1. Assessment and Instruction Foundations of Reading Test Content Knowledge Preparations Presented by Dr. Jacqueline Easley

2. Mystery Animal: A Quiz It hibernates in burrows during the winter months. It has poison glands behind its eyes. It is an amphibian. That means that it has a backbone and will breathe through lungs as an adult. It lays its eggs in a chain and its young live in water. It has no true teeth, yet it is a meat eater. It is a member of the Bufonidae Family. As an adult, a toad lives on the land, sometimes near water, but not always. It does not jump—only walks.

3. Agree or Disagree? Teachers should read aloud to their students because… a. …it encourages students to listen actively. b. …it conveys the pleasure of reading. c. …it serves as a model of fluent oral reading. d. …it helps children develop their vocabulary skills.

4. Analyzing Your Performance on Mystery Animal Passage Nonintegrators Non-Risk Takers Good Comprehenders Schema Imposers Storytellers

5. Formal or Informal Assessment? Informal Assessment Formative: Qualitative data accumulated through informal activities, such as: observations, interviews, questionnaires, samples of students’ work... Formal Assessment Summative: Quantitative data accumulated through formal tests, such as: standardized tests, MAP scores, unit tests… Ongoing assessment that informs instruction. Final assessment given at the end of a program to evaluate its effectiveness.

6. Characteristics of Formal Assessment Reliable Reliability = If students took the test more than once, they would get approximately the same score. Valid Validity = The test measures what it says it measures, such as vocabulary, comprehension, rate of reading, etc.

7. Characteristics of Formal Assessment Criterion Referenced Student performance is measured against a standard, i.e., criterion (90% = A, etc.). A well-constructed test can be used to plan instruction. Content validity = the degree to which the content of a test reflects reading tasks as they were taught in class.

8. Characteristics of Formal Assessment Norm Referenced Students’ results are compared to a sample (norm group) of others in the same grade/age group. Referred to as standardized tests. The scores are reported as average, above average, or below average. Purpose: These tests serve a sorting function. They indicate how students scored in comparison to the reference group.

9. Norm-Referenced Tests Score Reports

10. Informal Reading Inventories Purpose: To determine the best placement for a student in terms of using the level of reading material that meets the student’s particular instructional needs. Procedure: Student reads a passage aloud and the teacher notes any miscues, self- corrections, and/or observable reading behaviors.