Keeping up with literacy requirements can feel like juggling three things at once: doing the right work for students, documenting it clearly, and reporting it correctly. Washington’s updated June 2024 dyslexia guidance is meant to make expectations clearer—especially for early literacy screening and support in grades K–2.
This post breaks down the implementation requirements (what to do) and the reporting requirements (what to capture and submit), with plain-language explanations you can share with your student support teams.
First: What the Law Requires (Implementation)
In accordance with RCW 28A.320.260, Local Education Agencies (LEAs) must use a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) to address early literacy needs. The focus is on catching reading difficulties early, including indicators commonly associated with dyslexia.
LEAs must do three key things using MTSS
- Screen students in grades K–2 for indications of below-grade level literacy development, including indications of or areas of weakness associated with dyslexia.
- Provide evidence-based multisensory structured literacy interventions to K–2 students who show indications of below-grade level literacy development, including dyslexia-related weaknesses.
- Communicate and collaborate with parents and families about screening results, the intervention plan, and the student’s literacy progress.
In other words: screen early, intervene with proven methods, and keep families informed throughout the process.
A note about tools and resources
LEAs may use tools and resources recommended by the Dyslexia Advisory Council to meet the law’s expectations. There’s also an important funding detail: LEAs must use the recommended screening tools if they want to use a portion of LAP base funds to purchase screening tools and related professional development.
If your district is considering new screeners or training purchases, it’s worth confirming whether the tools align with those recommendations before committing funds.
Next: What Schools Must Report (Reporting Requirements)
Doing the work is step one. Step two is capturing the right information so the state can understand what’s happening across districts—and so your district can show it met requirements.
LEAs will capture information about:
- Which students were screened
- Which interventions were provided (when students are identified as at risk)
This information is typically recorded in the district’s student information system (for example, Skyward or PowerSchool). From there, it is included in district submissions to CEDARS and populated in the CEDARS Student Supports File (V).
Important connection: File V must match other student files
Students reported in Student Supports File (V) must also be reported in:
- District Student File (B)
- School Student File (C)
Students are reported in File (V) each year they are screened. That means this is not a “one-and-done” reporting event—if a student is screened again in a later year, they are reported again for that year’s screening.
Deadline reminder
The guidance states that this information needs to be finalized in CEDARS by June 28, 2024.
CEDARS Student Supports File (V): The Fields That Matter for Dyslexia Screening
The guidance highlights elements V01–V10 in the Student Supports File (V). Below is a practical walkthrough of what each element means in the context of dyslexia screening and early literacy support.
- V01 School Year
- V02 Serving County District Code
- V03 District Student ID
- V04 State Student ID (SSID)
- V05 Location ID
These fields identify the student, district, location, and reporting year. The next fields are where the dyslexia screening details come in.
V06 Support Code (Use the Dyslexia Value)
V06 Support Code indicates the support category that a student was screened for and/or identified as at-risk. For this specific screening requirement, the guidance states to use:
- Option (valid value) 1: dyslexia
This is the anchor that tells CEDARS the record is tied to dyslexia-related early literacy screening.
V07 Identification Assessment (Which Screener Was Used)
V07 Identification Assessment indicates the initial screener used to determine eligibility for state-assigned support (here, early screening for indicators of dyslexia). Options listed include:
- 4 – Illuminate – PALS
- 5 – I-Station
- 8 – University of Oregon – DIBELS 8th edition
- 9 – Other Assessment
- 10 – Acadience – Reading K-6
- 11 – aimswebPlus
- 12 – Amira
- 13 – Fastbridge Learning
- 14 – Gander
- 15 – i-Ready
- 16 – MAP Reading
- 17 – mCLASS
- 18 – Renaissance
- 19 – Not screened with an assessment
If your district uses a screener not listed by name, “Other Assessment” may apply, but it’s a good idea to align internally on when that code is used so reporting stays consistent across schools.
V08 Identification Assessment Date (When Screening Began)
V08 Identification Assessment Date is the date the screening process began for indicators of dyslexia. The required format is:
- MM/DD/YYYY
This is a small detail that can create big reporting headaches if formats vary, so it helps to standardize data entry or ensure your SIS exports the date correctly.
V09 Support Determination (The Screening Outcome)
V09 Support Determination indicates the outcome of the screening process based on the assessment vendor’s criteria. The options are:
- 1 – Screened, not at risk
- 2 – Screened, at risk
- 3 – Not screened, at risk
- 4 – Multilingual learner, risk unknown
These codes are especially important because they connect screening results to next steps. If a student is “at risk,” the expectation is that supports and interventions follow—and that those interventions are captured in V10.
When should code 4 (“Multilingual learner, risk unknown”) be used?
The guidance provides specific direction. All eligible multilingual/English learners must be included in literacy screening except during their first four months of U.S. schooling.
Code 4 may be appropriate for:
- Newcomers in their first four months of U.S. schooling
- Most eligible multilingual learners with an overall score below 2.0 on the WIDA Screener or WIDA ACCESS
- Some students scoring between 2.0 and 4.0 on WIDA if English screening data alone does not allow the team to distinguish between language acquisition and reading difficulties
The guidance encourages teams to consider:
- Time in U.S. schools
- Oral language level
- Rate of progress
Multilingual learners may also be coded as “at risk” if the team has reasonable concerns based on these data and related factors.
V10 Interventions Used (What Support Was Provided)
V10 Interventions Used indicates all interventions provided to the student if they are determined to be at risk. The guidance points districts to the table of valid values in Appendix AH in the CEDARS Appendices (School Year 2022–2023).
Practically speaking, this means teams should be ready to answer:
- Which structured literacy interventions were provided?
- When did they start?
- Were they delivered as Tier 2, Tier 3, or another MTSS support level?
- Are the interventions evidence-based and multisensory, as required?
How TinyEYE Can Support Schools (Without Adding More Work)
At TinyEYE, we provide online therapy services to schools, and we understand that MTSS success depends on consistent service delivery, strong documentation, and clear collaboration with school teams and families.
While screening and CEDARS reporting are district responsibilities, online service partners can help by supporting the broader system around the student, including:
- Collaboration with educators to align goals and support plans within MTSS
- Family-friendly communication practices that help caregivers understand services and progress
- Consistent service delivery that supports student progress monitoring and intervention integrity
The big takeaway: when implementation and documentation are built into everyday routines, reporting becomes far less stressful at the end of the year.
Need Help or Have Questions? Here Are the Official Contacts
If your team has questions about the implementation and reporting requirements, the guidance recommends reaching out to:
- dyslexia@k12.wa.us for implementation and reporting questions
- AskSI@k12.wa.us for technical issues related to reporting
For more information, please follow this link.
