They learned how to administer and score the SDRT and the oral and silent reading portions of the QRI II, including scoring students' prior knowledge of text topics, answers to comprehension questions, and students' word identification miscues. Four distinctly different types of reading assessments were utilized in order to get a varied profile on each student's reading performance. The ITBS is an achievement test offering a limited look at overall reading performance and no information about decoding strategies. The test passages remain before the reader so it can be scanned for answers. The QRI II comes closer to measuring authentically how students perform as readers do.
Students read aloud and silently graded passages, then answer comprehension questions.
When reading aloud, the examiner records decoding miscues that provide insights into strategies students use. Under both conditions, the examiner also records the time to read a passage as a measure of reading speed. Finally, teachers' ratings of overall student reading performance reflect a vast array of information teachers gather through ongoing observations and tests. Students who might not perform as well under timed conditions or with another teacher might reveal during regular class activities reading strengths and needs important for determining instructional needs. Teachers use these data to plan instruction.