Heather Frehner

CIL 604-1002
LEXP 4 Assessing Assessments
August 8, 2014
Assessing students is often a double edged sword, seen as a source of frustration by
students and educators alike. All too often, assessment data is collected but not used
appropriately for reasons expanding from lack of time to lack of teacher knowledge and
understanding. As Reilly (2007) so perfectly states, being data rich does not necessarily
translate into being data smart (p. 770). We are expected to assess our students and collect data
about their knowledge and skills, but having all the data in the world means nothing if we arent
using it to influence our teaching.
A great deal of emphasis is placed upon summative assessments as evidenced by the
growth model, which uses CRT scores to determine student growth. While summative
assessments are important for educators to see if students have met grade level standards and
acquired the necessary skills in order to move to the next level, they are not the only assessments
that should be used. Because summative assessments dont naturally allow for educators to shape
their teaching based on the data collected from these assessments, it is important that we are
using formative assessments, as well.
The formative assessment tool found in Figure 1 is an example of something I would use
to assess my students reading skills multiple times throughout the year. This assessment assigns
a point value to different categories of reading skills based on a students self-selected reading
choice. This assessment can help me understand where students are succeeding and where they
are struggling in reading, which, in turn, would allow me to provide intervention strategies in the
key areas that students need the most assistance in.

I would use this Reading Assessment for Self-Selected Reading quarterly during a face to
face conference time with each of my students. We would meet at a library, where students could
select a book they would like to read to me. Depending upon their selection, they would read the
whole book (for shorter, picture books) or an excerpt from the book (for novels and chapter
books). As students read, I would be noting their behaviors, focusing on reading strategies. I
would ask students comprehension questions in order to assess their abilities in that category as
well as in Literacy Skills.
After totaling up a students final score, I could easily see how they are performing as a
reader and in which areas they may need some intervention. By using the same form each quarter
following, I would be able to see if the intervention strategies I have put into place are effective
or not and if students are improving.
At my school, we use iReady (https://cainc.i-ready.com/) to assess students CCSS
mastery. iReady is an adaptive, computer generated assessment that assesses students in ELA
and mathematics. Because it is adaptive, each test is individualized to a students current
abilities, with the questions getting more difficult as students get answers correct and easier as
they get answers incorrect. Each test question is connected to a CCSS, and at the end of the test,
a report is generated with incredibly valuable data for the teacher.
While iReady is considered a summative assessment due to it assessing ALL standards at
once, I often take the data provided and use it to help guide my instruction during the first two of
three times students are required to take these assessments. I can easily see which students
struggle with which standards. This allows me to create smaller instructional groups, focusing on
specific areas of need for each of my students. During their third and final iReady assessment, I

can see if students have learned everything they needed to learn by the end of the year. This
provides insight as to whether the groups and/or strategies I chose to use were effective for my
students.
It is important for me to use the data my assessments provide to help guide my instruction
in order to deliver the best possible education to my students. When assessment and instruction
work together seamlessly and each informs the other, instructional time is maximized and
assessment time is minimalized (Teale, 2008, p. 359).
References

Reilly, M.A. (2007). Choice of action: Using data to make instructional decisions in
kindergarten. The Reading Teacher, 60(8), 770-776.
Teale, W. (2008). What counts? Literacy assessment in urban schools. The Reading Teacher,
62(4), 358-361.

Figure 1
Formative Assessment Tool