Hello Alaska teachers and leaders!

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Alaska Department of Education and Early Development (DEED) has selected Amplify’s mCLASS^® with DIBELS 8th edition as the statewide literacy screener that will help with the early identification of students with reading deficiencies. mCLASS is a foundational literacy assessment based on the Science of Reading.

As the AK Reads Act approved screening tool, mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition should be administered three times each school year. Together, Amplify and DEED will strategically and confidently support teachers and families to help students improve their reading skills with mCLASS 8th Edition.

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A collage of educational scenes: top image shows a woman and young girl reading a book together; lower images display diverse children engaged in classroom activities.

Students taking the mCLASS DIBELS 8th edition assessment, a foundational literacy assessment

Introduction to mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition

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How the program works

mCLASS with DIBELS 8th Edition is an English universal screener and progress monitoring reading assessment tool. It measures foundational literacy skills, creates instant groups, and includes targeted teacher-led instructional plans.

The power to know every student

Precise one-minute measures based on predictive data allow mCLASS to provide individualized instruction.

Immediate support for at-risk students

Universal and dyslexia screening in one validated assessment tool identifies your at-risk students at the earliest levels.

Deep insights

Intuitive reporting for teachers and administrators supports data-driven decisions to achieve student growth.

Rigorous, teacher-led intervention

Receive the analytical tools and resources needed to deliver targeted, staff-led intervention to students.

Image of webinar library with Amplify mCLASS foundational literacy assessment and Science of Reading webinars

Don't miss out!

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What’s new

Do you have a student who transferred between districts within Alaska and is inquiring about their assessment scores? Fill out this form (you must be logged in to access).
Please note the 48-hour timeline for submission.
New mCLASS DIBELS 8 professional development sessions are now available! Register now for available sessions.
View the 2023-24 mCLASS EOY checklist for Alaska teachers.
We have launched our first Alaska Amplify Brief. Be prepared and up to date. Check it out!
Each participating District will receive DIBELS 8th Edition Assessment kits. One kit, per grade, K-3 will be shipped. Materials can also be downloaded for free. If you would like to purchase additional kits, please email Kristen Rockstrah or Alicia O’Neil.

Professional learning

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There are many exciting learning opportunities available for Alaska teachers and leaders. Access session recordings, training resources, and more within the Professional learning section below.

About mCLASS DIBELS 8 Initial training

Districts have been registering for district-specific initial training. If you’re unable to make your district’s scheduled session, you can register for another district’s training. Seats are limited in these sessions, so please sign up early if you are interested in attending.

Upcoming trainings - register now

Initial Training

Initial mCLASS DIBELS 8 training

New to mCLASS DIBELS 8? This session will prepare educators to administer the DIBELS 8 measures and help them use this data to enhance their classroom instruction.

Click a date and time below to register:

Full day sessions	Two half-day sessions
Mar. 30th – 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. AKDT Jan. 20th – 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. AKDT April 20th – 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. AKDT	Mar. 4th and 6th – 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. AKDT April 8th & 10th – 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. AKDT

Assessing with fidelity for teachers – 1 hour

Already trained in mCLASS D8 but want to brush up on your administration practices? Join us for this 1-hr session to review assessment administration information and practice assessing students on PSF or NWF.

Strengthening

Creating a data-driven classroom for teachers – 3 hours

This three-hour training session is geared toward teachers who have completed at least one mCLASS DIBELS 8 benchmark administration and are ready to begin analyzing student data to make instructional decisions.

Click below to register:

April 8th – 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. AKDT

Progress monitoring to drive student outcomes for teachers – 1 hour

This one-hour training session is geared toward teachers who have completed at least one mCLASS DIBELS 8 benchmark administration and are ready to Implement mCLASS progress monitoring and MTSS best practices to track student progress and accelerate growth.

Click below to register:

Data Conversations

Understanding and communicating DIBELS 8 results with stakeholders – 1 hour

This session is designed to extend educator’s understanding of norm-referenced and criterion-referenced assessments, how they apply to their student’s DIBELS 8 results, and how to facilitate and support parent communication

New sessions coming soon!

Instructional Leaders

Creating a data-driven culture for leaders – 3 hours

Cultivate a schoolwide culture of data-driven practices. Use mCLASS reports to drill into key school-level data and leave with a systems-level action plan to drive stronger student and teacher outcomes.

Click below to register:

Train the Trainer (ToT) Sessions

Wanting to build capacity within your district? Our Train the Trainer session is for previously trained mCLASS DIBELS 8 educators who have assessed students during at least one benchmark window. Educators will be coached through presentation best practices, review and extend their knowledge of the initial training or strengthening sessions and receive a copy of the presentation to be used when training new educators in their district.
If you are interested in being identified as your district’s trainer, please verify with your building or district administrator before registering.

Initial mCLASS DIBELS 8 session (ToT) – 6 hours

March 25th and 27th from 4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. AKDT

Creating a data-driven classroom for teachers*- 3 hours
Additional sessions coming soon!

*Must have completed the Initial mCLASS D8 ToT session

Professional development opportunities are added frequently.

*Please note that sessions require a minimum number of participants. Sessions that do not have sufficient registration may be canceled. Please encourage your colleagues and administrators to promote sessions you believe would be helpful to fellow educators.

Session recordings
Training resources
Links to mCLASS online courses

Once you have completed the remote initial training, please email Erin Replogle and Jacob Mattlin and provide your name, district email address. A link will be emailed with registration instructions.

Explore the complete professional services library

View the mCLASS with DIBELS 8th Edition Benchmark Scoring Practice videos and forms

Video: How to Assign Online Assessments (3:36)

Document: How To Use District-Level Student Online Assessment Management

DIBELS assessment materials (for print)

Learn about additional Assessment Measures (RAN, Spelling, Vocabulary, Oral Language)

Overview videos for Vocabulary, Spelling and RAN

Amplify Webinar Library
Help topics
Access help articles, videos, and tutorials to support your mCLASS onboarding and implementation.

DIBELS 8th Edition Online Help

Login issues – clearing the cache

Gating Rules

mCLASS with CKLA Guide

mCLASS: CKLA Connect

mCLASS Enrollment

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Amplify enrollment options for staff and students

Enrolling with multiple Amplify programs?

For additional support in enrolling when using multiple Amplify programs, contact Carolyn Mulloy.

A screen with the Amplify mCLASS Admin portal displayed to view a list of student names and benchmarks in which they need to complete

Benchmark and reporting

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Benchmark windows
Remote assessment

MOY Benchmark Assessments

Use this teacher checklist to prepare for administering the Middle of Year (MOY) assessments.

We at Amplify and the team at the University of Oregon are here to provide continued guidance and support around collecting and using mCLASS data.

mCLASS can be administered in many ways, including remotely. This site will give guidance on the options to best support your students in any learning environment.
mCLASS report guidelines
mCLASS® gives you detailed insight into your students’ reading development across foundational literacy skills, empowering educators with instructional recommendations specific to each student’s unique needs.

In addition to the Reporting Guide, please view the following help and tutorial resources.

RAS Online Help

Reporting and Analysis Suite Tutorial

Classroom Reports Tutorial

DYD (Download your Data) data dictionary (Benchmark)

DYD (Download your Data) data dictionary (Progress Monitoring)

Goal setting with Zones of Growth

mCLASS Reporting Guide

Access the mCLASS Reporting Guide to find a wealth of valuable reporting information that mCLASS provides for everyone, from classroom teachers and literacy specialists to principals and district leaders, as well as parents and guardians at home.
mCLASS benchmark invalidations
A measure should be invalidated, or deleted, when an interruption or mistake occurs that undermines the validity of the score. Examples include the following:

The wrong student was assessed.

There were interruptions, such as from intercom announcements or fire drills.

There were scoring errors that cannot easily be corrected.

Review the instructions for invalidating a measure during or after benchmark administration.
Most frequently asked questions

What if a student moves into your district and your benchmark window is closed, but the state benchmark period is still open?

In this case, the student must be benchmarked. Should your district need an extension of a benchmark window beyond the close of the state benchmark windows, that must be approved by the Alaska DEED.

Can I give a benchmark to a student after the window closes?

Once the benchmark window closes, do not give the benchmark to a student, instead, educators can progress monitor the student on the measures they would have received a benchmark in order to get the student’s current instructional levels.If you have questions regarding your current benchmark window dates, reach out to Amplify Support by logging in and using the live chat feature.

Diagram of the Amplify programs, including the foundational literacy assessment process with Amplify mCLASS

Explore more programs

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Unlock the power of our full literacy suite with programs designed to build robust foundational skills, enabling student growth at all reading levels. Learn more about our related programs here.

Teacher using Amplify mCLASS with DIBELS 8th edition assessment, a foundational literacy assessment

mCLASS Intervention

Follows a research-based, targeted skills progression and uses mCLASS benchmark and progress monitoring data to create groups and daily lesson plans for 10-day cycles.

Learn more

Students learning a Science of Reading lesson

Amplify CKLA

Built on the Science of Reading, Amplify CKLA features an explicit, systematic approach that leverages multisensory instruction and provides equitable instruction for all.

Learn more

Boost Reading

Delivers adaptive instruction, practice, and intervention support through highly engaging games and activities, freeing educators up to work with small groups.

Learn more

Meet the team

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DEED

Tracy Parker, Ed.S.
Education Specialist 2, Reading Specialist
Division of Innovation and Education Excellence
tracy.parker@alaska.gov

Amplify

Carolyn Mulloy
Associate Director, Customer success
cmulloy@amplify.com

Erin Replogle
Professional Development Strategist, Literacy
ereplogle@amplify.com

Jacob Mattlin
Customer Support Manager, Customer success
jmattlin@amplify.com

Amplify Help Library

When you have a question about Amplify curriculum, we suggest you check out our Help Library as your first stop. It’s packed with answers to FAQs and tips for navigating and using Amplify. The search tool there will help you find the answer you need quickly.

Learn more

Thankful Thursday

Amplify has planned a series of fun events and giveaways for teachers in the weeks ahead. Check out what we have in store to shower you with appreciation for your dedication to educating and inspiring young minds!

Learn more

Science of Reading

Discover how the Science of Reading is for everyone! All students—from bilingual learners to middle schoolers to your most confident young readers—benefit from the research-based, proven literacy instruction indicated by the Science of Reading.

Learn more

Questions

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Need an answer fast? Our chat agents are standing by to assist you! Simply log in at learning.amplify.com and click the orange chat button in the bottom right corner. Here, you can chat live with our support team or search the help collection for step-by-step guidance.

Call our Alaska dedicated support team at +1(877)-810-4919 for more assistance.

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High-Quality Materials

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Research

Blog and webinar library

Media & events

Hello Alaska teachers and leaders!

Introduction to mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition

How the program works

Don't miss out!

Professional learning

Upcoming trainings - register now

Initial Training

Strengthening

Data Conversations

Instructional Leaders

Train the Trainer (ToT) Sessions

Session recordings

Training resources

Help topics

mCLASS Enrollment

Benchmark and reporting

Benchmark windows

Remote assessment

mCLASS report guidelines

mCLASS benchmark invalidations

Most frequently asked questions

Explore more programs

mCLASS Intervention

Amplify CKLA

Boost Reading

Meet the team

DEED

Amplify

Questions