Assessment

This page has a series of articles that can be used to help with the concept of assessment. I have also added examples of different literacy assessment tools that you may find useful when putting together your assessment tool kit.

=Why Do It?=

Articles
This is an article that can help you if you plan to make assessment a Teacher Inquiry within your school.



[|Involving Students in Assessment Click Here]

[|Seeing Results click Here]

[|Classroom Assessment What do They Say - click here]

[|Position Paper on Assessment Click Here]

[|Direction for Assessment Click Here]

Burt Reading Inventory
This inventory can be used at the start of the year to determine the reading age of your students. The child must be able to read at DRA 3. The starting reading age is 5 years of age

Explanation of how to administer the BURT Reading Inventory. .

[|BURT Reading Inventory - tracking sheet and scoring guide Click Here]

[|Click Here]

The Observation Survey - this inventory is comprised of 5 sub-tests. This assessment helps to determine the reading and writing stage of emergent readers and writers.
[|Click Here]

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Edugains - this series of video clips walks through teacher scenarios that lead students through all the stages to help develop learners that are able to self-assess and set their own learning goals.

 * Secondary Examples:**

[|Click Here]

Example of primary, junior and intermediate students taking part in the self-assessment process
[|Click Here]

=LNS Monograph=

[|Data to inform Practice - Press Here]

[|Improving Student Writing Using Feedback as a Teaching Tool]

[|Student Self-Assessment - Finding Student Voice]

DRA Tracking Sheet:


The DRA is an individually administered, criterion-referenced informal reading assessment conducted one on one with students. It can be administered three to four times each year to all students in Grades K-3 and English Learners in Grade 4. Results are used to determine a student's instructional reading level, guide the teacher in planning the classroom instructional program, identify appropriate supports and interventions, and document progress over time. It requires detailed teacher training since the teachers must analyze student results. In practice, this may introduce higher variance (or errors) in the results. It centers on students reading passages and teachers making analysis on their ablities based on their errors during oral reading and afterwards when teachers ask students comprehension questions. The analysis by the teacher is critical in determining results.

**The DRA K-3 gives you everything you need to guide student progress:**

 * **Observation Guides**include teacher directions, questions, and prompts for the assessment texts, one per benchmark book
 * **Continuum**helps teachers see at-a-glance each student’s progress over time and determine what students need to master next
 * **Story Overviews**include a summary of the story plot and characters in checklist form
 * **Record of Oral Reading**, an alternative to the Running Record, has portions of each story printed on tear-off pads of 30 copies

**Frequently Asked Questions:**
isbn10: 0765251299 isbn13: 9780765251299 ||
 * Cost:**
 * Alternative Benchmark Books and Assessment Forms || price: $137.50

**Questions on DRA K-3 **
> > **DRA 4-8 is quick and accurate. The process for administering the DRA for students in grades 4-8 includes:** > After reviewing the students’ written responses, the teacher will then identify statements of reading behavior on the instructional continuum and using these statements will identify the focus for instruction.
 * 1) **Is there a correlation between the retelling rubric and an instructional and independent level? Does this vary by grade level?****A:**Yes, there is most definitely a correlation between the retelling/comprehension rubric score and the independent and instructional levels of reading. For a student to obtain a DRA/Independent reading level, he/she must be able to read orally at 94% accuracy AND score at least 16 on the comprehension rubric. A score of 16 on the comprehension rubric represents adequate comprehension. The same criteria are used at all DRA K-3 levels from 3-44.
 * 2) **Should the retelling expectations be the same for a 1st grader and a 3rd grader?****A:** Yes, but on varied levels of text difficulty. In other words, a 1st grader would still require a score of 16 on the comprehension rubric to demonstrate adequate comprehension but he would be extracting the retelling from text that is much less difficult. A third grader would be extracting the information from text at a higher level of difficulty. Modeling and practice are the keys to developing these skills. To quote from Regie Routman from her book //Conversations//, " You cannot expect a student to retell until you have first taught him how and then given him lots of practice."
 * 3) **Suggestions for scoring the comprehension rubric objectively?****A:**Practice. The retelling overview statements on the teacher observation guides provide teachers with some guidance on identifying the key points of the text. It is important to note that few early readers will obtain a score of 4 on the comprehension rubric - not based on his/her skills but based on the criteria on the rubric. There really aren't many early texts that that have concepts that reflect higher level thinking skills, thoughtful responses, etc. Double check the language in column 4 and realize that few early texts include that option.
 * 4) **What is the appropriate number of administration times for DRA?****A:**In general, the DRA assessment is given twice a year (fall and spring) to provide teachers with information to guide instruction. There is always an option to administer the assessment more frequently. Often times, the assessment is administered at mid-year to identify the needs/skills of students who are challenged readers. It is also given midyear, in some cases, to monitor student progress and provide more instructional guidance.
 * 5) **Do you suggest a ceiling and only test one grade level above?****A:** In general, it is usually recommended that students not be assessed with texts that are more than one grade level above the students' current grade level. The reason for this is that DRA is designed to guide teacher instruction and students who are truly successful and independent one year above grade level are making it. For students reading above grade level, text levels become less significant. These students should be selecting texts across levels to meet their varied purposes for reading. Keeping in mind that it is important not to get runaway DRA scores where the student is NOT solidly achieving in both oral reading fluency __and__comprehension.
 * 6) **How much should fluency be weighed in the earliest levels?****A:**There is nothing better than good professional judgment. Teachers should consider that when students are just beginning to decode there is less fluency as the student makes sense of the printed word. As the student progresses through the early levels more fluency should be evident. It is, however, a problem if students are reading at a "painful" rate. When a student reads so slowly that it is difficult to gain enough momentum to yield comprehension, that is problematic and that level should not be considered the students' independent level even if he meets the two criteria described above. Allington, as well as Pinnel and Fountas, sight sources that suggest by the end of first grade students should be reading at least 60 words per minute.
 * 7) **What is the purpose of the different rubrics between the two DRA K-3 kits?****A:**First of all, it is important to point out the difference between the continuum and the comprehension rubric. I think the question provided might deal with the continuum instead of the rubric. The continuum (folder) changes over time as teachers provide input and revisions are made. The revisions do not hinder the scoring or administration of DRA K-3 using either of the continuums. The later one, which has blank spaces at the bottom, was revised to reflect language for the use of nonfiction texts and the comprehension rubric. There is only one version of the comprehension rubric.
 * 8) **What is your view of using DRA to find the instructional level if only the independent level is found? Please define instructional level.****A:**DRA determines the independent reading level; however, if the teacher moves to the next higher level and incorporates what was learned from the reading behaviors on the continuum that should provide information for instruction and could be considered the child's instructional level. For example, if a student scores DRA Level 10 (independent) that provides the teacher with information to direct independent reading materials for students. These are easy reads. Information learned from the continuum is then used to build the instructional program. Instructional level is defined when a child scores between 90-94% accuracy on oral reading and scores SOME comprehension that would reflect an instructional level. However, most times it is appropriate for the teachers to discontinue the assessment once the independent level has been found.
 * 9) **If a child scores well on all components of the exam, is he/she assessed at too low of a level? Should we test that child at a higher level?****A:**For DRA K-3, the student is independent when he reads at 94% accuracy and scores adequate or very good on comprehension. That would be a score of 16 or higher on the comprehension rubric. It is the goal of DRA to find the independent reading level and that would have been accomplished in the example above. The only reason it would be necessary to assess the student at the next higher level is if: The teacher did not learn anything new from the assessment to guide instruction OR If the teachers feels that she has done all of the instruction necessary at this level based on the results of the assessment. These are two very important questions.
 * 10) **Is there a junior/intermediate DRA? Yes - But it is not recognized by TDSB at the moment. However, it is still a good assessment tool.**
 * A written student self-assessment of reading behaviours
 * A timed oral reading passage of approximately 200-250 words that will be done in a conference with the teacher
 * A prediction of the text, in writing.
 * Once the text is read independently the student responds to the following on a text-specific blackline master:
 * 1) A brief summary of the text
 * 2) A literal comprehension question
 * 3) An inferential comprehension question
 * 4) Comprehension strategies used while reading and specific examples of each strategy in the text
 * [|Comprehensive Kit]**
 * Cost: $450**

**Edugains Video Site:**

 * Learning Goals and Success Criteria Teaching Videos**
 * [|Press Here]**

Descriptive Feedback Teaching Videos
[|Press Here]

Metacognition - The Importance of Students Being Able to Talk About Their Learning
[|Click Here]

Self Assessment Teaching Videos
[|Press Here]

Self-Efficacy by Dylan Wiliam
[|Click Here] = =

= = =CASI=

**CASI - Description and Use**

 * [|Press Here]**

**e-workshop Training on Running Records:**

 * [|Press Here]**



**LAMP Document:**
===**[|Press Here] This TDSB document contains a series of literacy assessments that are very useful for classroom assessments. Over 60 different assessments within this document.**===

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