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FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does ATLAS-PA cost?

ATLAS-PA is currently free for use by parents and educators.

How do I get a login key?

You can register to become a user on accesstoliteracy.com/assessment. There is no cost for registering at this time.

How do I interpret scores from ATLAS-PA?

Each child is given a scaled score to reflect their level of phonological awareness. This score has an average of 20 for 4-year-old children with typical development. See the technical manual for average scores across age groups. We also provide an interpretation of the score when it is presented after the ATLAS-PA is completed.

How do I decide if a child needs Basic, Basic+, or Enhanced support?

Basic support is used with children who have few behavioral issues and know some concepts associated with phonological awareness (e.g., understands the concept of rhyme). Most children will use Basic instructions.

Basic+ is for children who may not be familiar with phonological awareness. This module is also appropriate for children who need additional behavioral or cognitive supports to take the assessment. Children who use this level of support must still be fairly independent test takers, as ATLAS-PA will still be administered electronically without the assistance of a caregiver.

The Enhanced level of support is for children who need to take the assessment with the help of a caregiver. Children using this type of support benefit from individualized task presentation and may not be familiar with phonological awareness concepts. A caregiver must be present to use the Enhanced instructions associated with ATLAS-PA.

How do you use the demographic information that you collect?

The information that we collect from you will be used to update ATLAS-PA as needed and will not be shared with any third party entities.

Where can I find technical documentation?
Are there additional resources available?

If you are looking for ways to increase your student’s phonological awareness, check out the PASS curriculum by ATLAS-PA co-developer Gary Troia (https://www.attainmentcompany.com/pass).

The information for the adaptive algorithms for the letter names and letter sounds subtests were gathered from the following articles:

Piasta, S. B., Phillips, B. M., Williams, J. M., Bowles, R. P., & Anthony, J. L. (2016). Measuring young children’s alphabet knowledge: Development and validation of brief letter-sound knowledge assessments. The Elementary School Journal, 116(4), 523-548. https://doi.org/10.1086/686222

Tortorelli, L. S., Bowles, R. P., & Skibbe, L. E. (2017). Easy as AcHGzrjq: The Quick Letter Name Knowledge Assessment. The Reading Teacher71(2), 145-156. https://doi.org/10.1002/trtr.1608

Can a child take ATLAS-PA more than once?

Yes, absolutely! The ID number that ATLAS-PA gives you the first time you use the assessment can be used again to monitor children’s progress over time. ATLAS-PA can be taken multiple times during the school year.