Discussion Forum: Text Reading Proficiency Levels

United States
October 22 2006
13 Posts

In designing a core assessment system for our Assessment Wall, we have established benchmark proficiency levels for text reading along with other reading assessments. The levels work well through third grade. When we get to grades 4 and 5, using levels becomes more problematic.

Are other schools having similar experiences? Let's do some problem-solving together.

Brian Reindl
Literacy Coach Grades 3-5
Washington School for Comprehensive Literacy
Sheboygan, WI

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Brian Reindl
Washington School for Comprehensive Literacy
Sheboygan, WI

Message posted by kristie on April 22 2010 at 12:30pm - IP Logged

Brian,

Yes...I find this is a common delima for all schools...I would love to start a discussion on what might be an appropriate means of assessment for the upper grades...currently we are using a menu of several assessments such as IRI's and or the 4-8 DRA levels...our district INFORM testing...(which is computer based) and classroom guided reading levels..(which is very vague because most are in Lit discussion groups which are usually not leveled text...We do not currently have a quarterly benchmark in place...If we could get a systematic assessment going that would be GREAT!!!! What are your thoughts?

Message posted by chadwaldron on April 22 2010 at 8:51pm - IP Logged

Brian and Kristie,

It is so wonderful to hear that you have found difficulty in establishing your benchmark proficiency levels. I would like to share what we have found to work best in our school district after three years of revision and study. It is also creating much more powerful use of our assessment walls.

(1) We use the DRA2 Assessment to screen all of our students in 4th and 5th grades. As you both know, DRA2 simply has levels 40 and 50 for each grade respectively. Yet, our students had much more complex comprehension and vocabulary needs. We have now empowered our teachers to use both the fiction and nonfiction texts to discover the students' strengths and needs. To further refine the process, we are also using the Fountas & Pinnell Benchmark Assessment System 2, which allows use to fine tune the student's text level to Q, R, or S (all DRA2 40 but quite different) or T, U, or V (all DRA2 50 but quite different again). Our instruction in GR has become more precise and specific to the students' needs and the cl. teachers are much happier. [Please visit our Wikispace below and go to "DRA2 Assessment Resources" to view our district's benchmark reading proficiencies.]

(2) We use the 4Sight Assessment (tied to our PSSA Assessment Annchors in Reading) to determine our students who are lacking literacy skills. We have created "mini" Assessment Walls (on legal sized paper) to track a student's progress in proficiency in each anchor skill area, such as figurative language or fictional text story elements. It allows us to create student-specific interventions in each of their areas of need and track improvement across time. The 4Sight is administered in four intervals (a bit much)- 3 intervals is the recommendation.

Between both assessments, we are feeling that we are differentiating literacy instruction for every student and providing precise instruction to meet their unique needs as readers and writers.

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Chad Waldron
K-5 Literacy Specialist,
Erie, PA
http://flbreading.wikispaces.com

Message posted by kristie on April 23 2010 at 9:10am - IP Logged

Chad,

I like the idea of the DRA II at the higher levels..we also have invested in those assessment kits for our buildings and have begun training our teachers on the multiple assessments within the series. I wish we could pull together a unified system approach which includes text levels, comprehension levels and word work...really pinpointing where the point of difficulty lies with our struggling upper grade kiddos..We do a wonderful job in K-2 using Reading Recovery and Early Intervention Groups as well as our intervention groups at the tier II level...we can really focus on where the literacy breakdown is occuring with these little ones...I guess what I am wanting to see is this same indepth approach in the upper grades and beginning with a systematic approach to assessment would be the key...lets see if we can problem solve on this one along with Brian....also being able to streamline this system for the classroom teachers in order not to bog them down further with assessments...:)

Message posted by chadwaldron on April 28 2010 at 7:56pm - IP Logged

Hi Kristie,

Well, if you "tease apart" the different sections of the DRA2 Rubric, you can potentially have "data" for oral reading fluency (including WCPM information and holistic ORF scoring) and a reading comprehension score. We use Performance Plus (formally Performance Tracker) to input our DRA2 data to look at the WPM score, ORF fluency score, Comprehension score, and the DRA2 Independent Level. Is it perfect? No. It does allow you to look at the different components more precisely though. In an unified system, it would take care of text level and comprehension level. My upper grades teachers also like the F & P Benchmark Assessment 2 for additional information.

Now, Word Work- I have to admit that my district does not have a standardized assessment for word study in the primary or upper elementary grades. I like Beverly Tyner's Word Study Assessments in her Small-Group Reading Instruction. "Word Journeys" has dictated sentences for word study knowledge- they are good and a RR teacher/national presenter showed me this text. I would like to see how it actually works in practice.

I do agree though- less assessments with the most information. Streamlining is KEY without bogging down their precious time any further.

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Chad Waldron
K-5 Literacy Specialist,
Erie, PA
http://flbreading.wikispaces.com

Message posted by kristie on April 29 2010 at 11:52am - IP Logged

Chad,

We just had our coaches meeting yesterday and this was the topic of discussion...I am very please to say that our alignment with yall is pretty much right on...Using the DRA 2 system in all grades k-5...we also have purchased the DRA 2 kit for upper grades which is MUCH MORE indepth than the traditional IRI...and yes...if you "tease" apart the components you can have a nice systematic assessment for fluency, text level and comprehension...tell me more about the Performance Tracker....is this something you buy or install that automatically inputs your data...because we were discussing at our meeting yesterday how we want our data to be more RTI like with the trend lines...I am hoping there is a system out there that might input our raw data into some type of graph that is RTI friendly. As far as word work...we too are still working on this component...It would be nice to have something solid for this as well...thanks for sharing your thoughts and ideas...

Message posted by chadwaldron on May 04 2010 at 9:51pm - IP Logged

Hi Kristie,

I am sorry for my slow response- it has been crazy here.

Performance Plus (the new consolidated name for Performance Tracker) is an online data management system used by my school district for many years. If you go here, you can learn about the application: http://www.sungardps.com/en/productofferings/performancetracker.aspx. This system is used to manage our K-5 data in multiple subject areas. It can capture universal screening tools (DIBELS, AIMSweb) along with formative (DRA2 and Benchmark Assessments) and summative (our state tests) results. It is really cool with the reports- bar charts, pie graphs, and links to state standards. It makes for powerful data-driven instruction. My teachers are particularly good with looking at data and directing instruction to meet individual student needs.

I think for Word Study that Tyner will be the most fruitful, formative assessment for word study features in all elementary grades. It is also easily administered in whole-group settings.

I would be happy to share some samples of things we have come with in my district in our work towards RTI. Feel free to contact me via email.

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Chad Waldron
K-5 Literacy Specialist,
Erie, PA
http://flbreading.wikispaces.com

Message posted by kristie on May 07 2010 at 1:53pm - IP Logged

Thanks Chad!!!!

This sounds like something I would really like to hear more about!!! I would love for you to send me some samples of data you have used that works toward the RTI approach...my school email is khallam@spsmail.org

Message posted by jkh9 on May 08 2010 at 12:14pm - IP Logged

jkh9

United States
October 10 2009
11 Posts

Our district uses Word Journeys DSA and it is very good. We have used it for several years now. If fact our district coaches did our Case Study with this to see how the word study is transfering to the Writing with Dr. Dorn's UALR training class this year. We would be glad to share our findings with you all. Our data proved successful that this word study is transfering into the writing, with the exception of high frequency/sight words, which we now are going to have a tighter focus for next year.

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Jeanine Humphrey
Instructional Coach & Science Specialist
London Elementary School
Russellville, AR

Message posted by chadwaldron on May 08 2010 at 9:33pm - IP Logged