Analysis of Reading Assessment Instruments for K - 3

The Analysis of Reading Assessment Instruments was designed to: a) create a process and set of criteria for the adjudication of evidence that meets the intent of the Reading First legislation for the selection of reading assessment instruments, and b) identify a set of scientifically valid, research-based assessment instruments that have sufficient evidence for use as screening, diagnosis, progress monitoring, or outcome measures to assess one or more of the five big ideas in beginning reading for one or more grades K - 3. The work was completed by the Assessment Committee, headed by Dr. Edward Kame'enui at the University of Oregon, and was funded by the National Institute for Literacy.

The Assessment Committee was comprised of some of the very best thinkers, researchers, and assessment experts in the field, who were willing to devote significant time and effort to this project. The wealth of reading and assessment expertise that Committee members brought to this project was impressive, including expertise in: (a) teachers' use of classroom-based assessment to inform instructional planning in reading, (b) intensive interventions for children with severe reading disabilities, (c) a cognitive neuroscientific approach to early development of reading skills, (d) continuous-growth measurement systems, (e) curriculum-based measurement in reading, (f) phonological and alphabetic interventions in kindergarten and first grade, (g) test accommodations for students with disabilities, (h) large-scale testing, (i) the design of instructional strategies in reading for students with diverse learning and curricular needs, and (j) content and performance standards in reading in kindergarten through grade 12.

The Committee members were asked to draw heavily on their experience as researchers, test developers, reading curriculum designers and developers, instructional design experts, professional development experts responsible for preparing teachers and school administrators, and users of many of the assessment instruments selected for review in order to make judgments about the "technical adequacy" of assessment instruments. These judgments required the Committee to: (a) develop technical criteria for evaluating existing reading assessment instruments aligned with the content focus of the Reading First legislation, (b) develop a process for applying the criteria to evaluate a set of reading assessment instruments, and (c) conduct a process for identifying, selecting, and adjudicating the "final selection" of reading assessment instruments that met the technical criteria.

The Assessment Committee reviewed 29 popular assessments and found that 24 of them have sufficient evidence for use as screening, diagnosis, progress monitoring, or outcome measures to assess one or more of the five big ideas in beginning reading for one or more grades K - 3.

To access the complete report as well as analysis results for each assessment, click on the link below.