(NOT the Official) DIBELS Clearinghouse

April 2006
The Vermont Society for the Study of Education has published the nation's first critical look at DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills) titled, Examining DIBELS: What it is and What it Does.

The book's main contributor and editor is the nationally and internationally renowned reading authority Ken Goodman, Professor Emeritus from the Department of Language, Reading and Culture at the University of Arizona. Goodman is past president of the International Reading Association and the National Conference on Language and Literacy. Expertly evoking the DIBELS landscape, Goodman sees it as "a set of silly tests" that "misrepresent pupils" and "demean teachers." However, his ultimate depiction of DIBELS is as the "pedagogy of the absurd."

This site, sponsored by the Vermont Society for the Study of Education (VSSE), offers information and opinion about DIBELS. We come not to praise DIBELS.

• We welcome comments and contributions.
• Educators and parents: We welcome first-hand accounts of how DIBELS has impacted children's lives.
• We welcome research, classroom and university.
• We welcome examples of how DIBELS drives homework and curriculum.
• We welcome examples of media coverage of the DIBELS mandate.
• We welcome material on all DIBELS matters not mentioned above.

The website Borderland has this provocative entry, with comments, on DIBELS.

It’s snake oil time. I started to write this last month when I heard they’d be coming around again, but I couldn’t find the link to the DIBELS homepage. Thanks to Doug Johnson for pointing the way. Things are more interesting today. This morning I read Doug’s call for more testing.

Doug also recently posted a link to a post written by Ken Goodman on a mailing list at Stephen Krashen’s site, which I’m now subscribed to. Professor Goodman wrote sarcastically about the power of the DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills). He said that DIBELS is the perfect test in the same sense that Katrina might have been the perfect storm. Since both of these links (to Goodman/Krashen and the call for more testing) point to opposite points on the testing compass, I should probably quit here and let them cancel each other out. But I wanted to say something about DIBELS.

As I finish the preliminary work in my first year of my Master's program I am taking a break from writing to send you a note.

The final paper for my pilot action research project is entitled "What's Wrong With DIBELS?" (everything). I wanted to write and thank you. I have cited you countless times and used so much information from your website. You are an inspiration and a champion for children.

I also wanted to let you know that my kindergarten class will be performing for the Parent Teacher Organization meeting next month. We are singing Stuart Stotts' "So Many Ways to Be Smart" from the No Child Left Behind - Bring Back the Joy CD. In the final verse Stuart sings "some folks are good at doing their best, though it's hard to measure on a standardized test" - the choreography for that verse is sixteen kindergarteners ripping a DIBELS test recording form! Ay yay yay!

We need your contributions: Send in your experiences with DIBELS.

Use the Feedback form.

Kotin, Crabtree & Strong, LLP
Attorneys at Law
One Bowdoin Square
Boston, Massachusetts

December 1, 2005

Sid Glassner, Executive Director
The Vermont Society for the Study of Education, Inc.
P. O. Box 186
Brandon, VT 65733-0186

By Express Mail

Re: Infringement of DIBELS Trademark

This firm represents Sopris West Educational Services, Inc. ("Sopris West"), of Longmont, Colorado, exclusive publisher of DIBELS materials under license from Dynamic Measurement Group, Inc. ("DMG"), of Eugene, Oregon. We are authorized to act in this matter by DMB as well as by Sopris West.