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This page explains the reading numbers hFlow shows on scheduled assessments, what you enter, what the app calculates, and how plain (single-passage) entry differs from median-based (three-passage) entry. For saving scores in the gradebook. See Assessments. For how tiers use these metrics. See Tiers.

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What you enter

For reading fluency screenings you record:
FieldMeaning
Total wordsWord count of the passage (or passage total on each MBA row).
ErrorsMiscues during the read (substitutions, omissions, etc.).
Time (seconds)How long the student read. On median-based entry, one time is shared across all three passages.
hFlow does not ask you to type accuracy or fluency directly, it derives them from these inputs whenever total words, errors, and time are present. Implied correct words means total words minus errors, never below zero. All formulas below start from that value.

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Plain (single-passage) assessments

A plain scheduled assessment is one row per period (BOY, MOY, or EOY): one passage, one set of totals.

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Accuracy

In plain words: Take implied correct words, divide by total words, multiply by 100, and round to the nearest whole percent. Formula: 
implied_correct = max(0, total_words − errors)
accuracy_pct    = round((implied_correct / total_words) × 100)
Example: 100 total words, 3 errors → implied correct = 97 → accuracy = 97%.

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Fluency (WCPM)

In plain words: Take implied correct words, divide by time in seconds, multiply by 60 to express a per-minute rate, and round to the nearest whole number (words correct per minute, often labeled WCPM). Formula: 
implied_correct = max(0, total_words − errors)
fluency_count   = round((implied_correct / total_time_seconds) × 60)
Example: 100 total words, 3 errors, 60 seconds → (97 ÷ 60) × 60 → 97 WCPM. If time is missing or zero, fluency is left blank. Accuracy still calculates when total words and errors are present.

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Median-based assessments (MBA)

Some programs record three passages for the same period (aligned with DIBELS-style median scoring). In hFlow this is median-based assessment (MBA): three rows with Passage 1, Passage 2, and Passage 3, sharing one time value. There is no separate “overall” row in the database. Summaries on the gradebook, student cards, and reports show one combined line built from the three passages.

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How the median is taken

For each passage, implied correct = total_words − errors (not below zero). The app then takes the middle value when the three passage results are sorted:
  • Median correct: median of the three implied-correct counts (independent median).
  • Median errors: median of the three error counts (independent median).
Implied total for display = median correct + median errors. That sum is used as the denominator for accuracy; it is not always the same as the median of the three total-word counts.

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MBA accuracy

In plain words: Divide median correct by implied total, multiply by 100, and round to the nearest whole percent. Formula: 
median_correct = median(implied_correct₁, implied_correct₂, implied_correct₃)
median_errors  = median(errors₁, errors₂, errors₃)
implied_total  = median_correct + median_errors
accuracy_pct   = round((median_correct / implied_total) × 100)

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MBA fluency (WCPM)

In plain words: Divide median correct by the shared time in seconds, multiply by 60, and round to one decimal place on combined summaries (for example 97.3 WCPM). Each passage row still stores its own per-passage fluency as a whole number when you save. Formula: 
fluency (WCPM) = round((median_correct / total_time_seconds) × 60, 1 decimal)
Use the same total_time_seconds you entered for the assessment (typically from passage 1).

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Reading tier from accuracy and fluency

Reading tier (Tier 1, Tier 2, Tier 3) is not a separate formula on your scores. After accuracy and fluency are known, hFlow compares each metric to your organization’s tier rules for that school year, grade, language, and period. The higher tier number (more support) from the two comparisons is the tier shown when both metrics are used. On median-based periods, tier pills on summary views follow the displayed median accuracy and median fluency. See Tiers for roster behavior when multiple passages exist.

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Other language metrics on the same form

Scheduled assessments can also include reading comprehension, listening / speech / writing comprehension, and ACTFL levels (1–9). Those fields are not derived from total words, errors, or time.
  • Grade-level overall averages the comprehension scores you entered (reading plus any filled listening, speech, or writing domains), using only domains that have a value, then rounds to a whole level (Below, Approaching, or At Grade). Details are on Assessments.
  • ACTFL overall (composite) is the average of the ACTFL levels you entered (each 1–9), rounded to one decimal. See ACTFL proficiency scale (overview).
  • Assessments: gradebook entry, CSV import, bulk save
  • Tiers: tier codes and display
  • Benchmarks: target accuracy and fluency on charts