DIAGNOSTIC READING ASSESSMENT (DRA)
Challenges
Participant or Trainer Possible Solutions
How do we maintain consistency in
testing and results?
1. Be sure that all testers (STAR administrators or teachers,
educational assistants, and volunteers) have participated in DRA
training AND observed several assessments from beginning to
end.
2. Consider specialization. In other words, have one tester always
administer alphabetics, another always administer fluency, etc.
Some programs set up DRA stations where students move from
one test and tester to another.
3. Bring up DRA questions or problems at your STAR Team
meetings. Together decide how you will ensure consistency
amongst testers.
4. Accept there are gray areas in DRA; however, the results give us
much more information about students’ reading strengths and
weaknesses than just CASAS or TABE Reading scores.
5. Remind yourself that if Mastery or Instructional Levels are off, it is
usually only by 1-2 grade levels. The STAR teacher always has
the privilege of making adjustments in grouping and level
selection.
Is alphabetics assessment about
word reading or pronunciation?
The purpose of alphabetics assessment is to measure word
recognition in isolation to determine who needs alphabetics
instruction. If students can’t read or pronounce words quickly and
accurately, this impacts fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.
Alphabetics instruction will help them improve decoding and
pronunciation so that they can focus on understanding the meaning
of words and text.
There is so much subjectivity in the
fluency assessment and fluency
scale!
1. Using a more objective measure such as words correct per
minute is not recommended for adults. There are no adult norms
for scoring and adults tend to get stressed by timed readings and
sacrifice accuracy and prosody for rate (speed).
2. Scoring with the fluency scale does get easier. You will become
more familiar with the passages and can concentrate more on
judging accuracy, rate, and prosody.
Some BADER higher level readings
seem easier than lower level
readings.
1. Each level offers three choices identified according to interest:
Child (C), Child/Adult (C/A), and Adult (A). Select the more
consistent passages for fluency and comprehension assessment.
However, do not administer the same passages; pick one for
fluency and a different one for comprehension.
2. Some passages are narrative/fiction structure and others are
expository/non-fiction structure. Typically, our students are more
familiar with the first, so the second structure might seem harder
to them (and us).
Some of my students are
uncomfortable with reading aloud for
fluency assessment.
Start fluency assessment with a passage 1-2 levels below the
Alphabetics Mastery Level. This can be a warm-up to the passages
that will be scored (but will add more assessment time).
Developed by STAR 11 Participants and Trainers
I get very confused by the purposes
for the Fluency Mastery Level,
Instructional Level for Rate/Prosody,
and Instructional Level for Accuracyin-Context.
Remember that the Fluency Mastery Level determines who needs to
participate in fluency instruction (anyone scoring below Level 8+). The
Instructional Level for Accuracy determines who needs to improve
alphabetics-in-context. The students will not know all of the words;
accuracy in decoding is modeled by the teacher. The Instructional
Level for Rate/Prosody determines who needs to improve speed and
phrasing. The students will know most or all of the words; rate and
prosody are modeled by the teacher.
During vocabulary assessment,
some of my students use the word
in their definition.
Try using the prompt “Tell me more” to elicit a definition using other
words. Their definition does not have to be dictionary quality, but does
establish familiarity with the word’s meaning.
During vocabulary assessment,
some of my students use the words
in sentences.
1. Try repeating the prompt “Tell me what ___ means” to elicit a
meaning in addition to a sentence.
2. Students can use the word in a sentence OR give a definition
(see above).
3. If the word is used correctly in context, it should be counted as
correct.
Sometimes a student will ask to see
the words during vocabulary
assessment.
1. According to research, vocabulary is best assessed with tests
that require no reading. If students have to read the words,
weaknesses in alphabetics may impact the vocabulary score.
2. The Word Meaning Test is a measure of expressive vocabulary;
showing the words changes the purpose - it becomes a measure
of reading vocabulary.
Sometimes my prior knowledge of
students influences my
comprehension scoring.
1. Adhere to the answer key from the Examiner’s Manual or scoring
form.
2. Use testers who don’t know the students and tend to be more
objective.
3. Remember that the purpose of comprehension assessment is to
find out who will benefit from comprehension strategy instruction.
Scoring high may eliminate students from beneficial instruction.
How much can students look back
at the passages during
comprehension assessment?
Determine as a STAR Assessment Team whether or not students
can look back at passages for detail answers (names, dates, places)
and for how long. Make sure they are skimming or scanning, not rereading. Comprehension questioning and scoring is based on a
single reading of the passage.
I have trouble judging students’
comprehension answers as correct
or incorrect when they stray from
the BADER answer key.
1. Students’ answers do not have to be “by the BADER,” but should
indicate understanding of the passage. Straying from suggested
answers or rambling usually indicates prior knowledge of the
topic - not comprehension of the passage.
2. Comprehension Mastery means students can answer most of the
questions quickly and correctly. If you are struggling to score
question by question, ask yourself: “Are they able to answer most
of the questions (>75% - mastery) or just some of the questions
(<75% - not mastery) at this level?”
Developed by STAR 11 Participants and Trainers