Chapter 5 Formal assessments of Reading: Individualized Assessment

In this chapter formal individualized assessment was discussed. It compared the different ways testing is scored with raw and percentile scores. Experts prefer standard scores for making comparisons. It also talked about basals and ceilings being established in a test. Achievement and diagnostic tests typically can be used to determine special services because they provide thorough information about the student's domain. Group testing is also referred to as high stakes testing because important decisions are made based on the results. I can make a connection on the high stakes tests because depending on the results of the TAKS the school will be low performing, acceptable, recognized or exemplary. All the schools want to be exemplary but sometimes the scores are not high enough for it to happen. Teachers are expected to create miracles when it comes to TAKS because of high stakes. Teachers work out and beyond expectations but sometimes the students still do not pass. Testing has taken a priority and teachers are exhausted at trying to do everything expected with TAKS and teaching the curriculum along with all the paperwork. Teaching has become so demanding in the upper grade levels that some teachers are leaving the field because of these high stakes tests.

I think assessement is important in all grade levels but sometimes it is to much testing done. The poor students get practice TAKS and then the real TAKS comes along and they are burned out. The students feel it is a waste of time because it is testing the same thing over and over and they could be learning new things instead of testing all the time.

Chapter 4 Informal Assessment: Progress monitoring

As the assessment continuum as the chapter refers it to listed several types of reliability and validity assessments. I was intrigued with all the different types and the formalities of each of them. Between the consistency, raters, consistency among items, parallel or equivalent administration, content validity, construct validity, concurrent validity and predictive validity. So many explanations and on some of them I had no clue what it was about. (OK I am being honest). As a Kindergarten teacher I am familiar with DIBELS. I never administered it because I am a bilingual teacher and it was only done with the English teachers and I could hear the grips every time that they had to do it. I never quite understood why DIBELS in English and nothing in Spanish but when I left Kindergarten the assessment was IDEL for bilingual students and two years later it became Progress Monitoring. I understand that as teachers we have to do assessments and that is part of the job but in my own opinion I think it goes overboard (but that is my personal opinion). I knot that there are benchmarks that we all have to follow and the expectations are there. I have heard about the BRIGANCE assessment with Special Education. I have no clue on what it has and what the expectations are with Sp. Ed students and teachers. The goal of all these types of assessments help us identify children at risk for reading failure and I understand what is behind it but I still think it is to much.

Chapter 3 Informal assessment:forming instruction

Chapter 3 was a very long chapter and I read it through twice. I agreed with Goodman on the most common type of assessment. Teacher observation something I practice throughout the year. I do not think of it as "kidwatching" as Goodman calls it. In the beginning of the year I establish a portfolio on each of my students. The chapter described portfolio assessment as a purposeful collection of student work that tells the story of the student's efforts (Arter & Spandel, 1992). As the year progresses I add to the folder and make comments (I use post it) and just jot something that is important. I have not developed an easier way to make the comments but was told of a suggestion at a teacher inservice and I want to try it for the following school year. I also use a calendar with happy faces to make the parents aware of any problems with their child. I also use it as a positive acknowledgement if the child has done something that is WOW! I write it in the square and most of my parents acknowledge my comments. The chapter described several types of informal and formal assessments teachers use. I personally have never done a running record but when I was a teacher assistant and worked with first grade I became familiar with them. Because I teach PK and have taught Kinder I have never administered running records to my students. According to the readings in the chapter running records provide an authentic assessment. It provides for several reading strategies and what the outcome should be. The reading also emphasized that there should be special considerations in the informal assessment of young children. It focused on teachers should master both the declarative knowledge and procedural knowledge. The declarative being the early reading and child development and the procedural the engaging and motivating the student. I really agreed on the statement that teachers should focus on the student's needs during the early years, not the curriculum, will be most effective in moving the student forward (McGill-Franzen, 2006). I agreed with this statement because I have to meet the student's needs before I can teach them.

Chapter II: Nature of Reading

This chapter discusses several models of Reading. The models discuss that one cannot acquire reading without the skills. One must be able to do one thing before going on the next level. If the reader is struggling with early reading skills he cannot move on and start to read fluently. In the transactional view of reading Rosenblatt addresses the importance of the reader's selective attention during the reading process. I am a firm believer that if a child is struggling with reading he must try to to read something he is familiar with and not be forced to read something he has no clue so that he can be successful.

Chapter 1:Assessment of Reading:The Context

In reading this chapter I can relate to assessing of students. The four teachers all had one thing in common assessments. Teaching reading is a difficult process and some students have a harder time than others in learning to read. I do understand the concept of assessing but sometimes it feels that there is to much of it being done. As TAKS approaches the students are tested, assessed, tested, assessed and in my opinion TAKS comes and the students are burned out. (And including the teachers) Some teachers are frustrated because they are teaching strategies for passing the TAKS and it seems it is all the time. This has taken a propriety over teaching and students are cheated out it. Teachers are expected to be on top of things with TAKS and there is not much room for other things. But in all they are expected to test and assessed to see where the students are. In my opinion, when they do all that assessing what happens then. More assessing and reteaching the same strategies to get them to pass the TAKS. Yes teachers need to know where their students are so they can help them succeed but there must be another way.