 1 and 2
20
Correct
(Underline letters or
word)
Incorrect
(Slash letter)
Incorrect
(Leave blank)
• Says correct sound
for letter (CLS)
• Correctly blends
letter sounds (CLS)
• Reads word
correctly without
sounding out (WWR)
• Says incorrect
sound for letter
• Incorrectly blends
letter sounds
• Reads word
incorrectly
• Hesitates for 3
seconds on letter or
word
• Adds sound
• Omits sound
Kindergarten, Grades 1 and 2
21



Retell Fluency is no longer optional (Red Clay
always required RTF)
New directions
New passages
◦ Field tested
◦ Empirically leveled


Accuracy Score
Early reader font for grades 1 & 2
Grades 1 - 5
22
(Times given are Per passage)
Grades 1 - 5
23


Do not read the title to the student
If a student chooses to read the title
◦ Do not start the stopwatch until he/she reads the
first word of the passage
◦ Do not correct errors the student makes in reading
the title
◦ If student asks for help or struggles with a word in
the title for 3 seconds, say the word
Grades 1 - 5
24




Maximum time = 3 seconds per word
Say the word, mark it as incorrect.
If necessary, point to the next word and say,
“Keep going.”
If student stops reading (not a hesitation on a
specific item)- say, “Keep going.”
Grades 1 - 5
25
Correct
(leave blank)
Incorrect
(slash / )
Incorrect
(leave blank)
• Reads correct
word; pronounces
correctly in
context
• Mispronunciation
is due to dialect,
articulation or ESL
• Reads incorrect word
• Sounds out word, but
doesn’t read as a whole
word
• Reads correct word out
of order
• Omits word
• Hesitates 3 seconds
• Reads numerals or
abbreviations NOT as
the word would be
pronounced in speaking
(“M–R” for Mr.)
• Repeats word
• Adds word
Grades 1 - 5
26





Proper nouns are correct if read with any
reasonable phonetic pronunciation.
Hyphenated words count as two words if each
part can stand alone.
If a student reads a word incorrectly multiple
times, it is counted as an error each time.
Contractions should be read as they appear –
not as separate words
Any skipped word (each word in a skipped
row) counts as an error – this will affect the
accuracy score.
Grades 1 - 5
27


If student stops or hesitates for 3 seconds,
use one of the following prompts:
If the student says nothing, provides a very
limited response, or provides an off-track
response: Tell me as much as you can about
the story.


Otherwise, say: Can you tell me anything
more about the story?
The next time the student hesitates or gets
off track for 5 seconds, say, “Thank you,” and
discontinue the task.
Grades 1 - 5
28
Words counted as correct
Words not counted as correct
• Words / utterances that are
about what the student read
• Words, phrases, sentences that
are unrelated to the passage
• Utterances that are about a
student’s personal
experiences (“I wish I had a
goldfish.”)
• Statements about the
passage that are false
(“Goldfish are a lot of
work.)
• Fillers and false starts (um, like,
you know)
• Repetitions of words and
phrases
• Songs or recitations
• “I don’t know”
Grades 1 - 5
29
Rating
Description
1
Provides 2 or fewer details
2
Provides 3 or more details
3
Provides 3 or more details in a meaningful sequence
4
Provides 3 or more details in a meaningful sequence that
captures a main idea.
Grades 1 - 5
30

See pages 90 – 97 in the assessment manual
https://dibels.org/next/downloads/DIBELSNext
_AssessmentManual.pdf
Grades 1 - 5
31
Immediately after testing:
 Record “Total Words Read”
 Record the number of errors (including
skipped words)
 Calculate the “Words Correct”
 Record the “Quality of Response” score for
the retelling
Grades 1 - 5
32
At a later time (shortly after the testing when
you are no longer with the student) compute
the student’s final DORF scores:
 Median DORF (Words Correct per Minute)
score
 Median RTF (retelling score)
 Median Quality of Response score
Computing scores while the student is waiting will
increase testing time and may result in student
boredom or fatigue.
Grades 1 - 5
33



What are the changes at your grade level?
What do you need to practice before
administering DIBELS Next?
How will you practice?
Conclusion
34




Most of DIBELS Next is familiar if you’ve used
DIBELS before
Some new measures (FSF in kindergarten,
Daze in grades 3-5)
PSF administered only through beginning
grade 1
Some new scores
◦
◦
◦
◦
WWR (Nonsense Word Fluency)
Accuracy Score (Oral Reading Fluency)
Composite Score
Retell Quality
Conclusion
35

Improvements have been made to existing
measures:
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
Student materials
Scoring materials
Instructions
Items stratified
New practice items
New passages
Conclusion
36



Examples and practice pages are in the
administration manual
Resources are available on the DIBELS Next
website: https://dibels.org/next/index.php
Ask those who attended the DIBELS Next
Transition training in June and on August 15
◦ Literacy coaches
◦ ELA cadre (Karen Walsh, Laura Thompson)
◦ Reading specialists

Practice with a partner at your school
Conclusion
37
3
2
1
Three improvements made to
DIBELS Next
Two things from DIBELS 6th
edition you’re glad haven’t
changed
One part of the DIBELS Next you
need to practice before
administering to students
Conclusion
38



Thank you for participating.
Remember we are here to support you.
Have a great year!
Conclusion
39