ReadBasixFrequently Asked Questions
The ReadBasix™ assessment is composed of six subtests that assess reading skills in:
Yes. Capti ReadBasix™ is the modern version of RISE / SARA.
RISE / SARA are the original names of ReadBasix. RISE / SARA was shown to predict state reading scores and performance on other standardized measures of reading comprehension. This research has been used to identify students who are likely below proficient on a state test. For more details, refer to the SARA/RISE technical report.
ReadBasix™ was developed by ETS (Educational Testing Service), a world leader in assessment development. Learn more about the science behind it.
ReadBasix™ was created by researchers while working on the Reading for Understanding(RfU) Initiative by the Institute of Education Sciences (U.S. Department of Education). The latest Science of Reading includes research from a variety of interdisciplinary fields including Cognitive Psychology, Communication Sciences, Developmental Psychology, Education, Special Education, Implementation Science, Linguistics, Neuroscience, and School Psychology. A team of experts led by Dr. John Sabatini, a world-renowned reading researcher, developed the assessment based on the Science of Reading principles. This assessment measures key foundational reading skills derived from the Science of Reading literature, which allows educators to effectively identify areas where learners struggle. Since teachers can pinpoint the areas of need, they help students overcome reading deficiencies, and make the U.S. education system better prepared for the 21st century. Learn more about the science behind ReadBasix™.
ReadBasix aligns with the CCSS for foundational reading skills, language standards, and the college and career readiness anchor standards for reading. The foundational reading skills standards cover constructs related to ReadBasix including decoding, word recognition, fluency, and morphology. ReadBasix augments the standards by measuring the five foundational skills beyond grade 5 (where the foundational reading skills in the CCSS end). Failure to measure foundational skills beyond grade 5 may limit the detection of key sources of reading issues. ReadBasix can assist educators in determining sources of reading difficulties with students in grades 6-12 where foundational reading skill standards are assumed to be fully developed, and therefore not addressed.
Language standards cover constructs related to vocabulary and sentence processing, which are focused on in the CCSS from grades 3-12. ReadBasix specifically measures the language standards aligned with choosing words and phrases for effect (i.e., L.3.3a., L.4.3a.) and pronoun use (i.e., L.6.1c., L.6.1d.).
The college and career readiness anchor standards for reading cover constructs related to ReadBasix's comprehension subtest. Specifically, the reading comprehension subtest measures CCSS anchor standards 1, 2, and 4 related to reading closely, determining central ideas, and interpreting words and phrases used within a text.
Given that the assessment is aligned with standards, it does show progress with the skills addressed in the standards. Each subtest uniquely demonstrates progress on various standards. The list below shows an overview of the connection between each subtest and its aligned standards.
Students in grades 3-12 can complete the ReadBasix™ assessment. ReadBasix™ does not have data on students below grade 3. ReadBasix™ is not recommended for students who do not have beginner decoding skills required to complete, at least, the Word Recognition and Decoding subtest.
ReadBasix™ has three levels of difficulty (low, medium, high) that roughly align with elementary, middle, and high school level. ReadBasix™ automatically personalizes the difficulty of each subtest for every student based on their previous performance.
ReadBasix™ works well for identifying strengths and weaknesses in foundational reading skills for students learning English as an additional language.
No, the ReadBasix™ assessment is only available in English. Be the first to find out when ReadBasix becomes available in Spanish.
No, the ReadBasix™ assessment is only available for educational institutions. Be the first to find out when ReadBasix becomes available to consumers
SERP Institute’s STARI — an amazing reading-based intervention for middle schools — has been aligned and validated with ReadBasix.
Currently, there are no interventions directly integrated with the ReadBasix™ assessment; however, Capti is developing Capti Advance, a cutting-edge intervention that will tailor questions to students based on their ReadBasix™ scores. Capti Advance will allow teachers to import any content to create intervention exercises. Be the first to find out when an intervention gets integrated.
The scaled score is a representation of the total number of correct answers a student has provided that has been converted onto a consistent and standardized scale. Each subtest provides a score between 190 to 310. There are four bands of scores: strong performance (265-310), high average performance (250-264), low average performance (236-249), and weak performance (190-235).
Scores are computed based on a statistical algorithm grounded in state-of-the-art research on reading science and item response theory. The algorithm considers the pattern of correctly answered items and various item statistics. This approach places all scores across all grades on a common scale such that they can be directly compared. The percentiles are based on a weighted national sample of students and the associated score distributions at each grade level.
The ReadBasix™ assessment scores are vertically scaled to allow for seamless cross-grade score comparisons. Additionally, the scores are nationally-normed to provide a grade-level percentile and students’ grade equivalent score for each skill.
Yes, a Lexile score is computed based on the results from 3 ReadBasix subtests: sentence processing, efficiency, and reading comprehension.
By default, students are recommended RTI Tier 1 if their score is above the 25th percentile; RTI Tier 2 is recommended if the score is above the 10th percentile but below Tier 1; and RTI Tier 3 is recommended in all other cases. However, Organization account members with the Administrator role can customize the thresholds for the RTI tiers to better represent the class/school.
The ReadBasix™ assessment provides data for each subtest students complete. The results indicate strengths and weaknesses in each foundational skill. Class-wide data illuminates the trends across a group of students, which allows for small groups to be formed for targeted reading interventions based on the identification of weaker skills.
Additionally, response to intervention (RTI) tier recommendations are provided to help with the instructional decision making process. For instance, when a student scores above the 25th percentile, the recommendation is for the student to receive tier 1 instruction, whereas when a student scores below the 10th percentile on a reading skill, the recommendation is for the student to receive tier 3 support.
Data can also be used to measure progress students make over the course of the school year by having students complete all subtests three times a year. Data from the assessment can help determine whether or not the student requires further evaluation for reading difficulties.
Capti has strict safeguards in place to protect the confidentiality of personally identifiable student data. Capti is compliant with FERPA, COPPA, and NY2D Law. At Capti, all assessment data is stored on AWS servers. AWS encrypts all Capti data volumes with a data key using the industry-standard AES-256 algorithm. It should be noted that personally identifiable student data is not required to use and administer ReadBasix, students can be rostered anonymously.
For implementation, please see an Implementation Plan Example.
The ReadBasix™ assessment can be taken one subtest at a time, all subtests at once, or in any combination. Each subtest, except for the basic reading comprehension, takes about 7-9 minutes to complete, counting the time to read the instructions and complete a few practice questions. The basic reading comprehension subtest takes 20-30 minutes on average. All subtests together take approximately 45-75 minutes to complete, depending on the student. However, focusing on the specific skills of interest, can significantly reduce the assessment time.
It is recommended that students complete the ReadBasix™ assessment at the beginning of the year for screening purposes. Then, each subtest should be administered two more times (a total of three times) during the year to measure progress. Additionally, you can administer specific subtests every six to eight weeks to measure progress from targeted interventions.
ReadBasix™ is a universally accessible assessment. All you need is access to the Internet and a browser (e.g., Edge, Safari, Chrome, Firefox) to take the assessment. ReadBasix™ can be taken on any device that has internet access, such as a PC, Mac, Chromebook, or tablet.
No, the ReadBasix™ assessment requires Internet connection.
We offer both basic product training and Professional development (PD). Product training helps teachers and administrators to learn the basics of ReadBasix. Training sessions are free and are personalized to your needs. Training lasts 30-90 minutes depending on the goals and needs of your organization.
Professional Development (PD) is typically done in three-hour live sessions remotely. PD covers the science of reading, foundational skills, and goes in-depth on who, when, and why to assess. While PD is optional, it is highly recommended as it trains educators on how to use Capti efficiently and become more effective at evaluating foundational skills. PD is offered at an additional cost.
Currently, most PD sessions are delivered remotely. PD can be delivered in person in exceptional circumstances.
No, you must create a new assessment. However, you can look at the student’s report to determine which subtests the student may have rushed through. Then, you can retest the student on just those subtests.
No, the ReadBasix™ assessment is not available for home use; however, if you are interested in using ReadBasix with your child at home, be the first to find out when ReadBasix becomes available to consumers.
The ReadBasix™ assessment does not collect any personal identifiable information (PII).
Capti ReadBasix™ is priced using a tiered model for multi-license accounts, making it a cost-effective solution for schools and districts of all sizes. To receive a customized quote, please contact us at sales@capti.com or call 888-533-7884 (Ext. 2).
You may purchase as many, or as few ReadBasix™ licenses as you wish, though the minimum requirement is 10 licenses.
Capti ReadBasix™ is available as a one-year subscription, with multi-year options also available. Each account includes a set number of student licenses that can be rostered at any time during the subscription period. There are no limits on test administrations—students may be assessed as often as needed. For example, with 100 licenses, you can have up to 100 students active in your account at once.
We provide training, customer support, and documentation free of charge for all our clients. PD is offered an additional cost.