Reading Achievement Test Research Articles

The relationship between children‘s reading ability, verbal and fluid intelligence and measurements of eye movements during reading

The aim of this study was to clarify, which of the following two measures: verbal intelligence or measurements of eye movements, is better predictor of reading ability. In addition, the study also investigated the relationships between reading ability, fluid intelligence and measurements of eye movements. Participants of the study (N = 28; mean age = 8.80; SD = .41; 54% boys) were assessed in reading with LMST-I Reading achievement test, verbal and fluid intelligence was measured using two scales – Verbal Comprehension and Perceptual reasoning – from Latvian edition of Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children Fourth Edition (WISC- IV, Latvian version), as well as eye tracking was made during reading. The results show that reading ability is better predicted by fixation duration and fixation count measurements of eye movements for 8-9 old children, whereas verbal ability in general does not predict reading ability. The better link with level of reading is provided by measurements of eye movements, but not so accurately reflected by verbal ability in appropriate age group, when the acquisition of reading ability still continues. No relationships among children‘s fluid intelligence, reading ability and measurements of eye movements were reported.

Toward educational testing reform: Inside reading achievement tests

The commentary (1) uses the U. S. National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) as a prototype for examining standardized reading achievement tests at the item level, and (2) sketches an alternative based on an initiative underway in the United Kingdom.

Toward Educational Testing Re-Form: Inside Reading Achievement Tests

The paper (1) uses the U. S. National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) as a prototype for examining standardized reading achievement tests at the item level, and (2) sketches an alternative based on an initiative underway in the United Kingdom.

Working Memory and Dynamic Measures of Analogical Reasoning as Predictors of Children's Math and Reading Achievement

Working memory and inductive reasoning ability each appear related to children's achievement in math and reading. Dynamic measures of reasoning, based on an assessment procedure including feedback, may provide additional predictive value. The aim of this study was to investigate whether working memory and dynamic measures of analogical reasoning are unique predictors of children's concurrent and subsequent reading and math achievement. School children (N = 188, M = 7.1 years, SD = 11 months) were administered a dynamic test of analogical reasoning comprising a pretest‐training‐posttest design. Pretest performance measures static reasoning ability, whereas posttest performance and feedback‐needs during training are considered dynamic measures. Verbal and visuo‐spatial working memories were assessed prior to dynamic testing. Performance on national reading and math achievement tests were gathered at two time points within one school year. A multilevel mixed‐effects model indicated that verbal (but not visuo‐spatial) working memory and dynamic reasoning measures formed unique predictors of concurrent and subsequent achievement in math and reading. Verbal working memory efficiency and performance on a dynamic test of analogical reasoning were both positively related to math and reading achievement in children in kindergarten, first grade and second grade. Dynamic assessment, in addition to working memory assessment, may be useful for educational psychologists when attempting to gauge children's future school performance. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Defining MCI in the Framingham Heart Study Offspring

Psychometric definitions of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) typically use cut-off levels set at 1.5 SDs below age-adjusted and education-adjusted norms, assuming that the education adjustment accounts for premorbid abilities. However, noncognitive factors impact educational attainment, potentially leading to incorrect categorization as MCI. We examined whether using an adjustment based on reading performance [Wide Range Achievement Test (WRAT) Reading] improved MCI diagnostic accuracy. A total of 935 Framingham Offspring (mean age, 72±5 y) underwent tests of memory, executive function, abstraction, language, and visuospatial function as part of a neuropsychological test battery. Domain-specific test scores were regressed onto age and WRAT score, or education, to define MCI. Survival analyses were used to relate baseline MCI to incident dementia. The 2 MCI definitions differed most for the lowest and highest education groups. The WRAT definition was more strongly associated with incident dementia for all 5 tests. MCI level abstraction performance was associated with incident dementia using the WRAT definition (HR=3.20, P=0.033), but not the education definition (HR=1.19, P=0.814). The WRAT should be considered along with the standard measure of years of education, as it may be a better surrogate marker of premorbid abilities.

Cross-Linguistic Transfer Revisited: The Case of English and Persian

The present study sought to investigate the evidence for cross-linguistic transfer in a partial English immersion and non-immersion educational setting. To this end, a total of 145 first, third and fifth graders in a partial English immersion program and 95 students from the same grade levels in a non-immersion program were chosen. Six different English and Persian tests were administered: the Cambridge English for Young Learners (YLE) Test for Reading, a Persian reading achievement test, the English and Persian Phonological Awareness Sound Detection tests and the English and Persian Rapid Automatized Naming Tests. Given the nature of the research question and the design of this study, linear regression analysis was run through Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The findings suggest that there is an apparent cross-linguistic transfer between English reading achievement and Persian cognitive predictors in both educational settings. Relatively speaking, Persian cognitive predictors can moderately predict English reading achievement in Grades 1 and 5 and can weakly predict English reading achievement in Grade 3.

Identifying Alberta's Best Schools

A new in-depth report reveals Alberta’s best schools using student results on Provincial Achievement Tests in math, reading, science and social studies in grades 3, 6 and 9. In “Identifying Alberta’s Best Schools,” Professor David Johnson compares student outcomes on an “apples-to-apples” basis at Alberta schools where students come from similar socio-economic backgrounds, revealing “good” schools where principals, teachers and staff are making a noticeably positive difference to student performance.The resulting school ratings, by percentile, are useful not only to parents, but to teachers, school board administrators and education officials who wish to identify schools whose practices deserve imitation, or where improvement is warranted.

Expanding the environment: gene × school‐level SES interaction on reading comprehension

Influential work has explored the role of family socioeconomic status (SES) as an environmental moderator of genetic and environmental influences on cognitive outcomes. This work has provided evidence that socioeconomic circumstances differentially impact the heritability of cognitive abilities, generally supporting the bioecological model in that genetic influences are greater at higher levels of family SES. The present work expanded consideration of the environment, using school-level SES as a moderator of reading comprehension. The sample included 577 pairs of twins from the Florida Twin Project on Reading, Behavior and Environment. Reading comprehension was measured by the Florida Comprehensive Achievement Test (FCAT) Reading in third or fourth grade. School-level SES was measured by the mean Free and Reduced Lunch Status (FRLS) of the schoolmates of the twins. The best-fitting univariate G × E moderation model indicated greater genetic influences on reading comprehension when fewer schoolmates qualified for FRLS (i.e., 'higher' school-level SES). There was also an indication of moderation of the shared environment; there were greater shared environmental influences on reading comprehension at higher school-level SES. The results supported the bioecological model; greater genetic variance was found in school environments in which student populations experienced less poverty. In general, 'higher' school-level SES allowed genetic and probably shared environmental variance to contribute as sources of individual differences in reading comprehension outcomes. Poverty suppresses these influences.

Predictive validity of curriculum-based measurement and teacher ratings of academic achievement

Two alternative universal screening approaches to identify students with early learning difficulties were examined, along with a combination of these approaches. These approaches, consisting of (a) curriculum-based measurement (CBM) and (b) teacher ratings using Performance Screening Guides (PSGs), served as predictors of achievement tests in reading and mathematics. Participants included 413 students in grades 1, 2, and 3 in Tennessee (n=118) and Wisconsin (n=295) who were divided into six subsamples defined by grade and state. Reading and mathematics achievement tests with established psychometric properties were used as criteria within a concurrent and predictive validity framework. Across both achievement areas, CBM probes shared more variance with criterion measures than did teacher ratings, although teacher ratings added incremental validity among most subsamples. PSGs tended to be more accurate for identifying students in need of assistance at a 1-month interval, whereas CBM probes were more accurate at a 6-month interval. Teachers indicated that (a) false negatives are more problematic than are false positives, (b) both screening methods are useful for identifying early learning difficulties, and (c) both screening methods are useful for identifying students in need of interventions. Collectively, these findings suggest that the two types of measures, when used together, yield valuable information about students who need assistance in reading and mathematics.

Integrating GIS in the Middle School Curriculum: Impacts on Diverse Students’ Standardized Test Scores

This case study conducted with 1,425 middle school students in Palm Beach County, Florida, included a treatment group receiving GIS instruction (256) and a control group without GIS instruction (1,169). Quantitative analyses on standardized test scores indicated that inclusion of GIS in middle school curriculum had a significant effect on student achievement on both high stakes Florida Comprehensive Achievement Test (FCAT) reading scores and on final course grades in science and social studies. The most significant increases were found among the English language learners (ELLs).

Special Education and Later Academic Achievement

To determine whether grade at entry to special education is associated with improved reading achievement in children with reading disorders (RD) and whether the effect of grade at entry to special education differs by socioeconomic status (SES). The authors conducted a secondary data analysis using data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Kindergarten Cohort (ECLS-K), a nationally representative cohort of children followed longitudinally from kindergarten through eighth grade (1998-2007). Using data from the fifth grade wave of ECLS-K, the authors identified children with RD (n = 290). The outcome of interest was change in score on the reading achievement test, which was developed by ECLS-K staff, between first and fifth grade. Using multiple linear regression, the authors modeled outcome as a function of a child's grade at entry to special education, controlling for several covariates. Early entry to special education (by first grade vs second or third grade) was associated with larger gains in reading achievement between first and fifth grade (p < .0001). Children who entered special education by first grade versus second grade gained 4.5 more points on the reading achievement test (p < .0001). Children who entered special education by first grade versus third grade gained 1.7 more points on the reading achievement test (p < .0001). There was no difference in the magnitude of gains associated with early entry to special education between children from families of low and higher SES. For children with RD, early entry to special education is associated with improved reading achievement during elementary school.

The Relationship between Curriculum-based Measures in Oral Reading Fluency and High-Stakes Tests for Seventh Grade Students

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between oral reading fluency and performance on a statewide reading achievement test for middle grades students. Participants in this study were 75 seventh grade students. One month before the students were administered the state test, each student read three probes from their current basal reader to determine an oral reading fluency rate. The Ohio Grade 7 Reading Test scores were correlated with oral reading fluency rates to determine the extent of the relationship between the results. Results support the use of oral reading fluency assessment as a valid tool for identifying students at risk of not passing the statewide reading achievement test.

School Counseling and Student Outcomes: Summary of Six Statewide Studies

The six statewide research studies presented in this special issue use a variety of designs, instrumentation, and measures. Nevertheless, they can be integrated at the level of results to shed light on some important questions related to effective practice in the field of school counseling. In fact, one can argue that, when separate studies that are conducted in a variety of contexts achieve similar findings, greater confidence can be placed in the conclusions. These six studies provide valuable evidence of the relationship between positive student educational outcomes and school counseling program organization, student-to-school-counselor ratios, counselor time use, and specific school counseling activities. School Counseling Program Organization. Several of these research studies focused on whether student outcomes are influenced by how the school counseling program is organized. The Utah and Nebraska studies were designed to evaluate the extent to which components of The ASCA National Model: A Framework for School Counseling Programs (American School Counselor Association [ASCA], 2012) were associated with enhanced outcomes for students. The two studies share a common design and use virtually the same instruments. The Utah study found evidence that having a strong ASCA National Model programmatic orientation in the school counseling program was associated with increased ACT scores, increased percentages of students taking the ACT, and enhanced student achievement in math and reading as measured by the state achievement tests. The Nebraska study found that the extent to which a program had differentiated delivery systems as prescribed by the ASCA National Model and by traditional comprehensive developmental guidance (CDG; Gysbers & Henderson, 2012) was associated with decreased suspension rates, decreased discipline rates, increased attendance, and enhanced student achievement as measured by the state achievement tests in math and reading. The finding that a programmatic orientation was more strongly related to outcomes in Utah while having a differentiated delivery system was more important in Nebraska most likely reflects historical differences between the states in terms of implementation of comprehensive developmental guidance. In comparison to Nebraska, Utah has a much longer history of statewide initiatives focused on CDG implementation. In earlier stages of implementation, perhaps having a differentiated delivery system is the most salient factor related to outcomes because counselors need to be able to deliver preventative curriculum, provide individual planning services, and engage in responsive services in order to have a program that actually reaches all students. After a differentiated delivery system is in place, developing the mechanisms that support planning, management, and professional decision making may become more salient factors because these mechanisms increase the effectiveness of the services actually delivered. If this interpretation is correct, it has implications for program development. In implementing an ASCA National Model program, the most effective approach may be to focus first on helping counselors develop a differentiated delivery system, then focus on developing the mechanisms (e.g. mission statement, advisory council, decision-making processes) that guide the management of these activities. Further research is needed to study effective implementation practices. School counselor data use is a hallmark of the ASCA National Model. The Utah study found that school counselor data use was associated with enhanced student achievement as measured by the state achievement tests in math and reading (and increased graduation rates in vocational programs). This finding was not replicated in Nebraska, perhaps because data use may become more salient after a differentiated delivery system is in place. In contrast to Utah, school counselor data use in Rhode Island proved to be associated with decreased suspension rates and fewer student self-reports of being teased or bullied. …

Academic achievement of adolescents born with extremely low birth weight

To assess academic achievement, rates of learning disabilities (LD) and special education in extremely low birth weight (ELBW <1 kg) adolescents relative to normal birth weight (NBW) controls and to identify cognitive weaknesses. Compared 181 ELBW adolescents born from 1992 to 1995 (mean age 14.8 years, mean BW 809 g, mean GA 26.4 weeks) and 115 NBW term controls. Measures included tests of IQ, reading and math achievement and executive function. Analyses included ANCOVA and logistic and linear regression. Covariates were sex, race and socioeconomic status. Extremely low birth weight adolescents had significantly lower scores on tests of IQ (87.1 vs. 96.4), achievement (88.6 vs. 95.5 reading; 81.3 vs. 93.2 math) and executive function than the NBW group (all p-values <0.001). ELBW also had higher rates of math LD, 51(50%) vs. 26 (28%), OR (95% CI) = 3.10 (1.65, 5.84), p < 0.001, and need for special education, 88 (49%) vs. 11(10%), OR (95% CI) = 11.78 (5.67, 24.47), p < 0.001. Measures of executive function were related to math independent of IQ. Extremely low birth weight adolescents born in the 1990s have poorer achievement and higher rates of math LD than NBW peers. The findings suggest a need for more intensive interventions addressing the specific cognitive vulnerabilities in this population.

Academic outcomes in childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus.

To explore academic outcomes in childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus (cSLE) and their relationship to variables such as demographic and socioeconomic status, neurocognitive functioning, behavioral/emotional adjustment, and cSLE disease status. Forty pairs of children diagnosed with cSLE and healthy best friend controls were rated by parents on a standardized scale of school competence. Information about participants' demographic and socioeconomic status was obtained, along with measures of cSLE disease activity and damage. All of the participants received formal neurocognitive testing and were also rated on standardized scales of behavioral/emotional adjustment and executive functioning. Compared to healthy controls, school competence was rated as lower in the cSLE group, although the groups did not differ significantly on indices of cognitive, behavioral, emotional, or executive functioning. School competence ratings were correlated with reading and mathematics achievement test scores in both groups, and with ratings of mental self-regulation in the cSLE group. School competence ratings were correlated with measures of cSLE disease activity and treatment intensity. cSLE is associated with inferior parent-rated academic outcomes compared to those noted in demographically-matched peers, despite similar neurocognitive function. The adverse academic outcomes that distinguish children with cSLE from their demographically-matched peers appear to be mediated by SLE disease activity and treatment.

The Effect of Cognitive Learning Style-Based Reading Program on the Achievement of Jordanian Freshmen English Majors

The purpose of this study was to investigate cognitive learning style-based reading program on the achievement of Jordanian freshmen English majors. The subjects of the study consisted of 104 freshmen English majors enrolled for Reading Skills 1 in Tafila Technical University in Jordan in the fall semester 2007/2008. Students’ learning styles, analytic and global learning styles, are identified based on Felder and Soloman (2006).The subjects were divided into two groups and were alternatively exposed to their matching and mismatching analytic and global styles. The instructional programs contained 12 reading passages. The activities that followed these passages were developed in two ways: one for the analytic style students, and the other for the global style students. The reading achievement test was administered twice, at the beginning and at the end of the program, for measuring the students' achievement before and after the experiment. The two-way ANOVA test was performed to measure the interaction effect between the instructional strategy and the cognitive learning style on students’ achievement. The results revealed that there were no statistically significant differences in the students’ mean scores on the reading achievement test between the analytic learning style group and the global learning style group due to the instructional strategy or the learning style. However, the only factor that affected students’ achievement and motivation for reading in English was the interaction between the instructional strategy and the cognitive learning style. In light of these findings, the researcher offered recommendations for further research and for EFL reading educators.

The Impact of Prepregnancy Obesity on Children’s Cognitive Test Scores

To examine the association between maternal prepregnancy obesity and cognitive test scores of children at early primary school age. A descriptive observational design was used. Study subjects consist of 3,412 US children aged 60-83months from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 Mother and Child Survey. Cognitive test scores using the Peabody Individual Achievement Test reading recognition and mathematics tests were used as the outcomes of interest. Association with maternal prepregnancy obesity was examined using the ordinary least square regression controlling for intrauterine, family background, maternal and child factors. Children of obese women had 3 points (0.23 SD units) lower peabody individual achievement test (PIAT) reading recognition score (p=0.007), and 2 points (0.16 SD units) lower PIAT mathematics scores (p<0.0001), holding all other factors constant. As expected, cognitive test score was associated with stimulating home environment (reading: β=0.15, p<0.0001, and math: β=0.15, p<0.0001), household income (reading: β=0.03, p=0.02 and math: β=0.04, p=0.004), maternal education (reading: β=0.42, p=0.0005, and math: β=0.32, p=0.008), and maternal cognitive skills (reading: β=0.11, p<0.0001, and math: β=0.09, p<0.0001). There was a significant association between maternal prepregnancy obesity and child cognitive test scores that could not be explained by other intrauterine, family background, maternal, and child factors. Children who live in disadvantaged postnatal environments may be most affected by the effects of maternal prepregnancy obesity. Replications of the current study using different cohorts are warranted to confirm the association between maternal prepregnancy obesity and child cognitive test scores.

From the laboratory to the field and back again: Morningside Academy's 32 years of improving students' academic performance.

* ABOUT MORNINGSIDE ACADEMY Morningside Academy is a behaviorally based laboratory school (Dewey, 1990a, 1990b) that helps elementary and middle school students to catch up and get ahead. It was founded and is currently directed by Kent Johnson. Most of its students did not perform to their potential in their previous schools. Entering students typically score in the first and second quartiles on standardized achievement tests in reading, language, and mathematics. Some have learning disabilities; others are labeled as having attention deficit disorder or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Some lag behind their peer group for no diagnosed reason. Students' IQs range from low average to well above average. A small percentage of students have poor relations with family members and friends, but most do not. Morningside is a school for children with academic behavior problems, not a school for children with social and interpersonal behavior problems. ELEMENTARY SCHOOL: FOUNDATIONS Morningside Academy's Foundations program offers a full day of foundational skills that include reading, writing, math, thinking, reasoning, and problem solving. Elementary school-aged students enroll in the Foundations program for one to three years or more to catch up to grade level. About half of our middle school-aged students--those who enter without these foundational skills and who require a full day of foundation skills to make a year's progress in school--also enroll in the Foundations program. Many Foundations students who catch up to grade level extend their stay to achieve beyond their grade level. Morningside Academy offers a money-back guarantee for progressing two years in one in the skill of greatest deficit. In 31 years, Morningside Academy has returned less than one percent of school-year tuition. At Morningside Academy, we construct behavioral repertoires to eliminate (a) deficient basic academic skills, such as reading, writing, and mathematics; (b) deficient learning skills, such as goal setting, listening, noticing, reasoning, thinking, studying, and organizing; and (c) deficient performance skills; that is, skills in performing tasks in a timely, accurate, and organized manner, without disrupting others or causing oneself undue grief. The Morningside program focuses upon these three key academic, learning, and performance repertoires to increase the intensity and explicitness of instruction. The model at Morningside is in direct contrast to compensatory models that teach children to sidestep their disabilities. Instead, at Morningside, we teach students to face their behavioral deficits head on. The Foundations academic program focuses on reading, writing, and mathematics, including the language, facts, skills, concepts, principles, problem solving, and organizational aspects of each. Literature, social studies, and science provide the content for teaching these foundations in the sense that students learn to read and write about passages from these content areas and learn to apply math facts and operations to problems that each may present. Each student participates in extensive entry assessments of academic, learning, and performance skills. Students with similar needs and goals are grouped together for instruction. However, groupings change repeatedly throughout the day as students move from reading to writing to mathematics. Groupings also change continuously throughout the school year as students make more or less progress than students in their current group. There is no hard-and-fast rule about when a student may move to a new group. Later in the article when we describe our assessment process, we'll return to this issue. The comprehensive reading program includes basic prerequisites such as print awareness, phonemic awareness through auditory blending and segmenting, and the alphabetic principle. Basic foundations in decoding are emphasized, including sound-symbol correspondence, textual blending and segmenting strategies, and reading fluency. …

Improving Schools through a Response to Intervention Approach: A Cross-Case Analysis of Three Rural Schools

While the basic tenets of the RtI model are well-established in the literature, few studies have been conducted to describe its implementation in rural schools. We conducted a qualitative study in three rural schools that had been designated as pilot sites by our state department of education. A cross-case analysis of the data collected through interviews, observations, and document reviews indicated positive changes, including (a) increased use of databased decision-making, (b) increased collaboration among general and special educators, (c) development of a common knowledge base around RtI, (d) re-definition of principals' roles, and (e) promising trends on statewide tests of reading achievement.

How Should School Districts Shape Teacher Salary Schedules? Linking School Performance to Pay Structure in Traditional Compensation Schemes

This study examines the relative distribution of salary schedule returns to experience for beginning and veteran teachers. We argue that districts are likely to benefit from structuring salary schedules with greater experience returns early in the teaching career. To test this hypothesis, we match salary data to school-level student performance data on math and reading achievement tests across states. We find that frontloaded compensation schemes—those that allocate greater salary returns to experience to novice teachers—are associated with better performance in multiple grades and throughout the achievement distribution. Our results contribute to national debates concerning teacher compensation policies.