Reading Assistant Plus Auto Initial Assignment

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This topic answers some frequently asked questions, then walks you through the process of using Auto Initial Assignment with your students.

About Auto Initial Assignment

What is Auto Initial Assignment?

The Auto Initial Assignment feature in mySciLEARN streamlines the student assignment process by quickly, efficiently, and accurately assessing the student and then automatically assigning Reading Assistant Plus and placing the student in the appropriate content and starting point.

Why use Auto Initial Assignment?

This easy-to-use assignment feature provides the following benefits:

Accelerates implementation. Because Auto Initial Assignment does not require any additional administration or assessment time beyond taking an RPI assessment, students can maximize their time on Reading Assistant Plus component use and other learning activities. In addition, staff members can spend more time with their students instead of manually analyzing assessments and performing assignment tasks.
Motivates students. Because students are immediately placed in the most appropriate library and starting point in Reading Assistant Plus, students spend less time on content that is too easy or too hard, resulting in enhanced motivation and maximized reading gains.

How does it work?

Auto Initial Assignment automates the entire assignment process for you. All you need to do is add the students to mySciLEARN and let the system do the rest:

First, it assesses the student’s reading level using Reading Progress Indicator (RPI).

If your student is new, RPI will administer an assessment.
If your student has previously taken an RPI assessment, it may use that assessment or administer a new one if that assessment is out of date.

Then it uses the student’s RPI score to create a custom library for that student:

The library includes content appropriate for the student’s reading level. For example, if RPI indicates a grade equivalent of 2.2, the library will include selections in the 300-499 Lexile range.
The library includes all genres, and will include High/Low selections if the student is in 6th grade or higher.
The library will be automatically updated when new content is released.
Instructors can change the library settings as needed, and can also publish the library if they like.

Finally, it assigns the Reading Assistant Plus component to the student and places the student at the beginning of their newly created library.

Why does it require Reading Progress Indicator?

Auto Initial Assignment uses RPI assessment scores to determine content placement. You must have Reading Progress Indicator enabled for the student to use it. See RPI assessments.

Can I use it for all of my Reading Assistant Plus students?

Pre-Kindergarten students and students who are already using Reading Assistant Plus cannot use Auto Initial Assignment. All other students are eligible to use it. See Troubleshoot Auto Initial Assignment if you have any issues.

Can I use it with the Fast ForWord components?

Auto Initial Assignment will not assign a Fast ForWord component; however, you can use Fast ForWord Auto Assign to automatically assign the Fast ForWord components. See Fast ForWord Auto Assign.

Why can’t I stop, delete, or edit assignments?

By design, Auto Initial Assignment removes the following assignment features from the student's profile:

Stop. The Stop Assignment feature is removed because Auto Initial Assignment does not allow you to stop the assignment. If you need to stop the assignment for a student, you’ll need to disable Auto Initial Assignment for that student. See Stop/delete Reading Assistant Plus assignments.
Delete. The Delete Assignment feature is removed because Auto Initial Assignment does not allow component deletions. If you need to delete a component for a student, you’ll need to temporarily disable it for that student. See Stop/delete Reading Assistant Plus assignments.
Edit. The Edit option in the Student Profile Assignments panel is not available until the student has been placed. See Edit Reading Assistant Plus assignments.

For more information see Getting started with students.

What if I want to create my own assignments?

If you no longer want to use Auto Initial Assignment, you can easily turn it off and create your own Reading Assistant Plus assignments. See Create Reading Assistant Plus assignments.

My student finished their library assignment. What happens now?

Auto Initial Assignment only performs the initial assignment and placement for a student. When a student finishes that content, you can assign more content to the student. See Advance to the next Reading Assistant Plus library.

I'm having problems, what can I do?

If you run into any issues see Troubleshoot Auto Initial Assignment.

Use Auto Initial Assignment

By default, mySciLEARN enables the Auto Initial Assignment feature at the school level. You can change the Auto Initial Assignment setting as follows:

Use the school level setting to automatically turn it on/off for all new students enrolled at your school (district/school managers only). See Set Auto Initial Assignment for a school (RA Plus only).
Use the student level setting to turn it on/off for an existing student or group of students at your school. This topic covers this task, along with some troubleshooting tips.

When Auto Initial Assignment is on for a student, the software evaluates the student’s eligibility and starts the auto assign process.

If the student is eligible for Auto Initial Assignment and does not have a Reading Assistant Plus assignment, the software will immediately start the auto assign process. Note that it only performs the initial assignment and placement for a student.
If the student is not eligible for Auto Initial Assignment, a notification message will appear. See Troubleshoot Auto Initial Assignment for details.
For schools using per student licenses, note that the software can only auto assign Reading Assistant Plus when a license is available. See Manage licenses for your students.
If you turn the feature off, you'll need to manually assign the component to the student. See Create Reading Assistant Plus assignments for steps. If you turn it back on, the feature will re-evaluate the student and assign Reading Assistant Plus accordingly.

Set Auto Initial Assignment for your students

In the mySciLEARN Manage section, click the Students tab to access the Students page.
Select the school in the Browse by School list, if needed.
Locate the students in the students list. See The students list.
Perform one of the following tasks to set the option:

For an individual student using the student’s profile:

Click a student’s name to open that student’s profile.
In the Auto Assign and Reading Progress Indicator section, click the Settings button.
Under Reading Assistant Plus Assignment Method, select the availability option you’d like to set for this student and click Apply.

To turn on, select Auto Initial Assign. RPI must also be enabled.
To turn off, select Manual Assign.

For one or more students using the students list:

In the Settings column, click the RA+ Auto Initial Assignment button (A) to turn it on or off.

On (green). RPI must also be enabled.
Off (gray)

For one or more students using the More Actions menu:

Select the checkbox next to the students, or select the All checkbox at the top of the students list to select all of the students on the screen.
From the More Actions menu, select the appropriate action and confirm it:

Turn RA Plus Auto Initial Assignment On
Turn RA Plus Auto Initial Assignment Off

Troubleshoot Auto Initial Assignment

If the software is unable to use Auto Initial Assignment for a student, it disables Auto Initial Assignment for that student and displays an error message at the top of the screen. Use the following table to help you correct the errors and then enable Auto Initial Assignment again for that student. If the problem persists, or you’d like help with this task, contact Carnegie Learning Customer Support for assistance.

Error	Details and solutions
Student is enrolled in grade PreK.	Students who are in Pre-Kindergarten cannot use RPI or Auto Initial Assignment, and it has been disabled for the student. To allow the student to use Auto Initial Assignment, you’ll need to change the student’s grade to K or higher, and then enable Auto Initial Assignment for the student. See Change the grade for students.
Student is already assigned the Reading Assistant Plus component.	Students who already have a Reading Assistant Plus assignment cannot use Auto Initial Assignment, and it has been turned off for the student. To use Auto Initial Assignment, you’ll need to stop the current assignment and then enable Auto Initial Assignment for the student. See Stop/delete Reading Assistant Plus assignments.
No license available.	The school is using per student licenses, and there are no more licenses available for this new assignment. Auto Initial Assignment has been disabled for the student. To correct the issue, you must free up or purchase a per student license, and then enable Auto Initial Assignment for the student. See Manage licenses for your students. Contact Carnegie Learning Customer Support if you have any questions.
Auto Initial Assignment could not be enabled because RPI is disabled for this student.	Students must have RPI enabled to use Auto Initial Assignment. Turn on RPI for the student and then enable Auto Initial Assignment for the student. See Set RPI access for students.
Cannot auto assign the student: the most recent RPI assessment is invalid. -or- This student cannot use Auto Assign. Please assign a component to this student manually.	The student answered all RPI questions incorrectly, which invalidated the assessment and turned off Auto Initial Assignment for the student. Students will see one of the following messages when trying to use the component: We were not able to assign your Reading Assistant Plus library. Ask your teacher for help. You have no assignments. Ask your teacher for help. To correct the issue, you can create an assignment manually or you can void the RPI assessment and turn Auto Initial Assignment back on for the student. Before turning the feature back on, however, you may want to investigate why the student failed the original assessment.