Reading Assessments

Which of the following best describes a state assessment?

• A formative assessment used weekly to monitor student progress

• A high-stakes test administered annually to measure student proficiency on state standards

• A teacher-created quiz given at the end of a unit

• A diagnostic tool used to identify specific reading difficulties

Benchmark assessments are typically administered:

• Once a year

• Monthly

• At set intervals, such as fall, winter, and spring

• Only when a student is suspected of having a learning disability

Curriculum-Based Measures (CBMs) are designed to:

• Measure mastery of a single skill at a given time

• Track student progress over time using standardized, brief assessments

• Provide an in-depth analysis of a student’s cognitive processes

• Replace state assessments as the primary measure of student achievement

Which of the following is an example of a diagnostic assessment in reading?

• Running records of miscue analysis

• SAT or Keystone

• State standardized tests

• Classroom discussion participation

A key difference between a benchmark assessment and a diagnostic assessment is:

• Benchmark assessments are used to compare students to grade-level expectations, while diagnostic assessments identify specific skill deficits

• Diagnostic assessments are always state-mandated, while benchmark assessments are optional

• Benchmark assessments only assess fluency, while diagnostic assessments assess comprehension

• There is no real difference between the two

Which of the following assessments would be most appropriate for tracking a student’s progress in reading fluency over time?

• Oral Reading Fluency (Acadience or AIMSweb)

• A state standardized reading test

• A teacher-created multiple-choice exam

• Informal Reading inventory

A formative assessment is different from a summative assessment because:

• It is used for grading purposes only

• It provides immediate feedback to adjust instruction

• It is given at the end of the year

• It does not inform instruction

A teacher wants to assess a student’s phonemic awareness skills. Which assessment type would be most appropriate?

• State assessment

• Diagnostic assessment

• Benchmark assessment

• Summative assessment

Which assessment type would be most useful in determining if an intervention is working for a struggling reader?

• Diagnostic

• Curriculum Based Measure

• State standardized test

• End-of-unit test

The primary purpose of a state assessment in reading is to:

• Identify individual student weaknesses in phonics and phonemic awareness

• Measure school-wide and district-wide student achievement of state standards

• Provide weekly progress-monitoring data for intervention planning

• Replace classroom formative assessments