Screening, diagnostic, progress monitoring, and outcome assessments are used at different stages to evaluate students' reading abilities. Screening assessments are quick tests given to all students to identify those who may need extra help. Diagnostic assessments pinpoint specific areas of weakness to guide intervention. Progress monitoring checks if students are benefiting from intervention. Outcome assessments determine if adequate yearly progress is being made. Examples of assessments discussed include word lists, oral reading fluency tests, running records, and vocabulary flashcards.

1. Assessments
Mary Suralis

2. Screening Assessments
• Used to determine a starting point
• Used to identify students who may need
intervention
• Should be quick and easy
• Given at the beginning of the year or when they
enter the school
• Given to all students
Examples
Word-List Tests are used to determine decoding
ability but may be misleading because they do
not measure comprehension.

3. Examples
Word-List Tests are
lists of words that
gradually increase in
difficulty and are
used to determine
decoding ability but
may be misleading
because they do not
measure
comprehension.
Oral Reading
Fluency (ORF)
Tests are valid
measures used to
screen ELLs for
placement in
special reading
programs and can
be used for native
speakers as well.

4. Diagnostic Assessments
•
•
•
•
Used to pinpoint problem areas
Helps with designing intervention
Can assess strengths and needs
Used after a student does poorly on screening
assessment

5. Examples
Stanford Diagnostic Reading Test, Fourth Edition
• Criterion referenced
• Results in percentile ranks, stanines
Early Reading Diagnostic Assessment
• Criterion referenced
• Used for early grades (K – 3)
Concepts about Print Test (CAP)
• Criterion referenced
• Teacher and student do together
• Also used for screening

6. Progress Monitoring
• Periodic assessments
• Usually informal
• Determines if student is achieving the level of
progress desired
• Determines if there is a need to change the
intervention, continue in the same direction or
release the student

7. Examples
Early Names Test
• Used in assessing grapheme-phoneme
knowledge
• Scored with a matrix to pinpoint areas of need
Running Records
• Informal notes by the teacher
• Records miscues in oral reading

8. Outcome Measurements
•
•
•
•
•
Summative assessments
Determine adequate yearly progress
Administered toward the end of the year
Standardized, norm-referenced
Help to identify school-wide areas of strength
and need

9. Examples
Oral Reading Assessment
• Quickly identifies problem words
• Uses running record style of
assessing
Vocabulary Flash Cards
• Determine vocabulary knowledge
• Used to determine future instruction

10. References
Gunning, T. (2010). Assessing and correcting reading and writing
difficulties. (4th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.
Reutzel, D., & Cooter, Jr., R. (2011). Strategies for reading
assessment and instruction: Helping every child succeed. (4th
ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc.
U. S. Department of Education (n.d.). Best practice for ELL’s:
Screening. Retrieved from
http://www.readingrockets.org/article/28879/
Vogt, M. & Shearer, B. (2011). Reading specialists and literacy
coaches in the real world. (3rd ed.) Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.