SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS BOARD MEMBERS
ALEXIS TIBBETTS, Ed.D
.
ATTORNEY TO THE BOARD
C. JEFFREY McINNIS, Esq.
CINDY FRAKES
CHUCK KELLEY
CATHY THIGPEN
MELISSA THRUSH
RODNEY L. WALKER
TO: Elementary and Middle School Principals
FROM:
SUBJECT:
Guyla Hendricks, Chief Officer of Quality Assurance & Curriculum
UPDATE: Accelerated Reader – Use of AR in Grades
DATE: September 21, 2012
(Please note that this TA paper is intended to also pertain to programs that are similar to AR, such as Reading
Counts and Bookworm.)
On an annual basis, our department receives questions from teachers and parents regarding the use of Accelerated
Reader (AR) quizzes as part of a reading or language arts grade. Guidelines for grading are clearly defined in the
Pupil Progression Plan: Academic grades shall be based solely on scholastic proficiency in meeting the Next
Generation Sunshine State Standards and/or Common Core Standards, as applied to the course or grade in which the student is enrolled. This Technical Assistance document is being reissued to insure the appropriate use of AR books and quizzes.

AR quizzes are designed to help “teachers manage reading practice with Reading Practice Quizzes.
The quizzes focus on literal (low level) comprehension . . . [They] are intended to determine whether or not a student has read a book,” not to measure his/her skills or reading processes (“Renaissance
Learning”, p. 4, June 11, 2001).

Reading practice, done independently, is not reading instruction. A student’s grades must reflect proficiency on the taught skills and concepts for his/her grade level. Selection of AR books is based on criteria other than grade level and, as such, many students read AR books not on grade level but appropriate for their reading level.
 AR is ideal for helping a student to “personalize his practice and goals.” Teachers can help a student be motivated to read by conferencing with the student and helping him/her to set personal reading goals.

Grades in OCSD may not be used to measure motivation or used as a reward or a disciplinary action.

The difference between the practice a teacher assigns as homework (i.e., working 10 math problems) and the practice occurring as a result of AR reading is this: homework is assigned for formative purposes – to show a teacher whether a student has mastered the content/skills taught. If he/she has not mastered the content/skills, the teacher re-teaches or redesigns the instruction to meet the student’s deficit. AR practice shows the teacher whether a student has read a book – only. The teacher has not provided instruction prior to the practice, nor does he/she typically redesign his/her instruction if the student doesn’t “pass the quiz.”

According to the elementary reading text representative, “AR is a motivational reading program and was not designed for an instructional purpose.” The results of the quizzes may not reflect the actual grade level at which the student is reading.
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Accelerated Reader is a valuable resource; its use can and does provide students access to a wide variety of books.
We all concur on the critical need to have students read widely. However, we must insure appropriate use of
Accelerated Reader and the AR quizzes.
Acceptable use:
1.
For elementary students, some of the leveled readers used during the reading instructional block are AR selections; therefore, those selections do link with AR quizzes. Yet, the results of an AR assessment may not be included as a “stand alone” grade in the grade book due to the limited number and type of questions. It is possible for the results of the AR assessment to be considered as a small portion of a formative assessment grade, but only under certain circumstances. A teacher would need to develop additional questions (e.g., 6-7) with a focus on higher complexity questions. The total score could then be used as a grade. Keep in mind, this process may be selected only if the reading material was included as part of the instructional program and the results of the AR quiz are included as only a small portion of a larger, more comprehensive test. If a parent questions a grade involving an AR selection, the teacher will be asked to share a copy of the additional questions which were developed for that particular assessment.
2.
Some teachers, as homework, request that a certain number of books be read within a certain time frame.
The fact that AR books would be used for this purpose is acceptable. Yet, even in this situation, it is more appropriate that students be graded on how they demonstrate that they actually read a book, such as drawing/writing about some aspect of the book. Taking the AR quiz and achieving a certain score (i.e.,
70% - 80%) could indicate the book was read successfully, but the test score in and of itself should not be used as a grade.
These are the only acceptable uses of AR in grading practices; uses other than this need to be discontinued. Grades in which the results of AR quizzes are included are often inflated, and this district has provided clear direction that inflated grades are to be eliminated. Our teaching staff has been involved in professional development for a number of years which defines and provides models of appropriate assessment, and they are able to produce or select assessment which meets the criteria for authenticity and validity.
This memo will be posted on OkaloosaSchools.com for teachers and parent reference. If we can provide further clarification or assistance, please contact me at 833-5860.