Assessment

Students are subject to a great deal of assessment and evaluation in the public schools. Most of the information is used for accountability to the various state and federal agencies that provide funding and to report achievement to the governing boards and to the public. This is important information that demonstrates the success of teaching and its impact on student achievement. These assessments also address the expectation that teachers are using teaching methods that are scientifically based. Accountability is an important purpose for assessment but there is also a clear need for information to inform and modify instruction. Information about each individual student and the confusions they have in reading and writing is needed to provide strategic support in literacy learning. Strategic teaching requires the teacher to have specific information about each student in order to design and modify individualized instruction. A selection of assessment and data collection procedures are provided for both reading and writing. The primary purpose of these instruments is to inform instruction and they are not recommended for use as accountability measures or for reporting student achievement gains. Reading Record of Oral Reading The Record of Oral Reading (ROR) was created for teachers to observe and record a students reading behaviors and to use this information to understand what students are attempting to do while reading and then use this information to determine next steps for reading instruction (Swartz, 2003). The teacher listens to a student read out loud and records the various reading behaviors that the student demonstrates. This kind of information is considered critical for strategic teaching based on individual needs. The ROR is suitable for students who have difficulty decoding and using phonics as a source of information. Listening to a student read and recording their behaviors is a powerful and indispensible method for understanding what a student brings to the task and for individualizing instruction. The Record of Oral Reading: y y y y y y Is administered one-to-one Uses text at the instructional level of difficulty Length of text length should be no more than 100 words Text selection can be from any source Teacher notates and analyzes all errors and corrections Teacher assesses both comprehension and fluency

Record of Oral Reading Procedures The Record of Oral Reading should be taken on text at the students instructional level (text the student can read at 90-95 percent word-identification accuracy). The teacher administers the ROR individually and notates all errors and corrections. These errors are analyzed at the end of the reading. If the text selection is too difficult (errors of one or more in ten words) the ROR should be discontinued and a different text should be selected. Instruct the student to read the text out loud in a conversational tone and rate of speed. As necessary, tell the student to read louder or softer and faster or slower. Errors 1. Record each error on a separate line. Notate the type of error using the key provided in the chart: wrong word called, omission of a word, insertion of a word not in the text, and word told to the student by the teacher.

Behavior Error: Record errors with the error / the text Correction: Reader corrects an error Omission: The reader drops a word Insertion: The reader adds a word Told: Teacher tells the reader a word after student appeal or a 5 second wait

Example Wrong/Right

Scoring One error

Wrong/Right C

No error

_ / Right

One error

Wrong/ _

One error

T/ Right

One error

2. For each error, determine which source(s) of information, Phonics or Comprehension, the student attempted to use. Check the appropriate column. Error Phonics Behavior Wrong/right X Correction Phonics

Comprehension X

Comprehension

NOTE 1: This means the student ATTEMPTED to use a source of information, but not successfully.

NOTE 2: The error is analyzed at the point of error and does not consider information after that point. For example: The text reads, The dogs are big. The reader says, The dog At this point in the text the error is marked as Phonics because the student dropped the s in dogs. It is not marked as a comprehension error because dog makes sense in the sentence up to that point.

Phonics as a Source of Information y Did the student use letters, letter-sound combinations, parts of words or word patterns?

Example: If the sentence says, I like my cat, and the student reads, I like my sat; the student has unsuccessfully tried to use Phonics. The student has used the soft sound of the letter c rather than the hard sound. They did not attempt to use Comprehension as a source of information because what they read did not make sense. Comprehension as a Source of Information y Does the word read by the student make sense?

Example: If the sentence starts, The house, and the student reads, My house, the student attempted to use comprehension. In this case the student selected a word that makes sense without attending to the letters of the word. Using Both Phonics and Comprehension y Did the student attempt to compare sources of information?

Example: The text reads, The star is in the sky. The student reads, The sun is in the sky. This is an unsuccessful attempt to use both sources of information. The word sun does make sense in the sentence, but star and sun only have the first letter in common. Corrections 3. When a student makes a correction mark the notation with a C. Use the same criteria that were used for error analysis to determine the source(s) of information, Phonics or Comprehension, the student used to correct the error. Check the appropriate column. Error Phonics Behavior Wrong/right C Correction Phonics X

Comprehension

Comprehension X

Accuracy 4. At the end of the reading, total the number of errors in columns 1 and 2 and divide this number by the word count of the text selection. This is the accuracy rate and the level of difficulty for this student. The level of difficulty is used to determine how particular text can be used for instruction. Level of Difficulty y y y 90% accuracy or less 90-95% accuracy 95% accuracy or higher Frustration Level Instruction Level Independent Level

Use of Sources of Information 5. Total the number of errors for column 1. This is the number of errors made by the student attempting to use Phonics as a source of information. Total the number of errors for column 2. This is the number of errors the student made when attempting to use Comprehension as a source of information. ______Phonics ______Comprehension

6. Total the number of corrections in column 3. This is the number of times the student successfully used Phonics as a source of information to make a correction. Total the number of corrections in column 4. This is the total number of times a student successfully used Comprehension as a source of information to make a correction. ______Phonics ______Comprehension

Comprehension 7. Use comprehension probes to develop an overall impression of the students understanding of the text. The probes provided are content neutral in that they provide no information about the content of the text. Example: Can you tell me more about that? instead of, Can you tell me more about why the boy wanted to go home?

Comprehension Probes y y y y y What are some of the most important things you learned reading this text? Did this text remind you of something else you have read? Did this text remind you of something that has happened to your or to someone you know? What might you have done differently if you were a character in this story. Do you have any questions about what you have read?

Choose a minimum of two probes. Continue to probe if the student provides minimal responses. Summarize the responses and record your overall impression. Level of Comprehension ______High Student clearly followed the content or story line and provided details on what was read. ______Medium Student had a basic understanding of the content but was able to provide only minimal detail. ______Low Student was able to provide very little response to the text.

Fluency 8. Record an overall impression of fluency. Four levels describing fluency are provided. 4 High: phrased reading most of the time; problem solving is rapid. 3 - Some phrased reading, with obvious problem solving and rereading. 2 Word-by-word reading; inconsistent attention to phonics and comprehension. 1 Low: Frequent pausing; mostly word-byword reading; slow problem solving.

Overall Impressions 9. Record overall impression regarding the strengths and needs that were observed for this student. The results of the Record of Oral Reading can be used to identify patterns of reading behavior when a student has difficulty with text. The attempts made by the student will include both strengths and weaknesses that the teacher can use to design instruction. Instruction will not only focus on confusions and weaknesses but will also utilize student strengths to plan reading support.

Record of Oral Reading

Recording Form
Student___________________Date_____________Teacher______________ Text Selection_______________________Text Level___________________ Instruct the student to read the text out loud in a conversational tone and rate of speed. As necessary, tell the student to read louder or softer or faster or slower. Record all errors and corrections with the following notations.
Behavior Error: Record errors with the error / the text Correction: Reader corrects an error Omission: The reader drops a word Insertion: The reader adds a word Told: Teacher tells the reader a word after student appeal or a 5 second wait Example Wrong/Right Scoring One error

Wrong/Right C

No error

_ / Right

One error

Wrong/ _

One error

T/ Right

One error

Error Phonics Behavior

Comprehension

Correction Phonics

Comprehension

Total

Accuracy - total the number of errors in columns 1 and 2 and divide this number by the word count of the text selection. This is the accuracy rate and the level of difficulty for this student. Level of Difficulty y 90% accuracy or less Frustration Level y 90-95% accuracy Instruction Level y 95% accuracy or higher Independent Level Use of Sources of Information - total the number of errors for column 1. This is the number of errors made by the student attempting to use Phonics as a source of information. Total the number of errors for column 2. This is the number of errors the student made when attempting to use Comprehension as a source of information. ______Phonics ______Comprehension

Total the number of corrections in column 3. This is the number of times the student successfully used Phonics as a source of information to make a correction. Total the number of corrections in column 4. This is the total number of times a student successfully used Comprehension as a source of information to make a correction. ______Phonics ______Comprehension

Comprehension Probes y What are some of the most important things you learned reading this text? y Did this text remind you of something else you have read? y Did this text remind you of something that has happened to your or to someone you know? y What might you have done differently if you were a character in this story. y Do you have any questions about what you have read? Choose a minimum of two probes. Continue to probe if the student provides minimal responses. Summarize the responses and record your overall impression. Level of Comprehension ______High Student clearly followed the content or story line and provided details on what was read. ______Medium Student had a basic understanding of the content but was able to provide only minimal detail. ______Low Student was able to provide very little response to the text. Fluency Record an overall impression of fluency. 4 High: phrased reading most of the time; problem solving is rapid. 3 - Some phrased reading, with obvious problem solving and rereading. 2 Word-by-word reading; inconsistent attention to phonics and comprehension. 1 Low: Frequent pausing; mostly word-byword reading; slow problem solving. Overall Impression - record overall impression regarding the strengths and needs that were observed for this student.