The Iowa Department of Education is investing up to $2.5 million over five years to offer reading assessment and accommodation resources to Iowa schools. Through the expanded Access for ALL initiative, the two resources will help teachers identify students who need additional assistance with reading comprehension and provide access to grade-level content through innovative text reading technology.
“Reading unlocks a lifetime of potential—that’s why Iowa is empowering students, families and teachers with comprehensive advancements in early literacy, spanning world-class state content standards, statewide educator professional learning, personalized reading tutoring and Personalized Reading Plans for students in need of support,” said Iowa Department of Education Director McKenzie Snow. “Access for ALL builds upon Iowa’s comprehensive approach to high-quality literacy instruction, supporting teachers as they assess reading comprehension and providing digital resources to students who need more assistance with reading, writing and vocabulary expansion.”
Through Access for ALL, Iowa schools can use the online Universal Protocol for Accommodations in Reading (uPAR) to assess student reading comprehension and identify methods for how students best understand text, whether by reading independently or using text reader support. After completing the uPAR protocol, schools may apply for licenses at no cost for Read&Write, a literacy support software that reads aloud to students to help them access grade-level content and strengthen reading and comprehension skills. With Read&Write, students will have more opportunities to expand their vocabulary, connect written words to classroom context and better engage in learning.
Whereas, the personalized reading tutor launched last fall supports new readers with essential early reading skills, Access for ALL supports students as they move from learning to read to reading to learn. Any Iowa student in grades 3-12 who is reading below grade level can benefit from the Access for ALL supports. Both of these reading tutors and tools align with the Department’s priorities to strengthen early literacy and evidence-based reading instruction and help narrow and close achievement gaps.
The Access for ALL initiative is an outcome of the collaborative partnership with Iowa’s Area Education Agencies that started during the 2020-21 school year. Out of nearly 24,400 total uPAR assessments that have been conducted through Access for ALL, around two-thirds, or close to 15,400 Iowa students, were determined to be reading below grade level. From those 15,400 students, over 8,200 students were able to access grade-level content through the Read&Write software.
Iowa schools can register for the uPAR assessment protocol and apply for the Read&Write licenses at no cost on the Access for ALL website. Schools may apply for licenses for up to five years, depending on individual needs. Up to 82,000 Read&Write licenses are available each year.
Funding for the initiative is provided through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Part B federal funds.
More information on literacy instruction in Iowa is available on the Department’s Literacy Instruction webpage. Information on Access for ALL is available at https://www.texthelp.com/resources/campaigns/iowa/.