Reading Proficiency in Elementary: Considering Statewide Testing, Teacher Ratings and Rankings, and Reading Curriculum-Based Measurement

Abstract

Determining the reading proficiency of elementary students is important in the prevailing educational climate of accountability in the United States. Collecting information about reading proficiency can be accomplished using a range of assessment approaches. This article examines the extent to which reading proficiency can be determined across two types of measures—curriculum-based measurement (CBM) and teacher judgment. Using a representative statewide sample of 980 students in kindergarten through sixth grade and their 51 homeroom teachers, concurrent data were collected on Iowa Assessments–Reading, Dynamic Indicators for Basic Early Literacy Skills Next CBMs, and teacher judgments of reading proficiency. Results showed that teachers rated students as proficient readers with high levels of accuracy and Dynamic Indicators for Basic Early Literacy Skills Next CBMs were relatively more accurate for identifying students at risk for reading problems. Recommendations presented here support using teacher and direct assessments for data-based decision making and instructional planning.