Assessment Classroom Implications

Teachers and administrators who regard assessment as informative, select and administer assessments according to the needs of individual students. They conduct ongoing evaluations of student progress to help them plan instruction. Parents, teachers, and administrators are kept abreast of every child's reading progress based on such assessment and evaluations. Children who reveal serious problems in reading often need further assessment. However, the following assessment and evaluations should be used with all children:

screening assessments: During kindergarten and first grade, every student is screened for phonemic awareness, alphabetic knowledge and understanding of basic language concepts.

informal assessments: On a regular basis, children are informally assess to determine if they are making adequate progress. These assessments can include measures of reading rate and accuracy and story retellings. These assessments are used as a basis for adjusting instruction to the needs of each child.

rubrics: Teachers and students are involved in determining measurement tools based on learning outcomes.

running records: On a regular basis, children's reading is analyzed for miscues to determine educational teaching and needs.

end-of-year assessments: Every student is assessed at the end of the school year to inform parents, teachers, and administration about student progress. These assessments are used to make plans to meet the needs of children and of the school population in the following year.