What’s New for PALS in 2020-2021?

New feature in the PALS Online System for deleting Quick Check scores

Entered Quick Checks scores for the wrong student or the wrong Quick Check number?  You now have the ability to delete those scores and then enter the correct scores in the correct place. If necessary, be sure to take a screenshot of the scores before you delete them if you need to then re-enter them for a different student or a different Quick Check number. Click here for instructions for deleting Quick Check scores.

The PALS / eduCLIMBER Automation feature is live for all shared customers!

All PALS districts who currently use both PALS and eduCLIMBER will now have their PALS assessment data uploaded nightly into the eduCLIMBER dashboard automatically, precluding the need for any manual upload. Viewing your PALS data as part of the whole-child view is now easier than ever!

New resources for navigating the COVID19 era

We’ve added the following resources so far, and will continue to develop more as we receive feedback about your needs and what’s working best for schools:

  • This page on the PALS Resource Center, which includes a link to “Using PALS in Fall 2020:  Alternative Scenarios and Options.”  This document has recently been updated.
  • A new tile in your PALS Online account, called COVID19 Resources, which provides:

    • materials and instructions to support remote administration of PALS tasks,
    • a description of the new Nonstandard-Remote option (see below)
    • links to pages about specific literacy skills,
    • new resources as we develop them throughout the year, and
    • links to surveys to determine your current and ongoing needs.
  • We have recently added materials to the COVID19 Resources tile to support schools administering PALS fall assessment task items remotely.  Materials are currently available on the COVID19 Resources tile for grades K-8 English assessments and Quick Checks. PreK materials, Spanish, and Mid-Year materials are now also available.
  • A new Nonstandard-Remote score entry designation has been added to the PALS Online System to help schools make the most of what administration methods and data are available during times when remote learning and assessment is required. This replaces the previous “None-Quarantine” disability option that was released earlier this year.
  • Look for updates to appear soon on the PALS Online login page and on the COVID19 Resources tile in your PALS Online account.

New column in data files for administrators

An update has been made to the downloadable .csv data files for PALS Plus (grades 1-8), which are available to administrators on both the district and school levels. 

  • You will now see a column that lists the name of a student’s Instructional Oral Reading Level, in addition to the column that contains the code for that level. 
  • The new column is labeled INSRLNM, or Instructional Level Name.

This new column will enable you to more easily identify the instructional levels of your students.  Teachers and reading specialists often use this data to determine what reading materials are most accessible to students when given instructional support.

PALS Instructional Resources easier viewing

Can’t remember what’s at the end of each link for the many resources provided on your Instructional Resources tile?  We’ve added an image of each PDF to the links available, so teachers and literacy coaches can find what they need quickly for planning effective instruction using current reading and spelling data.

PALS Progress Per Task report is now available to school administrators!

This report is now available for all grades for school-level users!  

From your School Home Page, click on the School Reports –> Assessment Results – Current Window –> PALS School Progress Per Task report.

This report provides a description of each task as well as the following data points where relevant, for each task, across all three PALS assessment windows– Fall, Mid-Year, and Spring.

Our order process just got easier!

You now have the option of signing your PALS Client Order using DocuSign!

Email us at support@palshelp.com to request the DocuSign option, in lieu of sending us a purchase order.

Coming soon:  PALS Quick Check Reports are getting a makeover!

The PALS Quick Check Class Report is being replaced by a new version for each skill that includes a description of the task, the maximum score, and each student’s score and the date administered for each progress monitoring checkpoint.  Check out the new reports currently available for Letter Sounds and K Spelling, and look for the new versions for other skills to be released soon!