AUTHENTIC ASSESSMENT OF READING

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IDENTIFY PURPOSE
There are four major purposes for classroom-based assessment of reading (Johns 1982):

1. Studying, evaluating, or diagnosing reading behavior. 2. Monitoring student progress. 3. Supplementing and confirming information gained from standardized and criterion-referenced test. 4. Obtaining information not available from other sources.

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For second language learners, other purposes of reading

assessment are:

1. Initial identification and placement of students in need of

a language-based program, such as ESL or bilingual education. 2. Movement from one level to another within a given program. 3. Placement out of an ESL/bilingual program and into grade level classroom. 4. Placement in a Chapter 1 (Title 1) or special education classroom. 5. Graduation from high school.
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PLAN FOR ASSESSMENT

After identifying purposes for assessment, we begin to outline your major instructional goals or learning outcomes and match these to your learning activities.

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INVOLVE STUDENTS
Students become partners in the assessment process when they are encouraged to engage in self-assessment and peer assessment. Student reflection is a vital element of authentic assessment.

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SELF ASSESSMENT
Self-assessment, while not graded by teacher, help both teachers and student become aware of students attitude, strength, weaknesses in reading (Routman 1994). Selfassessment of reading can take various format. Among these are: checklists, rating scales, scoring rubrics, question/answer, sentence completion, learning logs, and reflection logs

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Self-assessment of emergent reading:

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PEER ASSESSMENT
To involve students in peer assessment, teachers can ask them to rate their peer reading comprehension levels and attitudes toward reading discussion groups. Teachers will have to model for ELL students how to use guiding questions or statements.

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The following question might be used to get students to provide peer feedback to a partner or group during story retelling (adapted from Tierney; Carter, and Desai 1991): What did you like best about your partners story? What could your partner have done better? Suggest one thing for your partner to work on for his or her next story retelling.

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DEVELOP RUBRICS/SCORING PROCEDURES

Develop initial criteria by which students reading progress will be measured before using instructional activities for assessment.

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SET STANDARDS
Standards for reading comprehension can be set by establishing cut-off scores on scoring rubric or reading scale.

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