I agree. The purpose of the DRA is not to generate a grade, but to generate teaching strategies and guided teaching decisions. My previous district did establish benchmarks for proficiency. These were helpful guidelines but not used as the basis for a grade. A failure to meet benchmarks did not trigger retention, but it might have been one of multiple factors to recommend retention.
Lori Jackson M.Ed.Reading Specialist Broken Bow, NE EMAILING FOR THE GREATER GOOD Join me > Date: Wed, 17 Mar 2010 14:35:16 -0700 > From: [email protected] > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] DRA used for Grading purposes > > I have never heard of anyone linking DRA/IRI or other reading inventories to > a grade. They are to dreive your instrution on what to teach and tae a grade > off of. I am from a San Antonio school district NISD and we do testing every > grading period as well but not fot a grade. It is used to put into small > groups and for protion/retention at end of year but it is only 1 thing we > look at. > > > > ________________________________ > From: "[email protected]" <[email protected]> > To: [email protected] > Sent: Wed, March 17, 2010 2:51:17 PM > Subject: [MOSAIC] DRA used for Grading purposes > > > > > Hello! I am a Reading Specialist with a small district in the state of > Texas. Our district is currently in the process of revamping our primary > reading instruction and shifting towards a balanced literacy model. One of > the things our administrators are examining is our current use of reading > assessments. I’d really like some expert advice and opinions. We currently > use the Developmental Reading Assessment, but are considering switching to > the Benchmark Assessment System. My question regards not the particular > assessment system, but the way in which they should be used. > The DRA is being used by classroom teachers in kindergarten through second > grade. It is administered by teachers at the end of a grading period. After > determining a child’s independent reading level on the DRA, teachers convert > this level into a numerical grade and this becomes 50% of a child’s reading > grade on the report card for a given grading period. Even though there is > clearly a “range” for what is considered developmentally appropriate, > students are expected to be at the higher end of the range in order to earn a > minimally passing grade. For example, a student reading independently at a > level 12 at the end of first grade will earn a 60 for half of his or her > reading report card grade. A student must be at least at a level 14 in order > to be promoted to second. Students reading at a level 14 at the end of the > year will only earn a 77 for half of their reading report card grade. > The same is true for second grade. A student who, at the end of the year, is > reading at a DRA level 24 independently will earn a 60 for half of his or her > reading report card grade. A student must be at least at a level 28 in order > to be promoted to third grade. > Percentage grades are not given in kindergarten, but a current proposal > recommends that students will be expected to exit kindergarten at a level > 4-6. > The Developmental Reading Assessment is touted as “Assessment that Drives > Instruction”. Fountas and Pinnell’s Benchmark Assessment System advertises > that it is “Assessment Linked to Instruction.” Our current system is > mainly in place to ensure teacher accountability. Unfortunately, with our > assessments being tied to grades, the information is not being used to guide > teaching as much as it should be. Parents and administrators are > pressuring teachers to “get their kids up to level.” Teachers are responding > to this pressure by pushing students beyond a level at which they can be > successful. Students are losing self-esteem as they continue to see > “failing” grades when they are working to the best of their abilities on > their own developmental levels. > Our administrators are now negotiating the possibility of making some changes > to this practice. Many other Reading Specialists in our district disagree > with the current practice, but we need to hear from some other experts in the > field. Any information that you could share regarding the proper use of > reading assessments, developmental reading ranges and/or grading procedures > you are familiar with would be very much appreciated. > > > Annette Lese > Reading Specialist > Williams Elementary > > "Today a reader, tomorrow a leader." > > _______________________________________________ > Mosaic mailing list > [email protected] > To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. > > Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. > _______________________________________________ > Mosaic mailing list > [email protected] > To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. > > Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. > _______________________________________________ Mosaic mailing list [email protected] To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive.
