Reading has been identified as one of the key factors in predicting college and career readiness for students. A focus on data-driven instruction also pushes districts to have accurate, actionable data with which to inform instruction. Knowing where your students are when they enter the classroom makes it easier to differentiate instruction so that you are meeting the needs of every student. One tough decision districts face is choosing a reading assessment program for their students. Each district has unique needs, which require careful decision-making. Do you want just an assessment, or do you want an accompanying curriculum? Do you want frequent growth assessments, or just a benchmark? Below are some of the top reading assessment programs available, and a comparison of their features. Each program is aligned to the Common Core Standards.
i-Ready Diagnostic & InstructionUniversal Reading Screener (Raps 360)iLitScholastic Reading Inventory (SRI) College & Career EditionBest Place to Learn More:www.i-Ready.comwww.mindplay.comwww.
redefiningliteracy.comwww.scholastic.com
/sriCost Per student/per site enrollment Available for purchase, or as an annual subscription per student Tiered pricing structure Contact company for Pricing Reading Level Measure Used: Lexile Fleish-Kincaid and Lexile N/A
Grade Levels Assessed: K-12 for Diagnostic, K-8 for Instruction K-12 4-10 K-12 Delivery Format: K-12 for Diagnostic, K-8 for Instruction Online Online browser, iOS, Android, Windows 8 Online browser Delivery Format: N/A N/A 45 languages N/A Delivery Format: Adaptive Diagnostic Adaptive and differentiated assessments and progress monitoring Diagnostic, Formative, and Summative Universal screener of reading ability that tracks growth and proficiency Delivery Format: Proficiency and growth reports at the student, grade, class, school, and district level Achievement, improvement, usage, and progress reports are available by district, school, class, and student. A parent report and error report are also available at the student level Performance benchmark reports for student, class, school, and district level 20 different reports available for teachers, students, and administrators, including growth, planning, proficiency, and activity Delivery Format: Online & on site Online & on site Online & on site Online & on site as well as customized packages Delivery Format: i-Ready combines an adaptive diagnostic with personalized student online instruction and teacher-led instruction. The adaptive diagnostic pinpoints student needs down to the sub-skill level and generates a combination of online instruction and downloadable teacher-led lessons that are unique to each student’s diagnostic result, in addition to providing targeted skill instruction support through mobile apps. These individualized instructional plans are easy to understand, differentiate instruction, and support blending learning. Universal Reading Screener (RA PS 360) is a diagnostic reading assessment program that automatically tests and diagnoses basic reading skills and weaknesses. It measures student reading behaviors using eight diagnostic tests. These assessments are grouped into three test sets that provide either detailed diagnostics or a quick progress check. Depending on the test set and student performance, students may take as few as one or as many as six assessment and diagnostic tests. The adaptive and automated program develops student prescriptions for improvement and generates instant reports for individuals, classes, schools, and districts. iLit is built and delivered digitally, and offers students personalized learning support based on their own instructional needs, with engaging interactivities and built-in reward systems that motivate and track progress. iLit utilizes grade level books coupled with lessons, assignments, and activities differentiated for students. Assessments and practice plans are adapted based on the students’ performance. Scholastic Reading Inventory (SRI) is a computeradaptive reading assessment program for students in grades K–12 that measures reading comprehension on the Lexile Framework for Reading. SRI has the ability to administer fast and reliable low-stakes assessment to inform instruction and make accurate placement recommendations. With SRI, educators can: support an RTI Framework Reporting on a developmental scale; assess with progress monitoring for Tier I and Tier III; receive a Native Lexile Score; forecast growth toward state goals when those goals are aligned to the Lexile Framework; forecast individual and group outcomes; demonstrate accountability with 20 reports that provide clear actionable data. SRI also provides 6 bilingual school-to-home letters to help educators communicate learning goals to parents and guardians.
myONMeasures of AcademicProgress (MAP); MAP forPrimary GradesLexia Reading Core5Total ReaderBest Place to LearnMore:http://thefutureinreading
.myon.com/
results/produces
-measurable-
result www.nwea.orghttp://lexialearning.
com/product
/core5 https://www.
totalreader.comCost Tiered pricing structure Per student Multiple licensing options available Per student Reading LevelMeasure Used: Lexile RIT (proprietary scale developed on Item Response Theory); Lexile report provided Norm-referenced and criterion-referenced measures correlated to DIBELS, aimsweb, MAP and GRA DE Lexile Grade LevelsAssessed: Pre K-12 K-12 Pre K-5 3 and above Delivery Format: Online browser, iOS, Android, Chrome, Kindle Fire Online Online/browser, iPad app, Android app Online browser AlternateLanguagesAvailable: Spanish N/A Spanish instructions N/A Type ofAssessment: Growth Growth and Normative Progress monitoring and diagnostic Lexile level proficiency and growth Types of ReportsAvailable: 15 different Lexile benchmarks for growth and student reading trajectory at student, class, building, and district level Immediate feedback to students, teachers, and administrators; teacher reports show student groupings; administrator reports can include projected proficiency on state tests; normative reporting allows educators to set goals and plan learning pathways Reports for individual, class, grade, school, and district levels include a predictor of year-end performance, recommended number of minutes to reach end-of-year targets, recommended lessons for students, as well as gains toward benchmarks, skills, and sub-skills Student through district level reporting of current Lexile measures, Lexile growth, number of passages accessed (with fiction/nonfiction distinction), reading group assignment, and targeted reading ranges Training Available: Online & on site Online & on site Web-based Webinars, asynchronous online training, and on site Web-based DistinguishingFeatures: myOn provides over 8,000 books with assessment, digital literacy tools, and metrics. myOn offers both offline and online reading options, and creates individual dashboards for students based on their specific interests and reading abilities. After an initial Lexile Placement Exam and Interest Inventory, myON generates a recommended book list from which students can choose books at their level that interest them. Optional end-ofbook quizzes assist with comprehension, inference skills, and higher-order thinking skills, and benchmarks tests are used to assess reading growth. After 2 benchmarks are taken, students and teachers are able to forecast their reading growth as well. Newly released literacy tools are also available to support the development of active reading skills in learners and provide educators with an opportunity to model, review, and evaluate learning activities, all inside the myON environment. MAP is a research-based, reliable, and accurate tool for measuring academic achievement and growth over time. Additional assessments available cover language usage, math (in both English and Spanish), and science. Through the RIT score, MAP connects to online learning resources through partnerships with Gooru Learning and Khan Academy; additionally, the score can be used to direct student learning with Compass Learning, Triumph Learning, Edgenuity, and many other curriculum providers. The RIT scale measures growth even during transitions to new state standards. The national norms are based on a nationally representative sample of scores from millions of students, and provide educators with data that gives valuable insights into individual student achievement and projected growth (percentile rank and projected growth). This can be used to help set learning goals and track a student’s trajectory toward those goals. Lexia Reading Core5 offers embedded assessment technology which gathers student performance data without administering a test, using norm- and criterion-referenced measurements that are highly correlated to, and highly predictive of, student outcomes on commonly used measures. Lexia Reading Core5 is a technology-based reading program for students of all abilities from pre-kindergarten through grade five. Designed to accelerate fundamental literacy skills development, the program provides an adaptive, personalized learning path for each student, with scaffolding and explicit instruction that support students if they struggle. It provides structured, skill-specific lessons, which offer step-by-step strategies for teachers or paraprofessionals specific to each student’s skill gaps. This ensures that the appropriate skill gaps are being addressed with targeted resources when students are struggling. The program simplifies differentiated instruction, enabling at-risk students to close the reading gap more quickly while allowing on-level and advanced students to continue to progress. Total Reader is an online reading assessment program that is specifically designed to encourage reading progress throughout a student’s education. Its adaptive diagnostic technology ensures that students only read content at the best level for reading growth. Students are engaged by the stories and motivated as they watch their Lexile measures increase. Students choose from a wide variety of fiction and nonfiction passages. Total Reader is untimed, so students can learn without anxiety. A learner-centered dashboard has been added to Total Reader which visually engages students by helping them understand their reading ability in relation to grade level standards and the standard they will need for college or a career. Lexile measures are a powerful tool that can be used in many ways to help promote reading growth. Whether it’s helping a reader rise to grade level standards, tracking students based on Common Core standards, or helping students prepare for the SAT or ACT exams, Total Reader can play a valuable role.
