Classroom Assessment (Complete As a Small Group Or Pairs)

RE 3030 Internship Assignment

Work in small groups or pairs in an upper grade classroom (2nd, 3rd, 4th, or 5th) for (a.1) spelling (classroom assessment) and (a.2) Word Recognition Inventory (WRI) (individual assessment). Work in pairs in Kindergarten or first grade for (b) Early Reading Screening Inventory (ERSI) (individual assessment).

Classroom assessment (Complete as a small group or pairs)

(a.1) Estimating instructional levels for spelling:

Purpose: The purpose of this class assessment is threefold. First, such an evaluation allows you to see the range of spelling development across a single class. (This information can be used to establish instructional groups. And such measures, if given both early and late in the year, can provide reliable evidence of growth.) Second, such an evaluation allows you—if checked against reading performance—to see relationships between word knowledge as represented in both spelling and reading ability. Third, by analyzing error features at students’ instructional levels you can determine what features are being “used but confused” and thus are appropriate for word study.

Give a diagnostic classroom spelling assessment

(1) Using the Qualitative Inventory of Word Knowledge (Short Form). Once the assessment has been given,

(2) Determine the instructional level of each child in the class.

(3) Record these on class ranking sheet (below).

(4) Please ask your host teacher to look at these rankings by spelling level to see if they correspond generally to the reading levels within the class. (That is, are the high, middle, and low spellers also the high, middle, and low readers?)

(5) Write a brief discussion of your findings for the class—summarize the range and levels. Select a group of students (roughly same level), describe the features that they are missing, and describe the word study focus for that group and why you think that should be the focus.

Giving the Qualitative Inventory of Word Knowledge, Short Form:

Grade 2: Give lists I, II, and III.

Grade 3: Give lists I, II, and III.

Grade 4: Give lists II, II, and IV

Grade 5: Give lists II, III, IV, and V

Scoring the Qualitative Inventory

Grade each of the students’ spelling tests separately. Based on the number correct, determine the instructional level for each test (see scoring guidelines below).

Word Study Grouping: 1) When instructional levels have been determined, place student names in the columns in the Word Study Grouping sheet (below) by the lists at which they are instructional (use the highest level at which they were instructional). If there are students who only have a frustration level score on the lowest level list [and no instructional level score on any list], place their names in the below lowest instructional level column. For students who have only independent level scores on the list(s) administered, place their names in the above highest instructional level column. 2) Consult with the teacher to see how well these groupings match with her grouping of students by reading ability. (Determine if the Word Study groupings match exactly, match pretty well, more or less match, or don’t match at all.)

Qualitative Inventory of Word Knowledge (Short Form)

Schlagal 2003

K-Early I Level III

1. feet 1. scream

2. step 2. noise

3. back 3. stepping

4. junk 4. count

5. picking 5. careful

6. mail 6. chasing

7. side 7. batter

8. chin 8. caught

9. dress 9. thirsty

10. peeked 10. trust

11. lamp 11. knock

12. road 12. send

Level I Level IV

1. plane 1. popped

2. drop 2. plastic

3. trap 3. cable

4. wish 4. gazed

5. ship 5. cozy

6. bump 6. scurry

7. bed 7. preparing

8. sister 8. stared

9. bike 9. slammed

10. drive 10. cabbage

11. girl 11. gravel

12. when 12. sudden

Level II Level V

1. train 1. explosion

2. thick 2. justice

3. chase 3. compare

4. trapped 4. settlement

5. dress 5. measure

6. queen 6. suffering

7. cloud 7. needle

8. short 8. preserve

9. year 9. honorable

10. shopping 10. lunar

11. cool 11. offered

12. stuff 12. normal

[Scoring guidelines: Four or fewer words correct represents the frustration level; 5 to 10 correct is the instructional level; 11 or 12 correct is the independent level.]

Word Study Grouping

(Instructional Levels on Qualitative Inventory)

(Enter the child’s name in the column reflecting his highest instructional level. Use the scoring guide from the QIWK above. For K and early 1st, use the K-Early First scoring guide, and consult with Dr. Trathen about levels.)

Instr. Level _____ Instr. Level _____ Instr. Level _____

______

Instr. Level_____ Below lowest Instr. Level Above highest Instr. Level

______

(a.2) Determining automatic word recognition ability using the WRI

Purpose: The broad purpose of the class assessment (above) is to see patterns of relative strength and weakness in a single classroom. Such information can be helpful in establishing instructional groups. The individual assessment is designed to take a careful and detailed look at patterns of strength and weakness in an individual child. This very detailed diagnostic information can be used to make both general and highly specific adjustments to instruction.

With the teacher’s help, select one child (from the grade where you conducted the spelling assessment) to test using the ASU Word Recognition Inventory (abbreviated as WRI). This test is administered individually—one child at a time. If you are working in small groups or pairs, observe each other conduct the test. Also, if in pairs you may select a different grade for the other child(ren) to test. Check with Dr. Trathen on how you might do this.

(1) Administer the WRI and fill out the score sheets. Then, summarize the scores in the table below. Identify instructional level, if you can. (The child will either be at instruction level for the levels of words you are testing or below (frustration level) or above (independent level). Please indicate what the WRI scores predict.

Student’s First Name: / Grade:

Graded Level of List

/ Flash Score % / Untimed Score %

Preprimer

Primer
First Grade
Second Grade
Third Grade
Fourth Grade
Fifth Grade
Sixth Grade
Flash Scores Indicate Student is Instruction at: ______
Flash Scores Indicate Student is Independent at: ______
Flash Scores Indicate Student is Frustration at: ______

(2) Based on the WRI, write a fully developed paragraph indicating the child’s instructional level and how you arrived at it. Do you know the child’s independent or frustration levels? Describe the strengths and weaknesses in the child’s automatic word recognition and decoding. Given these data, in what level texts do you think the child should be reading?

(3) Explain how you might use this assessment in the future.

See the directions below for information on how to administer the WRI.
ADMINISTERING THE ASU WORD RECOGNITION INVENTORY (WRI)

ASU WORD RECOGNITION TEST

a. Starting point: Begin all students at the Preprimer level.

b. Administration: Words in the WRI booklet are “flashed” using stiff cards to cover the words and then reveal them each in turn for approximately 1/3-1/2 second. (Or alternatively a computer presentation may be used for the flash.) If the response is correct, proceed to the next word. If the response is incorrect, separate the cards to expose the missed word and ask the child to “take another look” or use the computer button to display the word a second time. After another response or no response, flash the next word.

c. Marking the examiner’s sheet: Correct responses on the flash receive no written mark. If the student mispronounces or says an incorrect word on the flash presentation, write the exact response on the answer sheet. If the student does not provide a word in response to the flash presentation, mark DK in the flash column. If the correct response is given during the untimed presentation, place a check mark in the untimed column. If an incorrect response is given on the untimed presentation, write the response in the untimed column. No response is again recorded as a DK. If a student hesitates significantly on flash (1 or more seconds) before giving the correct answer, mark an H in the flash column. You may leave the untimed column unmarked because the flash response was correct. The flash hesitation will be counted as an error in flash.

EXAMPLE

Level: 3rd Flash Untimed

1. accept asset DK

2. favor flavor ______

3. seal H ______

4. buffalo ______

5. slipper DK sipper

d. Stopping point: Stop the administration of the test when the flash score drops to 50% or below.

e. Scoring: Each possible response represents 5%. To score each level of the test, count the number of errors in the flash column. For each error, subtract 5 points from a possible score of 100. For example, 6 errors would give a flash score of 70% of the words correct. To figure the untimed score count the number of check marks in the untimed column. For each check add 5 points to the flash score to arrive at the untimed score. For example, a student who scores 70% on the flash portion and gives 4 correct responses on the untimed portion of the test would have a score of 90%.

f. Interpretation: Scores of 50% or below on the flashed administration indicate a Frustration level. Scores between 65 and 85 % indicate an Instructional level. Scores between 90 and 100% indicate an Independent level.

(b) Determining basic print knowledge using the ERSI

Purpose: This individual assessment is designed to take a careful and detailed look at patterns of strength and weakness in an individual child. The test is designed to give you information about a child’s basic knowledge about print. This very detailed diagnostic information can be used to make both general and highly specific adjustments to instruction.

With the teacher’s help, select one child (from Kindergarten or a low-level first grader) to test Early Reading Screening Instrument (abbreviated as ERSI). This test is administered individually—one child at a time. If you are working in small groups or pairs, observe each other conduct the test.

(1) Administer the ERSI and fill out the score sheet.

(2) Based on the ERSI results, describe relative strengths and weaknesses in different areas, paying special attention to the alphabet knowledge and phoneme awareness subtests. What would help this child continue to grow?

Follow the directions on your QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE for instructions on how to administer the Early Reading Screening Instrument. Remember to look at chapter 2 in Morris text for more information and instructions on how to administer and interpret this test.

All of these assessments are part of the TaskStream assignment for RE 3030. You will collect the data and then fill out the appropriate forms (see our class Web Page) for each assessment. These forms are MSWord documents that you fill out and save. Then you can load them into your TaskStream portfolio and write a rationale for the assignment. See our class Web Page for a model of the rationale.
Randomized Alphabet for Dictation

Early Kindergarten

(From Morris, 2000)

A F K P W Z

B H O J U C

Y L Q M D N

S X I E G R

V T