A Review of State-Approved Reading Assessments
Thu, April 11, 10:50am to 12:20pm, Pennsylvania Convention Center, Floor: Level 200, Exhibit Hall BAbstract
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.