Test of Reading Comprehension
   By: Sami Napier & Sabrina Richardson
   To identify students whose scores are
    significantly below those of their peers and who
    might need interventions designed to improve
    reading comprehension
   To determine areas of relative strength and
    weakness across reading comprehension abilities
   To document overall progress in reading
    development as a consequences of interventions
    programs
   To serve as a measure for research efforts
    designed to investigate reading comprehension
   Ages, 0-7 and 11-17
   Able to understand directions of subtests
   Able to formulate the necessary responses
   Able to read English
   No time limits
   The entire test varies from 30 minutes to 90
    minutes
   The average time being an hour
   Each subtest generally takes 5-15 minutes
   Shorten testing time
   Avoid giving readers items that are too
    difficult
   Purpose: to measure the reader’s
    understanding of vocabulary that is related to
    a general concept
   Description: 25 vocabulary questions
   Ceiling: reached when three (3) items in any
    five-item sequence have been answered
    incorrectly
   Purpose: to measure the reader’s
    understanding of meaningfully similar but
    syntactically different sentence structures
   Description: 20 questions
   Ceiling: reached when three (3) items in any
    five-item sequence have been answered
    incorrectly
   Purpose: ability to answer questions related to
    the paragraph
   Description: 6 paragraphs with 5 questions
    each
        The first question requires the student to choose the best
         title that conveys the overall theme
        The second and fifth questions recall story details
        The third question makes an inference
        The fourth question makes a negative inference
   Ceiling: reached when two items or more
    questions for any story are answered
    incorrectly
   Purpose: measure the ability to order
    sentences into a paragraph
   Description: 10 test questions
        Consisting of 5 randomly ordered sentences and the
         reader has to put them in the correct order to form a
         paragraph
   Ceiling: reached when any two items in a row
    have a score of 3 or lower
   Purpose: understanding of mathematics
    vocabulary
   Description: 25 test questions
   Ceiling: reached when three (3) items in any
    five-item sequence have been answered
    incorrectly
   Purpose: understand social studies
    vocabulary
   Description: 25 test questions
   Ceiling: reached when three (3) items in any
    five-item sequence have been answered
    incorrectly
   Purpose: understanding of science vocabulary
   Description: 25 test questions
   Ceiling: reached when three (3) items in any
    five-item sequence have been answered
    incorrectly
   Purpose: measures understanding of written
    directions commonly found in schoolwork
   Description: 25 test questions
        Consist of a printed command that the student has to
         carry out on the answer sheet
   Ceiling: no ceiling, all items should be
    accepted
   Raw Scores: total number of points correct
    for each subtest
   Grade Equivalent: Indicates the reading
    comprehension grade level that corresponds
    to the raw score made by the student
   Age Equivalent: Indicates the age level that
    corresponds to the raw score made by the
    student
   Percentiles: Represent a value on a scale of
    100 that indicates the percentage of the
    distribution that is equal or below the value.
      Example: 90% of a 12 year old indicates that 90 % of the
       sample at that age scored at or below the raw score.
   Subtest Standard Scores: These scores
    provide the clearest indication of a person’s
    subtest performance.
      Example: Standard score is 8 they are considered
       average and approximately half (49.50%) of the
       population is average
         Standard Score   Description     % of Age Included
         17-20            Very Superior   2.27
         15-16            Superior        6.86
         13-14            Above Average   16.12
         8-12             Average         49.50
         6-7              Below Average   16.12
         4-5              Poor            6.86
         1-3              Very Poor       2.27
   The Reading Comprehension Quotient
    (RCQ):combination of General Vocabulary,
    Syntactic Similarities, Paragraph Reading, and
    Sentence Sequencing
    Most reliable, valid, and useful measure of
    reading comprehension
         Quotient    Description     % Age Included
         >130        Very Superior   2.27
         121-130     Superior        6.86
         111-120     Above Average   16.12
         90-110      Average         49.50
         80-89       Below Average   16.12
         70-79       Poor            6.86
         < 70        Very Poor       2.27
1.   All subtest scores fall in a fairly narrow range
     varying no more than 3 to 5 standard score
     points. This means that the reader is
     consistent in their reading competence.
2.   Readers perform higher on reading
     comprehension score subtests than on one or
     more of the diagnostic supplements.
3.   A reader performs significantly lower on one of
     the reading comprehension core subtests.
4.   A reader is inconsistent across the subtests.
   Reading comprehension is a complex mental
    ability
    TORC-3 subtests were correlated with the
    total scores of two intelligence tests
    ◦ Short-Form Test of Academic Aptitude
    ◦ Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised
   The previous TORC test received negative
    criticism because it failed to describe the
    characteristics of the normative sample in
    regards to ethnicity, race and disabling
    conditions. These issues were corrected in
    the TORC-3

Torc 3 final

  • 1.
    Test of ReadingComprehension By: Sami Napier & Sabrina Richardson
  • 2.
    To identify students whose scores are significantly below those of their peers and who might need interventions designed to improve reading comprehension  To determine areas of relative strength and weakness across reading comprehension abilities  To document overall progress in reading development as a consequences of interventions programs  To serve as a measure for research efforts designed to investigate reading comprehension
  • 3.
    Ages, 0-7 and 11-17  Able to understand directions of subtests  Able to formulate the necessary responses  Able to read English
  • 4.
    No time limits  The entire test varies from 30 minutes to 90 minutes  The average time being an hour  Each subtest generally takes 5-15 minutes
  • 7.
    Shorten testing time  Avoid giving readers items that are too difficult
  • 8.
    Purpose: to measure the reader’s understanding of vocabulary that is related to a general concept  Description: 25 vocabulary questions  Ceiling: reached when three (3) items in any five-item sequence have been answered incorrectly
  • 10.
    Purpose: to measure the reader’s understanding of meaningfully similar but syntactically different sentence structures  Description: 20 questions  Ceiling: reached when three (3) items in any five-item sequence have been answered incorrectly
  • 12.
    Purpose: ability to answer questions related to the paragraph  Description: 6 paragraphs with 5 questions each  The first question requires the student to choose the best title that conveys the overall theme  The second and fifth questions recall story details  The third question makes an inference  The fourth question makes a negative inference  Ceiling: reached when two items or more questions for any story are answered incorrectly
  • 14.
    Purpose: measure the ability to order sentences into a paragraph  Description: 10 test questions  Consisting of 5 randomly ordered sentences and the reader has to put them in the correct order to form a paragraph  Ceiling: reached when any two items in a row have a score of 3 or lower
  • 16.
    Purpose: understanding of mathematics vocabulary  Description: 25 test questions  Ceiling: reached when three (3) items in any five-item sequence have been answered incorrectly
  • 18.
    Purpose: understand social studies vocabulary  Description: 25 test questions  Ceiling: reached when three (3) items in any five-item sequence have been answered incorrectly
  • 20.
    Purpose: understanding of science vocabulary  Description: 25 test questions  Ceiling: reached when three (3) items in any five-item sequence have been answered incorrectly
  • 22.
    Purpose: measures understanding of written directions commonly found in schoolwork  Description: 25 test questions  Consist of a printed command that the student has to carry out on the answer sheet  Ceiling: no ceiling, all items should be accepted
  • 24.
    Raw Scores: total number of points correct for each subtest  Grade Equivalent: Indicates the reading comprehension grade level that corresponds to the raw score made by the student  Age Equivalent: Indicates the age level that corresponds to the raw score made by the student  Percentiles: Represent a value on a scale of 100 that indicates the percentage of the distribution that is equal or below the value.  Example: 90% of a 12 year old indicates that 90 % of the sample at that age scored at or below the raw score.
  • 25.
    Subtest Standard Scores: These scores provide the clearest indication of a person’s subtest performance.  Example: Standard score is 8 they are considered average and approximately half (49.50%) of the population is average Standard Score Description % of Age Included 17-20 Very Superior 2.27 15-16 Superior 6.86 13-14 Above Average 16.12 8-12 Average 49.50 6-7 Below Average 16.12 4-5 Poor 6.86 1-3 Very Poor 2.27
  • 26.
    The Reading Comprehension Quotient (RCQ):combination of General Vocabulary, Syntactic Similarities, Paragraph Reading, and Sentence Sequencing  Most reliable, valid, and useful measure of reading comprehension Quotient Description % Age Included >130 Very Superior 2.27 121-130 Superior 6.86 111-120 Above Average 16.12 90-110 Average 49.50 80-89 Below Average 16.12 70-79 Poor 6.86 < 70 Very Poor 2.27
  • 30.
    1. All subtest scores fall in a fairly narrow range varying no more than 3 to 5 standard score points. This means that the reader is consistent in their reading competence. 2. Readers perform higher on reading comprehension score subtests than on one or more of the diagnostic supplements. 3. A reader performs significantly lower on one of the reading comprehension core subtests. 4. A reader is inconsistent across the subtests.
  • 31.
    Reading comprehension is a complex mental ability  TORC-3 subtests were correlated with the total scores of two intelligence tests ◦ Short-Form Test of Academic Aptitude ◦ Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised
  • 32.
    The previous TORC test received negative criticism because it failed to describe the characteristics of the normative sample in regards to ethnicity, race and disabling conditions. These issues were corrected in the TORC-3

Editor's Notes

  • #31 The torc-3 is a reading comprehension test.  Fairly flat profile- All subtest scores fall in a fairly narrow range varying no more than 3 to 5 standard score points. This means that the reader is consistent in their reading competence. It can indicate above-average, average, or below-average reading ability. Readers perform higher on reading comprehension score subtests than on one or more of the diagnostic supplements. This usually means they have not been taught or benefited from instruction in social studies, science, or mathematics. The third pattern occurs occasionally. A reader performs significantly lower on one of the reading comprehension core subtests. A reading is inconsistent across the subtests.