Read some of our frequently asked questions
What are the testing window dates for each benchmark period?
For the 2024-2025 school year, we have the following testing windows:
BOY (Beginning of Year) August 26, 2024 - December 8, 2024
MOY (Middle of Year) December 9, 2024- March 23, 2025
EOY (End of Year) March 24, 2025 - July 27, 2025
What if my student gets stuck during the practice items?
During the practice item(s) of each subtest, students are given feedback on their responses and if their answer is incorrect, they are asked to "try again." Some students might have difficulty choosing the correct item in order to advance.
If your student is stuck, this is a great place to provide your own feedback and practice. One option is to restate the instructions in your own words and model the practice item with your student.
Why does the robot freeze during the first oral response subtest?
Check out our Troubleshooting article for more information on changing your sound/microphone settings.
My student took too long to answer during an oral response subtest, or did not answer at all, and then received the next prompt. What should I do?
Keep in mind that the EarlyBird screener is recording student responses during the oral response subtests. If a student takes longer than 30 seconds to respond, the student will receive the next subtest item, even if they did not click on the green arrow.
Encourage your student to give a response and click the green arrow before the 30 second mark. If your student is still unsure, encourage the student to try their best, or simply click on the green arrow to proceed to the next item.
Why is my EarlyBird app showing me the spinning wheel icon?
Typically the spinning wheel icon occurs when there is not enough internet bandwidth to support the EarlyBird screener. First, check your internet bandwidth to make sure that the download speed is a minimum of 20 Mbps or higher and the upload speed is a minimum of 5 Mbps or higher.
Upload may be slow when recording a student's answer when internet bandwidth is diminished. Also, the internet speed may vary during the day – especially if there are surrounding classrooms using the internet.
Other possible fixes include restarting the EarlyBird app or deleting and reinstalling the app. If the problem persists, please contact our Support Team.
You can also read about our other technical requirements for iPads and Chromebooks/Chrome browser.
My student has a RAN score of 99th %ile, is this accurate?
In most cases, a score of 99th %ile for RAN is not accurate and means that the number of seconds entered into the Dashboard was incorrect. The RAN score represents how rapidly students named objects or letters compared to a national sample of peers. The score is determined by entering the amount of time (in seconds) that it took for the student to name all items presented. If a student makes more than 7 errors, the subtest is considered invalid. For more information on scoring the RAN subtest, visit our other articles with helpful video tutorials, or contact LiteracySupport@earlybirdeducation.com.
My student keeps losing his place during the RAN subtest. Can I track with my own finger to help the student?
Because we are assessing students' independent naming speed, we discourage administrators from tracking for the student or using other tracking tools during the subtest. This will ensure that we have accurate and valid RAN scores for each student. If, however, the student self-initiates in tracking, we do not need to stop them from doing this or discourage them from tracking on their own.
Can I assess a student over multiple days?
Yes! You can easily break up the assessment and administer the screener over two or more testing days, depending on your students' needs. The alternate administration model below demonstrates how this might look in the classroom. For Kindergarten students, we recommend completing most or all of the oral response subtests during the same testing session if possible, and providing oversight for the Object RAN subtest (polar bear).
