The School District of Philadelphia Office of Assessment Office of Curriculum, Instruction and...

The School District of Philadelphia

Office of Assessment

Office of Curriculum, Instruction and Teacher Development

Literacy Assessment Tools – Grades 4-8

Gates-MacGinitie Reading TestThe Writing and Reading Assessment Profile

(W.R.A.P.)

Gates-MacGinitie Reading Test

The Gates-MacGinite is an assessment that is useful for teachers who need to know the general level of reading achievement and can indicate a starting point for instructional reading.

It does not pinpoint the student’s instructional level.

Gates-MacGinitie Reading Test

Teachers should use actual Guided Reading experiences to provide more detailed information about the student’s reading ability.

The Gates can be used to measure progress and monitor growth over time.

Gates-MacGinitie Reading Test

The Gates-MacGinite alone does not determine a student’s instructional reading level for report cards but does provide information to help teachers make the determination.

Gates-MacGinitie Reading Test

The Gates will help identify which students need additional individual diagnosis and extra support in reading.

The Gates should be given early in the school year and again at the end of the year.

This information will add to your documentation.

Gates-MacGinitie Reading Test

The vocabulary test measures students’ reading vocabulary and word knowledge.

The comprehension test measures students’ ability to read and understand different types of text.

The Gates is a timed test.

The assessment is administered to the whole group.

The practice assessment is read aloud to the students.

The actual test is read silently by the student.

Gates-MacGinitie Reading TestAdministering the Test

Gates-MacGinitie Reading TestAnswer Forms

Pencil or pen may be used to complete answer forms.

Do not erase on the self-scorable answer form.

It is important to use the correct specified form. Use Form S in the Fall and Form T in the Spring.

Self-scorable answer key is directly behind each answer recording sheet.

Gates-MacGinitie Reading TestScoring

Total the correct answers in both the Vocabulary and Comprehension sections to get a raw score.

Gates-MacGinitie Reading TestScoring

Refer to the table of norms in the manual for scoring interpretation for the corresponding form (S or T).

Locate the raw score for vocabulary and follow the line across to the ALL Grades GE column to get the grade equivalent for vocabulary.

Repeat the process for comprehension.

Gates-MacGinitie Reading TestScoring

Total the raw scores for vocabulary and comprehension.

This total will provide a grade equivalent which could indicate a starting point for instruction.

Gates-MacGinitie Reading TestWhen

At least twice a year Beginning and end of the school year

Gates-MacGinitie Reading TestWho

All regular education and special education students and English Language Learners in grades 4 to 8.

Administered by classroom teacher

The Writing and Reading Assessment Profile (W.R.A.P.)

The W.R.A.P. is an individually administered assessment used to assess reading development in grades 4 to 8.

The W.R.A.P. is conducted during one-to-one reading conferences as students read specially selected texts.

The Writing and Reading Assessment Profile (W.R.A.P.)

The W.R.A.P. alone does not determine a student’s instructional level for report cards but does provide information to help teachers make the determination.

The Writing and Reading Assessment Profile (W.R.A.P.)

The W.R.A.P. enables teachers to systematically observe, record, and evaluate change in student reading performance and identify factors that may be preventing a student’s reading growth.

The Writing and Reading Assessment Profile (W.R.A.P.)

The teacher is able to observe and note the reading behaviors the student is using effectively and consistently.

The Writing and Reading Assessment Profile (W.R.A.P.)

The W.R.A.P. is used to provide instructional information so the teacher can determine what kind of instruction will accelerate the student’s reading ability.

The Writing and Reading Assessment Profile (W.R.A.P.)

The W.R.A.P. is used to document and report progress in reading levels and in the ability to use specific skills and strategies.

The Writing and Reading Assessment Profile (W.R.A.P.)

Given to any student for whom more instructional information is needed

Recommended for all students at least twice given during the year to document progress

Administered to students in grades 4 to 8 who are reading more than a year below grade level

The Writing and Reading Assessment Profile (W.R.A.P.)

Plan to administer W.R.A.P. over the first few months of school.

Begin with students for whom you need instructional information

Assess a few students each week, as needed

Administer one more time during the months at the end of the year

The Writing and Reading Assessment Profile (W.R.A.P.)

DO NOT stop teaching for weeks to give individually administered tests to all students just before report cards.

The Writing and Reading Assessment Profile (W.R.A.P.) Administration – Step 1

Have students complete the reading survey

Provides teacher with valuable information about the reading habits and preferences of the students

The Writing and Reading Assessment Profile (W.R.A.P.)Administration – Step 2

Preparing for the Reading Assessment The teacher:

reads through the student cards and chooses the cards and recording sheets

photocopies the recording and writing starter sheets for each student card chosen

Levels are found on the front cover flap

The Writing and Reading Assessment Profile (W.R.A.P.)Administration – Step 3

Teacher chooses the first text passage Provide a brief introduction to the text using the script on the recording sheet

Ask the student to look over the text and illustration or diagrams and to begin reading aloud.

Explain that you will be making notes as they read and will ask questions at the end.

The Writing and Reading Assessment Profile (W.R.A.P.)Administration – Step 4

Recording Oral Reading Behavior As student reads, mark all errors, attempts, and self-corrections on recording form

If you need to tell a student a word, count that word as an error

Write all errors, attempts, and self-corrections above the text.

The Writing and Reading Assessment Profile (W.R.A.P.)Administration – Step 4

Recording Oral Reading Behavior Record an error by writing the attempt above the word in the text.

Record a self-correction by writing sc immediately after the error/ attempt.

If student self-corrects an error, the initial error is not counted.

After listening to child read, check the appropriate box that best describes fluency

The Writing and Reading Assessment Profile (W.R.A.P.)Administration – Step 5

After Reading When the student has finished reading the passage, ask him/her to retell what they have just read.

A good retelling includes numerous facts and ideas from the text.

Record and score the retelling on the recording sheet.

The Writing and Reading Assessment Profile (W.R.A.P.)Administration – Step 5

After Reading Ask three comprehension prompts and use prompts to generate a conversation to help gauge how well student understands text.

Circle 1 if response shows student understood question and provided answers based on content and ideas in passage

Circle 0 if student answers incorrectly

The Writing and Reading Assessment Profile (W.R.A.P.)Administration – Step 5

If a student knows to look back to find an answer, he/she is allowed to do so.

You cannot suggest it to him/her.

Unfortunately, most struggling readers do not use rereading as a strategy for comprehension.

The look back strategy is important and must be taught during whole and small group instruction.

The Writing and Reading Assessment Profile (W.R.A.P.)Administration – Step 5

Students can look back while retelling and answering questions on the W.R.A.P. since we are not using the tool to determine the highest instructional reading level.

The Writing and Reading Assessment Profile (W.R.A.P.)Administration – Step 5

After Reading Continue testing until you determine student’s highest instructional reading level

Send student to quiet spot to complete writing task only for the passage at his/her highest instructional level.

Score the writing sample using the W.R.A.P. Writing rubrics

The Writing and Reading Assessment Profile (W.R.A.P.)Administration – Step 6

Analyzing the Assessment Information Complete the summary and analysis of information you have collected as soon as the comprehension conversation is over

Scan oral reading record and enter errors and self-corrections in the columns to the right of the text

The Writing and Reading Assessment Profile (W.R.A.P.)Administration – Step 6

After Reading Prompts cover four comprehension strategies

RI – Recalls information MI – Makes Inferences DI – Determines Important Ideas SI – Synthesizes Information

The Writing and Reading Assessment Profile (W.R.A.P.)Administration – Step 6

Analyzing the Assessment Information Total the errors and find the accuracy percentage of student’s reading using the conversion table on the sheet

The Writing and Reading Assessment Profile (W.R.A.P.)Administration – Step 6

Analyzing the Assessment Information Check which strategies the student is using

Do attempts look similar? Do attempts sound right? Do attempts make sense? Does the reader monitor for accuracy and meaning?

The Writing and Reading Assessment Profile (W.R.A.P.)Administration – Step 6

Analyzing the Assessment Information

Using both accuracy and comprehension, determine the student’s reading level of the W.R.A.P. passage as suggested in the administrator’s guide.

The Writing and Reading Assessment Profile (W.R.A.P.)Administration – Step 6

Analyzing the Assessment Information Deciding on another passage

If first reading is at the student’s frustration level, try an easier passage

If first reading is at the student’s independent level, try a passage at a higher level.

To determine highest instructional level, continue to test until the student reaches their frustration level.

The Writing and Reading Assessment Profile (W.R.A.P.) – When and Who

When On-going as needed

Who Students in grades 4 to 8 for whom more instructional information is needed

Students who are instructional one or more years below grade level

Recommended that all students have at least two during the year to document progress

The Writing and Reading Assessment Profile (W.R.A.P.) – Next Steps

Use the W.R.A.P. information : To inform next instructional steps

To identify an appropriate range of instructional levels for Guided Reading

With other anecdotal and assessment information to inform the teacher’s determination of the highest instructional level

Contact Information

Arnetta Imes, Lead Academic Coach Office of Curriculum, Instruction and Teacher Development

aimes@phila.k12.pa.us Lyn Bauer, School Growth Specialist

Office of Curriculum, Instruction and Teacher Development

mbauer@phila.k12.pa.us Donna Orenstein, Lead Assessment Coach Office of Assessment

dorenste@phila.k12.pa.us