Developing a Schoolwide Assessment Plan
Key Concepts
Establish a schoolwide reading assessment plan and database for documenting student performance over time.
The primary purpose of an outcomes-based assessment plan is to help educators make informed decisions to improve student learning. An organized and efficient assessment system focused on testing the essential skills of reading at each grade level will help to accomplish this goal. The plan should include assessments to be administered, time frame for administration of each assessment, target students, and, as a reminder, the purposes of each assessment.
A school’s comprehensive reading plan should contain a number of different types of assessment.
Different types of assessments serve different purposes. Every school should have at least four different types of assessment within their schoolwide assessment plan.
These include:
(1) Screening Assessments
(2) Diagnostic Assessments/Tools
(3) Formative Assessments including Progress Monitoring and In-Program Assessments
(4) Outcome Assessments
Use assessment data for a variety of purposes.
Information from assessments can help school personnel identify:
- Students who are at or above grade-level, at some risk of reading failure, or at high risk for reading failure
- Instructional needs of all students
- Groups of students who are having difficulty meeting goals/ expectations
- Teachers who are implementing the comprehensive reading program and interventions with fidelity and those who are not
- Teachers who need assistance and teachers who can serve as mentors
- Overall growth of a school’s comprehensive reading program
- Professional development needs for school’s staff
Ensure the assessments your school uses are both valid and reliable.
Validity refers to the extent to which a tool, in this case, a reading assessment system, measures what it is intended to measure. Reliability is the consistency with which an assessment classifies students from one test administration to the next. An assessment is considered reliable if it produces the same results when administered under different conditions, at different times, and/or using different forms of the test.
Professional Development Presentation
- Part 1 (18:13)
A Schoolwide Reading Assessment Plan is at the foundation of a successful K-12 system. This presentation defines the four types of assessments and the distinct purpose for including each one in your comprehensive assessment plan. You will see how the assessment data collected can be used to make informed educational decisions at the student, group, grade, school and district level about reading achievement. A template is provided to assist you in applying this information to create your own Schoolwide Reading Assessment Plan.
Apply the Concepts
Practice Activities
1. Developing a Schoolwide Assessment Plan
Use the information you have learned through this presentation, as well as other resources, to create your own Schoolwide Assessment Plan. In a small group, use the attached template to record what assessments your school has selected, the assessment window (when you will be giving the assessments), and which students will be assessed.
Resources
1. Benchmark Assessment for Improved Learning
This report describes the purposes of benchmark assessments and provides recommendations for selecting and using benchmark assessments. The report also addresses validity, reliability, fairness and bias, accessibility, instructional sensitivity, and reporting issues.
2. A Comprehensive K-3 Reading Assessment Plan: Guidance for School Leaders
This guide, developed by Joe Torgesen, Director Emeritus of the Florida Center for Reading Research, provides valuable information on a comprehensive reading plan. The guide provides detailed information on the types of assessments that should be included within a comprehensive reading plan. Also detailed is how to implement a comprehensive reading plan, including information on how to select assessments, who should administer assessments, and how to manage data effectively.
3. Reading Assessment Reference Guide
4. Planning and Evaluation Tool-Revised (PET-R)
The PET-R is a tool schools can use to rate their current reading program implementation in the areas of reading objectives, assessment, instructional programs and materials, instructional time, differentiated instruction and grouping, organization and communication, and professional development. Results allow schools to identify areas of strength in their reading program and also areas that need further development.
Links
1. Assessment and Accountability Comprehensive Center (AACC)
The Assessment and Accountability Comprehensive Center (AACC) is part of a federal technical assistance system that was developed to help states and districts gain knowledge and skills on how to fully implement, evaluate, and improve their assessment and accountability systems in order to reach the No Child Left Behind goals. The Center focuses on establishing assessment and accountability systems, using data to diagnose needs, guide instruction, and monitor student and program progress, as well as designing assessment systems that measure both status and growth in a reliable and valid manner. The website offers documents, tools, and other resources on all of these topics.
2. Critical Elements of Reading Assessment
The Florida Center for Reading Research (FCRR)‘s mission is to conduct research on reading assessment and instruction and disseminate research-based information to districts. This specific link provides information about using screening and progress monitoring, diagnostic, and outcome measures to inform instruction and provide indicators of effectiveness on instruction. The website also gives examples and descriptions of assessment tools schools can use to assist in implementing an effective reading program.
