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SDLA Compliance Resource

Give Families K–2 Screening Results and Interpretation Within 45 Calendar Days

A family communication that reports the result, explains uncertainty and limits, identifies next instructional steps, and connects concerns to support without diagnosing.

  • K–2 Reading
  • Results Notice
  • 45 Days
Date(s)As soon as practicable and no later than 45 calendar days after screening
Applies toParents/guardians of each screened kindergarten through grade two pupil

In Plain Language: Provide the result with a plain-language interpretation and next steps within 45 calendar days. Explain that the screener identifies possible risk; it does not diagnose dyslexia or determine special education eligibility.

Why this matters

A score without context can alarm families or falsely reassure them. The notice should connect evidence to instruction, monitoring, and a clear contact while preserving separate evaluation duties.

Joint ownership

Owner: screening coordinator/teacher. Partners: parent, reading specialist, multilingual staff, special education, and student support team.

From a screening result to a family notice within 45 days: the SDLA ITO workflow

The notice explains the result's uncertainty and limits and points to next instructional steps. This SDLA ITO (Input, Transformation, Output) graphic shows how the administration date, the validated score report, and the tool's guidance become the validated score report, the interpretation notice, and the delivery and follow-up record.

SDLA ITO: eleven steps from the administration date, the validated score report, and the tool's guidance, through calculating the deadline, validating, interpreting, and delivering in an accessible language, to the validated score report, the interpretation notice, and the delivery and follow-up record.
Read down each column, then move to the next: Input identifies what to collect; Transformation covers calculating the deadline, validating, interpreting, and delivering in an accessible language; Output covers the validated score report, the interpretation notice, and the delivery and follow-up record. Provide the result as soon as practicable and within 45 calendar days of screening.

Open the full-size workflow graphic

Operational workflow

  1. Calculate the 45-day result deadline from the administration date.
  2. Validate score/student match and interpret it using the adopted tool’s current guidance.
  3. Provide the result, risk meaning, limitations, instructional response, monitoring plan, and contact in an accessible language/mode.
  4. Document delivery and route significant concerns to instruction/support and, when warranted, separate evaluation processes.

From result to action

Validated result
Plain-language meaning
Instruction/support
Monitor and communicate
Separate referral when warranted

Evidence to retain

  • Administration and due dates
  • Validated score report
  • Interpretation/next-step notice
  • Translation/access and delivery proof
  • Support/referral follow-up

Official guidance and help

Source review completed August 30, 2026. Verify current federal and California law, CDE and test-contractor manuals, local board policy, adopted instruments, individual student circumstances, and live system status before acting.