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Understand and access uPar
uPar is a universal reading screener that helps determine whether text-to-speech can improve a student's access to and comprehension of grade-level text.
What uPar helps you determine
- How well a student comprehends text when using text-to-speech.
- How the student's independent reading compares with reading using a read-aloud accommodation.
- Whether a read-aloud accommodation may provide access, comprehension, or efficiency benefits.
Get into your account
1 Go to universalpar.com and sign in with your district account
2 Confirm that the students you need are connected to your account
3 If students are missing, add them manually or connect your Google Classroom roster when available
Quick Tip
Student access is separate
Students complete protocols at startpar.com. If you cannot add or connect students, contact your uPar license administrator to confirm educator and student access.
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Choose and prepare students
Use existing student information to identify learners who may benefit from a read-aloud accommodation, then prepare the environment so students can focus on the protocol.
Consider uPar when a student...
- Is reading below grade level or has an IEP reading goal
- Understands more when grade-level text is read aloud than when reading independently
- Already receives a read-aloud accommodation
- Needs significantly more time to read, affecting engagement or task completion
Before students begin
- Schedule about 20–30 minutes in a low-distraction setting
- Provide a device and headphones for each student
- Explain that uPar is not a test; it helps identify how they understand text best
- Let students know they can take breaks and can save and return if needed
Student Management
Adding and Removing Students
This video walks educators through how to quickly set up their profiles by adding or removing student data so they can access student reports.
Quick Tip
Preview the student experience
Educators can use startpar.com to preview a simulated student protocol. Simulated protocols do not report data.
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Administer the protocol
The initial full protocol compares comprehension with text-to-speech and independent reading to establish an Accommodation Level and an Independent Level.
Student protocol flow
- Students sign in at startpar.com
- Students choose playback settings, test the sound, and confirm their grade level
- Students choose a passage and begin with text-to-speech
- After each passage, students answer comprehension questions. uPar adjusts passage levels based on performance
- Students then complete independent reading so uPar can compare comprehension and reading efficiency
Protocol Administration
Administration Steps
This video guides educators through essential preparation steps to ensure a smooth, distraction-free assessment environment that allows students to give their best performance.
Quick Tip
Support without coaching answers
Observe attention, engagement, frustration, and other behaviors that may affect results. If a student becomes fatigued or frustrated, use an appropriate stopping point and continue later.
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Review results and recommendations
Use the Report Dashboard and individual student reports to understand protocol results and the recommended role of a read-aloud accommodation.
Focus on these results
- Accommodation Level
Comprehension level when using text-to-speech. - Independent Level
Comprehension level when reading silently - Accommodation Recommendation
Whether text-to-speech provides a meaningful benefit - Protocol History
Initial, full/do over, quick check, current, and previous results when available
Recommendation categories
Protocol Results | Recommendation |
|---|---|
Accommodate | Text-to-speech provides a meaningful benefit |
Accommodate & Intervene | Text-to-speech helps, but additional intervention may be needed |
No Benefit | Text-to-speech is not beneficial at this time |
Independent Reader | The student reads independently at or above grade level |
Protocol Results
Report Dashboard
This video introduces educators to the features and tools available in the uPar educator reporting dashboard. Designed to help streamline teaching and provide data-driven insights, the dashboard shows how text-to-speech accommodations can benefit individual students.
Quick Tip
Use uPar as one source of evidence
uPar is not intended to be a stand-alone comprehension screener. Consider results alongside other student data and diagnostic information.
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Respond and monitor
Turn uPar results into a practical plan for student access, then revisit the data when progress or changing needs warrant another check.
After the protocol
- Review results with the student and explain the reading conditions that supported comprehension
- Demonstrate the text-to-speech tools available at school and where students can access digital materials
- Plan when the student should use read-aloud support based on the task, objective, and needs
- Normalize appropriate use of reading supports by embedding them into instruction
Progress monitoring options
Do Over / Full Protocol
- Repeat the full protocol when updated independent and accommodation levels are needed
Quick Check
- A shorter protocol that begins above the student's previous successful accommodation level and can help monitor access to more complex text
Quick Tip
Implement Read&Write to support students
Read&Write is a literacy support tool that offers read-aloud features to support reading accommodations recommended by uPar.
Read&Write literacy features that support read-aloud accommodations:
- Support all readers with word identification and comprehension as text is read aloud with dual-color highlighting
- Hover over text on a webpage to initiate the read-aloud feature, one word or sentence at a time
- Convert text embedded within pictures, diagrams, charts, maps, etc., into accessible text that is read aloud
- Convert text to an MP3 audio file that can be saved or shared for future use on any mobile audio device
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