Top 10: Assessments
In this Top 10 List, we suggest recommended assessment practices or resources that support a full structured literacy system. This set of resources and your application of these will greatly depend on state and local requirements, but no system can be highly successful if their feedback loops are not measuring the actual intended flow the system is trying to produce.
Number One: Next Steps in Literacy Instruction
This book by Dr. Deb Glazer and Dr. Susan Smartt provides great guidance for assessments and how to link them to instruction. While the focus is on struggling readers, the book provides clear pathways to filling out a full assessment regimen for all students.
Number Two: Acadience/DIBELS Universe
Dr. Roland Good and Dr. Ruth Kaminski developed DIBELS with Dr. Mark Shinn in the late 90s and DIBELS experienced widespread adoption in the 2000s with Reading First. There are variants published through Voyager Sopris, Amplify and the University of Oregon as well as Acadience. The body of research behind all versions provides strong understanding of instructional need and predictions for possible future reading success.
Number Three: Dyslexia Evaluation Process
As we think about a full assessment model, being prepared to correctly and fully diagnose dyslexia or other reading difficulties is critical. If organizations have this pathway identified and understood, they can build remaining assessment mechanisms with confident as their dyslexia and instructional screening processes are in place. Possible list for specific deeper tests for clinicians.
Number Four: Instructional Screener lists
There are many instructional screener lists by structured literacy organizations and many instructional screeners can be also used for initial dyslexia screening followed by a deeper evaluation for dyslexia or other reading difficulties. You might start with this tool from Ohio to think through or choose from lists from OK, KY or CA. Look for your own state first but also consider this guidance from IDA.
Number Five: Progress Monitoring
Many of your screening assessments like DIBELS will come with progress monitoring assessments and mechanisms to understand instructional effectiveness. But embedded in your MTSS plan is your RTI model, making sure you are measuring your students’ response to intervention on an individual level. PM should be aligned with instruction, aligned with other formative assessments and instructionally minimally invasive. Reporting should be clear to foster collaboration. Getting that all right isn’t easy. Otus provides a strong overview of Progress Monitoring and elements to consider for a start.
Number Six: The Role of NAEP
Educators rarely align on the role of large outcome measures, but without them, there is complete uncertainty about where we stand on literacy proficiency. Extreme reliance obscures the individuality of every reader in America. But you should know that the figure of 33-35% of students reading proficiently comes from NAEP, and even the less rigorous level of basic reading skills leaves 37-38% of students below basic reading ability.
Number Seven: MTSS Plans
System districts should have strong MTSS (Multi-tiered System of Support) Plans that reflect all strong structured literacy elements. Many districts have created MTSS plans, but unless they integrate all elements of structured literacy and detail out instructional pathways with explicit instruction, there can still be an open unmeasurable system that isn’t really constructed on evidence. RI-DOE has a great MTSS White paper to review or a great starter course from TRL and Dr. Stephanie Stollar.
Number Eight: Aligning state measures to NAEP
This important work from NCES helps you see how rigorous your state outcome measure is compared to NAEP (see page 17 for 4th Grade Reading). In the 2000s, the alignments were much worse but you can see currently that NAEP has the highest expectations with UT and MA about equal. TX, IA and VA Proficiency levels are below NAEP’s Basic levels.
Number Nine: Get your Assessment Terms down
Great structured literacy systems have an elegant backbone of assessments, and teams talk with clarity on the role of the assessments and how they form instruction. That doesn’t happen overnight. Reviewing assessment terms and having professional learning pathways with deep learning on is key. The Reading League Compass has a great section on Assessment on this page and many avenues to venture down as well.
Number Ten: Backwards Mapping from SLSG
If you want to make sure your assessment and instruction map tells one story for student progress across many years, please reach out to us to consider Backwards Mapping on all instructional and assessment aspects.