Features

The Bridge from Screening to Instruction

Root Compass is an evidence-based tool built upon the Science of Reading. While most schools utilize universal screening assessments to identify which students are at risk for reading difficulties, Root Compass is the diagnostic tool designed to follow those screeners and pinpoint exactly where support is needed within foundational literacy. Classroom teachers, interventionists, specialists, and school leaders can work from a shared student story without losing role-specific detail.

Read the Science & Methodology

How Root Compass works

Root Compass uses a pulse-to-precision approach so teams can move from broad literacy signals to more targeted instructional decisions without losing the student story.

Step 1

Pulse Screener

Start with a 3-part screener designed to show where a student's word-recognition system may be breaking down.

Step 2

Precision Diagnostics

Use 33 diagnostics to pinpoint the exact sub-skills and concepts that need support.

Step 3

Group for instruction

Turn data into action with instructional groups and team conversations grounded in actual student performance for classroom teachers and intervention teams.

Step 4

Monitor growth

Track student mastery over time using multiple forms that support valid progress monitoring and schoolwide planning.

What teams accomplish with Root Compass

  • Run Pulse Screener and follow-up diagnostics in one continuous student workflow.
  • Pinpoint the exact word-level and sub-skill gaps affecting each student's reading performance.
  • Use mastery and growth trends to adjust instruction before students fall further behind.
  • Build instructional groups from real skill data, not broad risk labels alone.
  • Connect decoding, spelling, and morphology evidence in a shared view for teachers and specialists.
  • Keep classroom, intervention, and leadership teams aligned on student next steps.

What you see in the platform

Root Compass is designed to help educators move from student assessment entry to usable reporting without losing instructional context.

Assessment view

See how student assessment sessions, including the Pulse Screener and follow-up diagnostics, are organized within a structured literacy workflow.

Reporting view

Review how skill mastery, growth, and grouping-oriented reporting can support clearer conversations about student next steps.

Who it's for

Root Compass supports the full literacy team, from daily classroom instruction to intervention planning and leadership visibility.

Classroom Teachers

See who needs reteaching, intervention, and progress checks in the flow of daily instruction.

Interventionists and Specialists

Use targeted diagnostic detail and progress data to plan and adjust support cycles.

School Leaders

Strengthen consistency in screening, follow-up diagnostics, and instructional routines across teams.

District Teams

Support aligned literacy practices across schools while preserving local instructional context.

What Root Compass measures

Root Compass is built to support systematic assessment across the foundational skills that drive accurate word reading and stronger literacy outcomes.

Foundational code knowledge

Assess alphabet knowledge, letter and number identification, letter-sound correspondence, and phonogram knowledge in one connected workflow.

Word-level precision

Identify gaps in irregular high-frequency words, syllable types, spelling concepts, and the morphophonemic patterns that shape reading.

Actionable reporting

Give teachers, specialists, and leaders a shared view of student skill needs, instructional groupings, and progress over time.

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