Chapter 2: Reading Assessment

Question 1

List the three primary purposes of reading assessment

Answer 1

The three types of assessments each serve a different purpose:

(a) entry-level assessments: diagnose students’ level of mastery prior to instruction
(b) monitoring of progress assessments: determine the progress students are making during instruction. individual and classroom level. informal notes/observations as well.
(c) summative assessments: determine the level of student achievement after instruction has ended - to standard. allows teachers to see if student is transferring skills to new materials.

Question 2

Describe alternative assessments for students with an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or a Section 504 Plan

Answer 2

Children with disabilities need differentiated assessments that have been adjusted to fit their disability:

1. More Time
2. Divide Assessment into Smaller Units: spread over two days
3. Change the Mode of Delivery: oral vs written , one on one,
4. Practice Assessments: small groups, provide feedback along the way
5. Simpler Version of the Assessment: something at their reading level, teacher would note it was not met with grade level materials.

Question 3

Define two quality indicators that apply to standardized assessments and describe how to define and interpret norm-referenced results of standardized tests.

Answer 3

Quality indicators that apply to Standardized Assessments:

1. Reliability - scores of Form A vs Form B are identical
2. Validity - can know answer based on background knowledge vs comprehending reading passage, not similar to first graders normal passages (do not include pictures)

Define and Interpret Results of Standardized Tests:

1. Percentile Scores - 75% means better than 75% of sampling group
2. Grade Equivalent Scores - score 6.3 scored as a sixth grader three months in school.
3. Stanine Scores - 9 point scale. 5 is average. 1 bottom. 9 is top.

Question 4

Describe how to interpret and use assessment results

Answer 4

In a standards-based curriculum, as we have in California, our assessments should tell us the progress of each student toward meeting a reading/language arts standard.

Reach conclusion about which students are meeting which standards. Individual profiles vs Class Profile.

Inconsistent Results - test needs to be re-administered to assure mastery.

Question 5

Define the criteria for determining students’ independent, instructional, and frustration reading levels

Answer 5

Important! Be sure you can define both the process and the criteria for determining a child’s reading level.
Determine Reading Levels You MUST: (a) percentage of words the child read aloud correctly and (b) the percentage of comprehension questions the child answered correctly

Independent - can be read without assistance. prosody. accurate. rate. 95% or more words correctly, 90% or more comprehension

Instructional - read and understood with help from teacher. read aloud 90% or more words correctly 60% comprehension correctly

Frustration Level - cannot be read or understood by child. Can listen and understand the information. Cannot correctly read aloud at least 90% of words or 60% of comprehension questions.

Question 6

Describe how the communicate assessment results to students, parents/guardians, and school/district personnel.

Answer 6

I recommend that you do not spend time studying this information.

Daily/Weekly progress
Conferences
Summaries of Student Achievement of Standards
Emails/Phone Calls

Question 7

2.1 I+I strategy for reluctant readers

Answer 7

I+I Strategy - Interesting books at the students’ independent reading level

Question 8

2.2 How to assess student independent reading.

Answer 8

Individual Conferences: take notes during and after. Discuss what the child has read, child find new books, work on a skill or strategy the child has not mastered,

Question 9

3.1 Define entry-level Assessment

Answer 9

Entry-level Assessment - implemented prior to instruction to determine which students possess prerequisite skills and knowledge, which have already mastered

Question 10

3.1 Define Progress-monitoring Assessment

Answer 10

Progress-Monitoring Assessment - during an instructional unit. Which students are making adequate progress towards achieving the target standard.

Question 11

3.1 Define Summative Assessment

Answer 11

Summative Assessment - at end of unit, determines which students have achieved the target standard

Question 12

3.2 How to differentiate of students with an IEP or Section 504 Plan

Answer 12

1. Break into smaller units

2. Provide practice assessment

Question 13

3.3 Contents and purpose of an IRI

Answer 13

An informal reading inventory is a collection of assessments administered individually to students, based on reading level.

Generally include:
Word recognition lists
Graded reading passages
Reading interest survey
Assessments measuring concepts about print
Phonemic awareness assessments
Phonics assessments
Assessments of reading fluency
Structural analysis assessments
Vocabulary assessments

Question 14

3.4 Criteria to determine frustrational, instructional, and independent reading levels.

Answer 14

Independent - 95% words correct and 90% comprehension correct
Instructional -90% words correct at least 60% comprehension
Frustrational - cannot correctly read 90% nor 60% comprehension

Question 15

3.5 Purposes of standards-based individual profiles and group profiles.

Answer 15

Individual Profile - small groups you need to pull to get them to master standards
Class Profiles - reteaching whole class in a different way