Introducing PALS Plus: Literacy Assessment Expands to Include Grades 4-8

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va., Aug. 25, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The Phonological Awareness Literacy Screening (PALS) is expanding. PALS Marketplace, a division of CaseNEX, LLC proudly announces PALS Plus, an extension of the original PALS 1-3 assessment that includes literacy screening and diagnosis through grade eight. PALS Plus can be used as a screening tool to identify students at risk of reading difficulties from first grade through eighth grade and also as a diagnostic tool to provide teachers with explicit information about fundamental literacy skills. After administering PALS Plus, teachers will know strengths and needs of all students as well as relevant information for planning differentiated instruction.

Also available are the PALS Online Score Entry & Reporting System and PALS Mobile Assessment Wizard app for iPad. The PALS Online System provides fast and efficient score entry, reports and data analysis, and access to mid-year assessment materials. Teachers, principals, and school division leaders have instant access to a variety of reports, grouping functions, progress monitoring tools, and electronic lesson plans.

The enhanced PALS Plus assessment will include all of the following for grades 1-8: word recognition in isolation word lists, spelling and phonics tasks to include an additional spelling features, oral reading in context passages with corresponding comprehension questions, and research-based established benchmarks for spring and fall.

CaseNEX CEO Marsha Gartland says, "We are excited for another new addition to the PALS product set, particularly for the opportunity to extend the reach of PALS into the upper elementary and middle grades with this comprehensive new offering."  In addition to PALS Plus, CaseNEX, LLC has also recently announced the new PALS espanol assessments for kindergarten and grades 1-3.

PALS Marketplace offers both training and support from literacy specialists for teachers using PALS, PALS espanol, and PALS Online Score Entry & Reporting System. The PALS Marketplace team of literacy specialists offer ongoing face-to-face and/or virtual professional development centered on applying student data effectively in order to target and differentiate instruction. Offerings cover a wide variety of literacy topics, including data analysis, data-driven instruction, and progress monitoring. PALS Marketplace will also tailor professional development to fit specific school division needs. Teachers and divisions leaders can contact the team daily via email and phone for live support, whether it be technical assistance, questions about orders, assessment administration, data analysis, or guidance in using data to drive instruction.

ABOUT PALS: PALS-PreK and PALS Plus were developed by Marcia Invernizzi, Ph.D., and colleagues at the University of Virginia's Curry School of Education in response to the Commonwealth of Virginia's Early Intervention Reading Initiative (EIRI). PALS is used for early identification and intervention in all 50 states, as well as many foreign countries. PALS has remained the universal screening tool for Virginia public schools for over 15 years and has been adopted by the state of Wisconsin as the state's universal screening tool for kindergarten through second grade students.

ABOUT PALS español: PALS español K and PALS español 1-3 were developed by Karen Ford, Ph.D., Marcia Invernizzi, Ph.D., and colleagues at the University of Virginia. The research for PALS español was funded by the United States Department of Education's Institute for Education Sciences (IES) grant and reviewed by an advisory board consisting of experts in bilingual literacy and native Spanish speakers from a variety of Spanish-speaking countries. Both assessments have been piloted and field-tested with thousands of students across the United States and show strong technical adequacy.

ABOUT CASENEX: As a leader in the education technology industry for over 15 years, CaseNEX is used in all 50 states and consists of two additional divisions: DataCation and PALS Marketplace. CaseNEX offers pioneering case method professional development along with an array of tools to help schools break down complex student data to inform and support instruction.

CONTACT: Anna Fox, 1-434-284-1609, [email protected]

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SOURCE CaseNEX, LLC