aimswebPlus & aimswebPlus Canadian Edition

Universal benchmarking

Universal screening—benchmarking for student reading & literacy abilities—makes it possible to accurately measure student and classroom performance and identify students at risk for literacy gaps or reading difficulties—including dyslexia—all within a single class period. For most students, a battery of multiple brief measures is used for universal screening. These standards-based measures are designed to evaluate essential knowledge and skills as efficiently as possible. The multi-measure battery provides student and classroom profiles of strengths and weaknesses to tailor instruction to the needs of all students.

Key Principles:

• Manage the entire fall, winter, and spring assessment cycle
• Identify students at risk for dyslexia
• Compare reading (and math) performance to grade level expectations
• Build student and classroom profiles of strengths and weaknesses to tailor instruction and instructional groupings

Dyslexia screening

Our partnership with Shaywitz DyslexiaScreen™ offers an evidence-based, teacher-friendly observational rating scale for grades K–3. It is intended for mass screenings to sort students quickly — those at risk and those not at risk for dyslexia. The data can be used to set direction for intervention and instructional planning for all students, and a ready-to-use handout gives parents and caregivers ideas for supporting at-risk students outside school. To get a closer look, see our dyslexia resources for educators.

Key Principles:

• Documentation of educator ratings and concerns that show evidence of dyslexia risk
• Reliable and valid, norm-based student performance ratings that support educator observations
• Multiple measures that support best practice in screening and assessment
• Universally screen, identify risk, progress monitor, and report results in one seamless system

Rapid Automatized Naming (RAN)

RAN measures are increasingly common in state-level requirements for dyslexia screening programs. RAN is a highly sensitive construct to reading outcomes. While two aimswebPlus measures, Letter Naming Fleuncy (LNF) and Number Naming Fluency (NNF), may also tap into RAN skills, they can be confounded by knowledge of letters and numbers. The RAN measures include Objects as well as Colors & Shapes for more general RAN screening.

Key Principles:

• RAN has been a common measurement construct for decades.
• RAN measures underlying cognitive skill, rather than achievement.
• Comparing LNF/NNF performance to non-academic tasks allows a deeper understanding of RAN in a student.
• Use as a universal or targeted additional measure for more insight into student capabilities.

Progress monitoring. Measure the effectiveness of your tutoring and intervention initiatives.

Because aimswebPlus measures are designed with sensitivity to detect change, the scores reflect progress that can occur over relatively short intervals. Progress monitoring enables more frequent assessment to track individualized rate of improvement and documents each student’s response to instructional changes. Curriculum-based measures (CBMs) that are used for progress monitoring are quick to administer, simple to score, and are regularly delivered to provide continuous student progress data.

Key Principles:

• Brief, standardized, and reliable
• Sensitive to growth that occurs over relatively short intervals
• Available in multiple equivalent forms to reduce practice effects on retesting
• Easy to administer and score, allowing it to be used accurately by a wide range of education professionals

Integrated Technology: Administration, Scoring, and Reporting

aimswebPlus provides comprehensive reporting for each screening and monitoring component. Each report highlights both performance and progress, enabling educators to make informed decisions about students and instruction. Reports include data for students, classrooms, grades, schools, and districts, as well as student norms at the national, state, and district level. Student reports can be generated in either HTML or PDF format and can be filtered to display the precise data needed. The level of information available in each report is based on the user’s role and access level. Parent-friendly screening and progress monitoring results are also available.

Key Principles:

• Accurately identify at-risk students and learning gaps in key skill areas.
• Monitor and report individual and group growth, and group students based on instructional need.
• Support dual-discrepancy and special ed evaluations.
• Identify students at risk for not meeting end-of-year grade level targets.
• Quickly evaluate the effectiveness of interventions for individuals and groups.

Areas of Assessment

aimswebPlus helps to evaluate a wide range of needs for students such as reading letters, alphabetic principle, phonics, listening comprehension, vocabulary, phonics skills, oral reading, and spelling. These tasks are categorized into benchmarking and progress monitoring measures within literacy, including:

Does this screening tool meet the criteria for Universal Screening recommendations from the Ontario Human Rights Commission’s Right to Read Inquiry?

The reports suggests using a reliable, valid screener for grades K-2, twice a year. It suggests that the measures be grade specific and that they should observe the following criteria:

• Kindergarten: letter knowledge and phonemic awareness
• Grade 1 (beginning): phonemic awareness, decoding, word identification and text reading
• Grade 1 (second semester): decoding, word identification
• and text reading, and should include speed as well as accuracy as an outcome
• Grade 2: timed word reading and passage reading

Based on this information, aimswebplus is a tool that may be considered.

What is the difference between aimswebPlus and aimswebPlus Canadian Edition?

aimswebPlus can be used for K-8 (and up to grade 12 using grade 8 norms) for both reading and math. aimswebPlus Canadian Edition for literacy and reading has all the functionality of aimswebPlus, as well as:

• Relevant Canadian content for grades K-2
• Canadian spelling for grades K-2
• Software and data resides on servers in Canada

Is this screening tool digital or paper-pencil?

aimswebPlus is exclusively a digital platform. Should you wish to use paper/pencil administration, however, stimulus books for select measures —housed within the digital platform—are downloadable and may be printed.

Are interventions embedded in the aimswebPlus platform? How can the platform be used to measure an intervention’s impact?

Interventions are not embedded in the aimswebPlus platform. aimswebPlus can be layered into existing interventions, strategies and processes that districts/schools already have in place, however, and can monitor their effectiveness. Because aimswebPlus’ measures are designed with sensitivity to detect change, the scores reflect progress that can occur over relatively short intervals. The progress monitoring functionality in aimswebPlus allows you to determine if your interventions are effective, or if adjustments are required. Progress monitoring enables more frequent assessment to track individualized rate of improvement, and documents each student’s response to instructional changes. Curriculum-based measures that are used for progress monitoring are quick to administer, simple to score, and are regularly delivered to provide continuous student progress data.

Where does the normative data come from?

aimswebPlus is a US norm-referenced tool (similar to many widely-used assessments in Canada). With use of the aimswebPlus platform, users are able to create local norms over time—allowing for cultural and inclusive considerations.

What is the process for adding rosters?
Can individual teachers add classess as needed?

For large adoptions, Roster Imports are recommended to create the account structure (Districts, Schools, and Classes) by importing teachers and students, updating student demographics, and rostering students into classes to establish the records. For small adoptions, there is an option to manually add, edit, and delete Districts, Schools, Classes and Students, one by one, on individual screens. To maximize efficiency, it is our recommendaction to Roster Import even with smaller districts. Our technical team is available for support when needed.

Where is student data stored?

In accordance with PIPEDA, aimswebPlus Canadian Edition resides on Canadian servers located in Canada.

What is the research behind aimswebPlus and the development of the program?

aimswebPlus is a compilation of 20 years of research, reevaluation, and best practices. Our Technical and Development manuals are available on the platform; each measure is addressed in these resource manuals.
Designed by educational experts, aimswebPlus has undergone a stringent development and standardization process. The system uses proven, standards-based assessments to screen and monitor student performance with real-time data collection and on-demand reporting. Its secure, web-based system can be integrated with student information systems for ease of access. These assessments are built upon brief, valid, and reliable skill measures.

Are there screening tools that can be used for older students—those who may have been missed in younger grades, and struggling today? Will you expand to grade 12?

The screening tools can be used up to grade 12 for intensive support and for on-grade level forms and norms through grade 8. Students can be assigned a progress monitoring schedule for measures on- or off-grade level.

Is aimswebPlus Teacher-friendly?

Yes. aimswebPlus is teacher-driven for flexibility in instructional and assessment practices, and can be used to quickly screen and monitor student progress at any point. The regular use of this platform encourages quick and easy administration and accurate results.

How much does aimswebPlus cost? Does the cost of the tool include both literacy and numeracy screeners?

aimswebPlus is available as an annual per-student subscription for reading and/or math. For information about pricing, please see ordering information on PearsonClinical.ca, or feel free to contact an Assessment Consultant for your region.

Does aimswebPlus screen for Dyslexia?

Available as an optional add-on to aimswebPlus, the Shaywitz DyslexiaScreen puts the power of reliable and efficient dyslexia screenings directly into the hands of educators using the aimswebPlus platform.
Created by Dr. Sally Shaywitz—a global leader in dyslexia—the Shaywitz DyslexiaScreen emphasizes phonological, linguistic, and academic performance based on teacher observations providing an evidence-based, user-friendly observational rating scale for grades K–2. It is intended for mass screenings to sort students—those at risk and those not at risk for dyslexia— quickly. The data can be used to set direction for intervention and instructional planning for all students.
For information about options and pricing, please see the Ordering tab, or feel free to contact an Assessment Consultant for your region.