Assessments should be used to monitor reading comprehension and guide instruction by identifying student strengths and weaknesses. They should be authentic, valid, reliable, and confidential. Formative assessments are used for learning during instruction with low stakes grading, while summative assessments evaluate learning after a unit with high stakes grading. Accommodations on assessments must match a student's IEP or 504 plan and may include changes to delivery, timing, or setting.

1. • All assessments should be authentic, valid, and reliable. This
includes assessing only what has been taught.
• All assessments should remain confidential.
• The purposes of assessments should be clear and
communicated to stakeholders.
The overall role of assessments in reading instruction is to find
where the students are in their reading skills and help them
grow. Assessments help us:
• Monitor comprehension
• Guide instruction
• Monitor strengths and weaknesses
Reading Assessment
Examples of formative
assessments:
• Asking students what letters and
sounds they know before
beginning a lesson
• Observation of students during
instruction
Examples of summative
assessments:
• At the end of a unit, assessing
students on their mastery of
adding "ing" to words
• At the end of a unit, assessing
student mastery of identifying
how many syllables are in words
• Accommodations must be the same as what is outlined in the
student's IEP or 504 Plan.
• May include different delivery methods (oral presentation
instead of written), more time to complete, or the setting in
which an assessment is given.
Formative & Summative Assessment Differences
Formative Summative
• Diagnostic
• An assessment for learning
during instruction
• Grading of formative
assessments are weighted
less; low stakes
• Evaluative
• Assessment OF learning
after a
unit/chapter/semester
• Grading of summative
assessments have higher
weight; high stakes
Accommodations
(Adams, 2021)
Role of Assessments in reading instruction
Ethical Considerations
(Menard, 2012)

2. References
Adams, T. (2021, August 10). Accessibility and
accommodations webinar series part 2: Selecting &
documenting accommodations. [PowerPoint Slides].
Georgia Department of Education.
https://www.gadoe.org/Curriculum-Instruction-and-
Assessment/Assessment/Pages/default.aspx.
Menard, J. (2012, May 28). The importance of assessing
students reading ability. Reading Horizons.
https://www.readinghorizons.com/blog/assessing-
students-reading-ability-individually.