The North Carolina chapter of the International Dyslexia Association, a nonprofit dedicated to education and advocacy about dyslexia, has weighed in on the controversy surrounding the adoption of K-3 computer-based reading test Istation.

In a statement posted on its website and on social media, the group expressed concern over the assessment’s ability to “effectively identify students at risk of dyslexia” and suggested that LEAs will now need additional tools in order to screen students for dyslexia as required by state law.

Last week Superintendent Mark Johnson addressed the dyslexia issue in his denial of Amplify’s protest of the Istation contract award.  Johnson insisted that Istation’s “measures can confidently be used to screen for dyslexia,” but he added that state law “does not actually require the Read to Achieve tool to serve as a dyslexia screener for the state.” 

You can read NCIDA’s statement in its entirety below.