Thinking Smart About Assessment Ben Clarke, Ph.D. Rachell Katz, Ph.D. August 25, 2004 Oregon Reading First Mentor Coach Training © 2004 by the Oregon Reading First Center Center on Teaching and Learning

Reading Assessment for Different Purposes An effective, comprehensive reading program includes reading assessments for four purposes: Outcome - Provides a bottom-line evaluation of the effectiveness of the reading program in relation to established performance levels. Screening - Designed as a first step in identifying children who may be at high risk for delayed development or academic failure and in need of further diagnosis of their need for special services or additional reading instruction.

Reading Assessment for Different Purposes An effective, comprehensive reading program includes reading assessments for four purposes: Diagnosis - Helps teachers plan instruction by providing in- depth information about students’ skills and instructional needs. Progress Monitoring - Determines through frequent measurement if students are making adequate progress or need more intervention to achieve grade-level reading outcomes.

Outcome Assessment Purpose: To determine level of proficiency in relation to norm or criterion. When: Typically administered at end of year. Can be administered pre/post to assess overall growth. Who: All students Relation to instruction: Provides index of overall efficacy but limited timely instructional information.

Screening Assessment Purpose: To determine children who are likely to require additional instructional support (predictive validity). When: Early in the academic year or when new students enter school. Who: All students Relation to instruction: Most valuable when used to identify children who may need further assessment or additional instructional support.

Diagnostic Assessment Purpose: To provide specific information on skills and strategy needs of individual students. When: Following screening or at points during the year when students are not making adequate progress. Who: Selected students as indicated by screening or progress monitoring measures or teacher judgment. Relation to Instruction: Provided specific information on target skills; highly relevant.

Progress Monitoring Assessment Purpose: Frequent, timely measures to determine whether students are learning enough of critical skills. When: At minimum 3 times per year at critical decision making points. Who: All students Relation to Instruction: Indicates students who require additional assessment and intervention.

Progress Monitoring - The Teacher’s Map Whoops! Time to make a change! Phoneme Segmentation Fluency Aimline

Progress Monitoring: The Teacher’s Map Aimline A change in intervention

Activity 1: What do you do? Chart your school’s assessment system Outcome Screening Progress Monitoring Diagnostic Do each of your assessments fit that category?

What is Assessment? Def: Assessment is the collection of data to make decisions. (Salvia & Ysseldyke, 1997) Assessment is useless if we don’t use it to guide our actions.

Does your school collect data to make decisions or to collect data? Common pitfalls Focus is on procedure Data collected don’t match purpose for collecting data (e.g. collecting diagnostic data on all students) Layering of data sources Different data for different programs (e.g. Title 1)

4 types of Assessment: One assessment system Each type of assessment has a purpose. Think purpose not tool. Our purpose is to progress monitor. Our tool is DIBELS. Not, we use DIBELS. How do each of these purposes fit together?

Activity 2: Four assessments One system Diagram how the four types of assessments work in one system at your school. Does each assessment tool match the purpose it is used for? Does the system link together in a logical manner?

One Assessment System Screening Intervention for at-risk Progress Monitoring Diagnostic No response

Screening: Medicine Who is healthy? Who is not? Doctors screen newborns based on Height and Weight. In the healthy range, check at next appointment In the unhealthy range, take action (intervention) and check on a more frequent basis

Screening: Reading Who is healthy? Who is not? We screen beginning readers on critical reading outcomes. In the healthy(on-track) range, check at next benchmark In the unhealthy (at-risk) range, take action (intervention) and monitor progress.

Progress Monitoring: Medicine Who responds? Who does not? If newborn responds to intervention (gains weight) towards goal, maintain intervention until goal reached. If newborn does not respond to intervention, further information may be collected

Progress Monitoring: Reading Who responds? Who does not? If beginning reader responds to intervention towards goal, maintain intervention until goal reached. If beginning reader does not respond to intervention, further information may be collected.

Diagnostic: Medicine What information is needed to design a better intervention? Food intake Cat Scan Heart monitor (examples that make sense here)

Diagnostic: Reading What information is needed to design a better intervention? Segmenting middle sounds Letter sound correspondence for vowels and constant blends Decoding regular word types cvc, ccvc, cvce

One Assessment System Screening Intervention for at-risk Progress Monitoring Diagnostic No response

Summary The degree or intensity of assessment should match the severity of the problem. The purposes of assessment should be logically linked together. One assessment system increases clarity of data collection and use of data to make instructional decisions.