Reading Diagnostic Assessments

Approved Reading Diagnostic Assessments 2026-2027

Under a recent change to Ohio law, the Department of Education and Workforce must revise its current approved list of K-3 reading diagnostic assessments for administration in the 2026-2027 school year.  Beginning in the 2026-2027 school year, the Department’s approved list will consist of the following K-3 reading diagnostic assessments*:

  • i-Ready Assessment 
  • NWEA MAP Growth
  • Acadience Reading K-6 
  • Star CBM
  • Exact Path
  • mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition
 *Contact Grade Period Under Senate Bill 19 of the 136th General Assembly: Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in section 3301.079 of the Revised Code, a school district, community school established under Chapter 3314., or STEM school established under Chapter 3326. of the Revised Code that has a contract that existed prior to September 30, 2025, with a provider for a reading diagnostic assessment approved under division (D)(1) of section 3301.079 of the Revised Code, as it existed prior to that date, may continue to use that provider's diagnostic assessment. A school district or school shall cease using that assessment when the terms of the contract expire, or by July 1, 2028, whichever occurs first.

Please send questions about the K-3 Reading Diagnostic to ThirdGradeGuarantee@education.ohio.gov


Video: K-3 Reading Diagnostic for Students with Low Incidence Disabilities and Complex Needs (Posted 5/13/2026)

The Office of Literacy Achievement, in collaboration  with the Teaching All Learners Center at OCALI, has released a new video titled "Supporting Learners with Complex Communication and Other Access Needs: From Screening to Instruction." This video aims to help districts and schools prepare for legislative changes in the 2026-2027 school year, requiring all students, including those with significant cognitive disabilities, to participate in the K-3 reading diagnostic assessment.  

The video outlines the K-3 reading diagnostic assessment requirements under the Third Grade Reading Guarantee and provides detailed strategies and tools to support individuals with complex communication needs while addressing the following key questions:
 
  • How do we conduct a universal screener (K-3 reading diagnostic) for students with low incidence disabilities and complex communication needs?
  • What actions are necessary if a student scores “0” or if the results of the universal screener are not scoreable due to inappropriate accommodations in the assessment?
  • How do we progress monitor students with low incidence disabilities and complex communication needs?

Reading Diagnostic Assessments 2026-2027

The reading diagnostic, also known as a universal screener, must be administered to all students in grades K-3 by September 30th. The reading diagnostic measures whether a student is on track or not on track for reading at grade level according to the previous year’s end-of-year standards.

Vendor Reading Diagnostic On-Track Score/Percentile
Acadience Learning Inc. (dba Dynamic Measurement Group) Acadience Reading K-6 Please contact vendor representative for scoring information.
Pearson Assessment aimswebPlus Scores from the individual measures are combined into a composite, which provides the broadest assessment of overall reading proficiency. The composite score is used to determine who is on-track for success and who needs additional help and/or assessment. As in prior years, aimswebPlus recommends using the 15th and 45th national percentile as comparable to the cut scores used in the Ohio Diagnostic Assessment, as follows:
 
  • On-Track: 45th national percentile
  • Further assessment may be needed (On-Track): 16th to 45th national percentile
  • Not On-Track: 15th national percentile
Edmentum, Inc. Exact Path Exact Path utilizes grade level proficiency (GLP) across all grades and subjects for on track student indicators.
 
  • Below: Not On-Track
  • Approaching: On-Track
  • Meets: On-Track
  • Exceeds: On-Track
Renaissance Learning, Inc. FastBridge On-Track: At or above the 40th percentile          
Curriculum Associates, LLC i-Ready® Assessment Grade Level and On-Track Score
  • Kindergarten: 320
  • Grade 1: 377
  • Grade 2: 425
  • Grade 3: 469

*i-Ready® Diagnostic with Literacy Tasks: cut scores apply to only the Diagnostic portion of the Diagnostic with Literacy Tasks. For TGRG use, Literacy Task results are not incorporated into on-track determinations.
 
NWEA
 		 MAP Growth Please contact vendor representative for scoring information.
NWEA MAP Reading Fluency Please contact vendor representative for scoring information.
Amplify Education, Inc. mCLASS DIBELS
8th Edition		 Grade Level and On-Track Score
  • Kindergarten: 306
  • Grade 1: 330
  • Grade 2:  329
  • Grade 3: 332
Renaissance Learning, Inc. Star CBM Grade Level and On-Track Percentile
  • Kindergarten: At or above the 20th percentile
  • Grade 1: At or above the 20th percentile
  • Grade 2: At or above the 20th percentile
  • Grade 3:  At or above the 30th percentile
Renaissance Learning, Inc. Star Early Literacy On-Track: At or above the 40th percentile
Renaissance Learning, Inc. Star Reading On-Track: At or above the 40th percentile
Riverside Insights The Iowa 
Assessments™		 Please contact vendor representative for scoring information.

Scoring information was provided to the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce by each approved vendor. For further information about an assessment’s on-track scores and percentiles, please contact the vendor directly.
 

Approved Reading Diagnostic Accommodations to Support Students with Low Incidence Disabilities and Complex Communication Needs (Added june 2026)

An accommodation is a support or service that may adjust testing conditions to help a student access an assessment and demonstrate their knowledge and skills without altering the validity of what is being measured. These accommodations generally fall into the following four categories: presentation, response, timing/scheduling, and setting. The specific accommodation a child with a disability receives is determined based on the individual needs of the child. An accommodation for students with disabilities must be documented in their Individualized Education Program (IEP) or the 504 Plan.

Districts and schools can use these documents to understand the allowable accommodations for the vendor product. Each document outlines which accommodations each product supports, such as text-to-speech options, extended time, or alternative response formats. This information can assist districts and schools with selecting the most suitable assessment product to meet the testing needs of their students with disabilities.

Last Modified: 8/13/2026 3:27:47 PM