This program has helped me develop the most in the areas of assessment and evaluation.

Before enrolling in this program, I had been instructed on how to give running records and

practiced with giving an informal reading inventory. However, this program has expanded my

knowledge on assessment, its importance, and the different ways that we can analyze

assessments to help with reading instruction. It also gave me the opportunity to use several types

of assessments and work on taking the results of those assessments to create lessons and targeted

instruction for students.

Throughout this program, one of the biggest takeaways I’ve had for assessments is being

able to classify assessments and gain a deeper understanding of when to use different type of

assessments to gain a better perspective about our students and their needs. Before this program,

I had only been exposed to discussion about the standardized assessments that schools are

required to take. However, throughout the program, I have seen multiple types of assessments,

have given multiple assessments, and have been able to figure out what assessments I believe are

best to use for my students.

Another way that this program has helped me grow in my knowledge of assessment is

being able to give assessments as a classroom teacher and being able to explain those

assessments and what they show, even as a first year teacher. In this program, I have given many

running records using different methods, used Words Their Way and Ganske’s Developmental

Spelling Analysis, administered the Qualitative Reading Inventory, and I have been able to

analyze different assessment programs that I have used within the school system based on their

validity and reliability. These are all experiences that I would not have had without this program

and they have helped me understand how to analyze results and make instructional decisions that

will benefit students and help with their reading progress.