A Review of State-Approved Reading Assessments

• In Event: Thursday Roundtable Session 10:50 am
  In Roundtable Session: Using Broad Education Indicators in a Standards-Based Reform: How Does It Play Out? (Table 30)

Abstract

Many states require schools to screen students for reading difficulties using state-approved reading assessments in grades K-3. Because teachers use these assessments to guide instructional decisions, it is important to understand the alignment between the skills measured on these assessments with those outlined in the learning standards. For this study, we cross-mapped the skills measured by the assessments with the learning standards to (a) determine how well the assessments aligned with the learning standards for each grade (K-3), and (b) describe the features of these assessments. Results showed variation across 10 state-approved reading assessments in the skills assessed, alignment to the standards, and assessment features. We provide recommendations to the state and schools for addressing gaps between assessments and standards.

Authors

• Heidi Hines, University of California - Irvine

• Nathan Speer, University of Nebraska - Lincoln

• Rachel E. Schachter, University of Illinois at Chicago

• Michael Hebert, University of California - Irvine