Ashley Patnaude EDU 744 Professor Deterding April 15, 2012 Case Study Part Three: Using Effective

Assessments Assessments are such an essential part of instruction that truly help to drive what is being taught in the best way possible. In the case of Nancy, assessment is helpful in showing exactly which areas of reading require extra help, as well as progress made during our tutoring semester. Two useful assessments that would help to identify Nancys strengths and weaknesses include the DRA2 and DIBELS. In conjunction with these, two assessments that would help to monitor progress again include DIBELS and also AimsWEB. DRA2 stands for Developmental Reading Assessments Second Edition and is an assessment used to pinpoint students' strengths and abilities as readers in a quick, one-on-one conference. (Pearson Education, 2012). This assessment is categorized by grade range and for Nancy, I would use the K-3 comprehensive package. Students are typically assessed two to three times per year in the areas of reading engagement, oral reading fluency, and reading comprehension. The first and second administrations of the test are formative as they help to inform instruction, while the end of year administration of the DRA2 is summative. To administer the DRA2, I would allow Nancy to choose her book from a small group estimated to be at her level. Next, I would explain the process of this assessment to help Nancy feel more at ease. Once Nancy began to read, I would be

actively listening and jotting down notes about her fluency and accuracy of reading. Once Nancys rate fell within the Emerging/Developing range, I would be able to allow her to write out responses to comprehension questions, with the use of the book. The DRA2 would be helpful in identifying Nancys ability to read fluently and accurately respond to questions about the reading, which are both areas in which she struggles. The DRA2 would provide a starting point to direct my instruction down the correct path. DIBELS would be another beneficial assessment to help me better assist Nancy during tutoring sessions. The University of Oregon created this testing series, which stands for Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills. This assessment follows the National Reading Panels guidelines for the five big ideas necessary in reading instruction, which include: phonemic awareness, alphabetic principle, accuracy and fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. (University of Oregon, 2012). It is recommended that this test be administered three times per year, making the first two assessment sessions formative and the last summative. Administering DIBELS involves an individualized setting. Each of the five sections is a one-minute timed assessment whereby the teacher reads from a script. Because DIBELS tests each of the big five skills, I would be able to learn much more information about Nancys strengths and weaknesses, as well as specific areas of concern. While Nancys grades at school reflect a disconnect in her reading skills, this assessment would show me exactly where the disconnect lies. I have chosen this assessment because DIBELS would be helpful for Nancy by foreshadowing her later reading proficiency.

As important as initial assessments are in regards to planning appropriate instruction for students, progress monitoring is essential in order to track student understanding. DIBELS was mentioned as a useful assessment for identification of literacy issues, I believe it would also be a helpful assessment to track Nancys progress over time. I would assess Nancy using DIBELS on a monthly basis because she is already falling behind in school and requires targeted tutoring in literacy. It would help me to benefit Nancy most by using current assessment feedback. I would keep track by graphing her progress, which I would allow Nancy to see in order to develop confidence and excitement over her literacy gains. Once Ive assessed Nancy, I would be able to discover her specific areas of weakness. It would not be necessary to regularly assess for areas in which Nancy already shows a strong understanding, such as phonemic awareness. DIBELS is also a brief assessment series that would be appropriate for our limited time spent in tutoring, which is just one hour per week. Another assessment that would be useful in monitoring Nancys progress is AIMSweb ProReading, which is not an assessment I have seen or administered in the past. This assessment involves progress monitoring with the use of direct, frequent, and continuous assessment. (NCS Pearson Inc, 2010). This assessment is both formative because it involves strategic monthly monitoring which shows progress. I would also try to assess Nancy with AIMSweb every month. AIMSweb is tied to Response to Intervention, an extremely helpful system providing support for students before pushing them into special education, while also supporting the use of DIBELS. AIMSweb would give me a clear picture of Nancys oral reading fluency,

as well as reading comprehension. It is a curriculum-based measurement, which means , These standardized tests are time efficient and inexpensive, yet produce accurate charts of student growth over time. Tests meet professional standards for reliability and validity. (NCS Pearson Inc, 2010). AIMSweb is helpful in monitoring progress because of the online data management and information reporting programs available, which allow for easy input and analysis of data. This assessment would be beneficial in informing my instruction for Nancy because of the in-depth tracking of literacy skills available. The assessments mentioned in this case study would all contribute to creating a clearer picture of Nancys strengths and weaknesses in literate abilities. I firmly believe I can never have enough data that can inform my instruction in so many ways.

References AIMSweb: Assessment and Data Management for RTI. (2010). Retrieved April 14, 2012 from www.aimsweb.com. Development Reading Assessment: Second Edition DRA2+. (2012). Retrieved April 14, 2012 from www.pearsonschool.com. DIBELS Database System: Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills. (2012). University of Oregon Center on Teaching and Learning. Retrieved April 14, 2012 from https://dibels.uoregon.edu/dibels_what.php.