Purpose

Effective instruction is based on students' instructional needs. Teaching literacy concepts just because we like them, because they're fun for students, or because they're next in the official scope and sequence can be ineffective, as students' needs go unmet or as students spend precious instructional time relearning familiar concepts. Instruction and assessment need to be tied together in a seamless cycle of assessing, teaching, re-assessing, and more teaching. The purpose of this course is to provide teachers with a variety of formal and informal assessment measures in the areas of reading and writing fluency, comprehension, and attitude. Additionally, teachers will learn how data from these measures is used to select appropriate instructional experiences and materials.

Course Objectives

After completing this course, you will be able to:

• Discuss various models of literacy assessment.
• Discuss the uses and limitations of both formal and informal assessment measures to monitor student's learning in the areas of reading fluency, comprehension, and attitudes towards reading.
• Combine information from multiple sources to identify a student's reading strengths and weaknesses.
• Organize an efficient and informative classroom assessment program.
• Involve students in assessing and communicating their own progress in reading and writing.
• Clearly communicate assessment information to colleagues, administrators, and parents.

Course Topics

• Models of individualized and large-group reading assessments.
• Concepts relating to knowledge of print: its development, assessment, and instructional support.
• The importance of reliability and validity in constructing and interpreting assessment measures.
• How to administer and use information from norm-referenced tests, criterion-referenced tests, formal and informal inventories, student work samples, teacher observations, and other indicators of student progress to inform instruction and learning.
• Understand the appropriate uses of standardized and informal assessments.
• Planning for individual differences such as gender, cultural, language, and social status.
• Compare and contrast testing, assessment, and evaluation and grading practices.
• Read, design, and write a case study.
• Utilizing multiple sources of information for assessment/evaluation purposes such as parents, teachers, students, etc.
• Identifying individual strengths and limitations in reading.
• Utilizing parent conferences, portfolios, and SEPs (Student Educational Plans).
• Identifying the role of technology in assessment and evaluation.

Assignments

• Complete assigned readings and prepared to discuss in class
• Complete an assessment matrix that shows the effectiveness of variety of measures in monitoring students' progress in the areas of reading and writing fluency, comprehension, and attitude.
• Develop a written classroom assessment plan appropriate to your grade level and teaching assignment. Include measures to assess students' fluency, comprehension, and attitude towards reading. Include frequency of data collection, administration procedures, and plans to use the information for instructional decision-making.
• Develop a case study of a struggling reader. Components of the case study will include background information on the student's reading ability and physiological make-up, reading interests, classroom performance, testing data, summary, and recommendations. An example case study will be provided for you to follow.

Bibliography

Barr, M.A., Craig, D.A. , Fisette, D. & Syverson, M.A. (1999). Assessing literacy with the learning record: A handbook for teachers k-6. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Barr, M.A. & Syverson, M.A. (1999). Assessing literacy with the learning record: A handbook for teachers 6-12. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Clay, M.M. (1993). An observation survey of early literacy achievement. Portsmouth: NH: Heinemann.

Glazer, S.M. (1998).Assessment is instruction: Reading, writing, spelling and phonics for all learners. Norwood, MA: Christopher-Gordon.

Hansen, J. (1998). When learners evaluate. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann..

Johnston, P.H. (1997). Knowing literacy: Constructive literacy assessment. York, ME: Stenhouse.

Leslie, L. & Caldwell, J. (1995). Qualitative Reading Inventory II. New York: Longman.

Strickland, K. & Strickland, J. (1999). Making assessment elementary. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Guthrie, J.T. & Wigfield, A. (1997). Reading engagement: motivating readers through integrated instruction. Newark, DE: International Reading Association.

Strickland, K. & Strickland, J. (1998). Reflections on assessment: Its purposes, methods & effects on learning. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.