Why is assessment important?

Reading is a complex activity Teachers must know:

where skills break down how to address problems

Value of daily observations

Informal observations are useful, but should not be a teacher’s only form of assessment

Observations can supplement assessment, but not substitute for it — too unsystematic

Process of assessment across school year

Screening assessments identify kids who may have problems with language

Diagnostic tools give specific information to plan instruction

Progress monitoring gives teacher feedback on whether lessons and interventions are working

Outcome measures at the end of the year help us accumulate information across classrooms and schools

Assessing motivation

Raises teacher awareness about what motivates certain kids

Allows teacher to: identify areas of interest connect frustrated readers with books

that help them overcome a reluctance to read

Finding time for assessment

Myths: Assessment is very complicated Assessment is the job of special

educators or clinicians

Facts: Assessment can be quick and effective

with the right toolkit Assessment information is useful when

collected systematically

What makes a good assessment?

Goes beyond identifying the problem and gives specific information about what to do next

Can be informal and quick, as long as it is systematic

Gives teacher feedback about whether teaching practices are working

Timed assessments

It’s not a race! Tester’s job to make sure timing aspect is

de-emphasized

Timing keeps assessments efficient — high quality information in a short amount of time

Measures student’s level of confidence with particular skill Student may have knowledge of skill but

lack mastery, need additional practice All measured skills are steppingstones to

higher level skills, so fluency and mastery are important

Assessing students with learning disabilities

Distinguish between measures of time and power Are we looking at what the child knows, or how

quickly they can complete a task? Minimize impact of the disability Have a clear sense of the purpose of the

assessment When measuring comprehension, offer

multiple types of comprehension exercises. Don’t confuse poor decoding with poor comprehension skills!

Targeted error analysis Find strengths and identify how to support

learning

Video

Metzger Elementary School, Portland, OR

Tiered instruction approach Students with greater needs get higher

levels of intensity Monitor progress to track improvement

rate

The child is always right

Metzger school district basic belief: we must teach all children to read

Weekly monitoring helps them ensure that progress is adequate to reach literacy goals

Inadequate progress means more support is needed

If we want all children to reach the same goals, we have to provide more support to some children than we do to others.

Good assessment can lead to better readers

Evidence shows: Waiting doesn’t work! Children do not generally mature into

good readers

When a child is not making adequate progress, action is needed to change trajectory

Assessment-driven instruction

To be workable, it must be: Efficient

• Get maximum information in smallest amount of time

Purposeful• Assess in order to make a decision — don’t

spend six weeks assessing!• Tie assessment to a decision-making model

Reliable and valid measures can lead to improved outcomes

Challenges for teachers

Student has been assessed — now what? Linking assessment results to appropriate

intervention

Student is receiving intervention but still not improving Knowing how to change intervention if it’s not

working

Professional development and coaching are essential to provide answers to these challenges

Assessing struggling readers

Identifying students at risk is easier than judging a student’s progress We tend to think if we are teaching our hardest,

progress is being made Assessments tell us when students are not

making progress and we have to do something different

Research shows that regular progress monitoring and adjusted teaching methods can improve outcomes dramatically

Bonus: Tracking progress regularly can be a motivating factor for struggling readers!

Assessing stronger students

Check in on these students regularly, but less often

Make sure advanced readers are not missing a foundational skill Students missing essential skills can

become at risk later

Role of technology

Technology plays a role in testing and in interventions Hand-held computers can:

• Help perform assessments • Record progress for individual students• Synchronize to a database• Provide reports to teacher, principal,

superintendent Analysis software can:

• Show itemized student responses• Suggest appropriate targets for instruction• Suggest appropriate interventions

High stakes testing

Pro: Legitimate need of stakeholders (parents,

policymakers, etc.) to see how effective teaching efforts are

Con: Tail wags the dog: To avoid being penalized,

schools spend class time preparing for high stakes tests Lost instructional time Test results are not useful for planning

instruction, meeting individual student needs

Parent role in assessment process

Parents have unique knowledge of their child Knowledge of home life, cultural background Knowledge of child’s interests Gut-level concerns about child’s skills

Treat parents as partners Share concrete examples from class work and

assessments Invite parents to share observations Share your plan for helping this child — lay out

the roadmap! Give parents ways to help at home Invite parents to share concerns, ideas

Video

Arlington Intake Center, Arlington, VA

Assesses English language learners before they enter school Health Family background Past schooling Literacy level and academic background Background knowledge in native language English language skills

Reading assessment for English language learners

Challenge: Assessing primary language skills in hundreds of different languages Check for strong primary language platform to

build English literacy skills • Rich language base?• Reading skills?• Print awareness?• Family literacy?

Bilingualism sometimes treated as a deficit rather than an advantage Bring positive approach to language learning!

Language of assessment

Assessment in primary language: Taps into child’s ability to gather

information and express ideas Gives teacher a sense of child’s

interests and experiences Helps teacher make learning relevant

for that student

Assessing preschoolers

The earlier we identify a child’s needs, the better equipped we are to address them Waiting jeopardizes emerging literacy platform

— problems don’t fix themselves

Early failure eventually impacts child’s self image and self esteem

• May begin to see lack of motivation, behavior problems

Goal of early assessment is to identify strengths, needs, and create environment for success Recognize and respond — not assign labels!

Recognition and Response model

Response-to-Intervention approach (originally designed for school age students) used with younger children

Goal: Secure a high quality learning environment for all children Tier 1: ‘High-Velcro environment’ — many places

for kids to connect with meaningful ideas and information

Tier 2: For children who are not thriving, find out why — use diagnostic tools to identify strengths, gaps in knowledge, misconceptions

Tier 3: Strategic, individualized approach for student who is still not making progress — special education, speech language services

How would this approach look in schools?

As it emerges, we will see: More dynamic classrooms Assessment embedded in daily activities Data and observations linked to

instruction Assessment that forms a bridge between

child and content Bridge is explicit, systematic, and

crossed frequently!

How are we doing now?

Dramatic improvement in the last five years Approaching goal of every child being on

track with three tiers of support Becoming an expectation for schools

Successful schools: Differentiate instruction based on

systematic collection and interpretation of data

Utilize literacy coaches to help interpret data

Requires new way of thinking about teaching and learning

Talking to students about assessment

It’s rewarding and empowering for students to see their progress

Self-assessment is important Who am I as a learner? What are my learning needs? What are my learning goals?

Formative assessment gives students opportunity to track and share accomplishments

Make sure assessments are not punitive! —meant to provide recognition and support

Getting kids on board

Formal vs. informal assessments

Myth: “Real” assessments are norm-referenced, one-on-one tool that requires training

Fact: Quick, informal assessments can provide very useful information!

Key is to be systematic and purposeful

Involve kids — de-mystify the process Explain why you’re giving assessment Make them participants in the process of

reaching their goals

Formal vs. informal assessments

Difference between formal and informal is beginning to blur Variety of data sources

However you do it, make sure to use data to improve student outcomes

Isolating skills in reading assessment

Divide reading proficiency roughly into: Language

• Vocabulary and background knowledge• Verbal reasoning

Decoding

Beginning analysis: Can child go from text to language? Offer variety of formats, so that weak decoding

does not impact assessment of language skills Select familiar topics so that insufficient

background knowledge does not impact assessment of comprehension

Build prior knowledge before reading

Can the average teacher do all this?

Requires altered mindset and time to learn, but amount of assessment required is fairly limited Be less assumptive about student

progress Implement with efficiency

Final thoughts: Dr. Michael McKenna

Dispel the following myths: Reading assessment in the classroom is

not necessary Should be left to specialists whose

materials will meet all students’ needs

Implement strategies in a three-tiered approach, allowing for differentiation

Final thoughts: Dr. Roland Good

Essential role of assessment: Tells educators where student is and

where they need to be Helps chart a trajectory and rate of

progress to get there Lets us know when to adjust teaching

strategies

Most important thing: Do something with assessment information!

Final thoughts: Dr. Mary Ruth Coleman

Remember diversity of students

Purpose of assessments: Help students grow, learn, and be successful

Thanks for watching!

For more information, visit www.ReadingRockets.org