Thanks everyone for your responses. Thank you for the clarification Jennifer. I love this group!
Evelia Sent from my iPhone On Jul 18, 2013, at 6:35 AM, "Palmer, Jennifer" <jennifer.pal...@hcps.org> wrote: > This is another case of needing to clarify terminology. > Reliable- a test given that's likely to get the same score each time it's > given. > Validity- the test measures what it's supposed to measure in this case > reading ability. > I don't want to oversimplify this, but rather clarify my earlier point. > > It's a case of what are you using the testing for? Are you needing a lexile > to match kids to books? If so, find a lexile by informally trying books of > different lexiles and seeing what the child comprehends. It's valid because > it more closely matches a real reading task required in a classroom. It's not > as reliable because of the informal nature of it--- you and I might get > different results with the same child and the same book. > > In a situation where I need to measure student growth over time-- I'd want to > use the SRI, or Fountas and Pinnell benchmark assessments-- something likely > to be reliable. To inform my day to day instruction, my assessment method can > be a bit less reliable, but I want it to have as high a validity as possible. > > Nothing wrong with data crunching ... There is an audience that needs the > data from standardized tests--and as a teacher i can gain info from that type > of test too--but everyone needs to understand the benefits and limitations of > that kind of data.(and that has led to deep misuses of standardized tests.) > And when the data crunch includes teacher observation data... The level of > validity is likely to be higher and the data much more useful to inform day > to day instruction . > > How does one check comprehension informally? Ask a child what the passage or > book is about. They should be giving you much more than is on the fly leaf. > If they can tell you characters setting problem and solution there's a good > beginning understanding. If they can infer theme, or critique authors craft, > there's likely a more solid understanding . > > Sent from my iPhone > > On Jul 17, 2013, at 9:58 AM, "Renee G" <share2lear...@gmail.com> wrote: > >> Actually, I would say that Jennifer's option of having kids read passages >> from the actual books is MORE reliable, since it is more real and authentic. >> Unless you are hung up on data crunching, of course. >> >> But whenever possible I am for putting the "data gathering" back into the >> hands and minds of teachers. >> >> Renee >> >> On Jul 17, 2013, at 5:01 AM, Palmer, Jennifer wrote: >> >>> The SRI costs money--but is the most reliable way to get a lexile.The >>> cheapest thing to do is to test books you know the lexile of on children. >>> Ask them to read a passage from several books of differing lexiles... Do an >>> informal comprehension check and you are good to go. Less reliable but >>> likely more valid to inform classroom instruction... >>> >>> Sent from my iPhone >>> >>> On Jul 16, 2013, at 11:17 PM, "evelia cadet" <cadeteve...@hotmail.com> >>> wrote: >>> >>>> Are there any free assessments out there that I could use to determine the >>>> Lexile reading level of my students? Thank you. >>>> >>>> Evelia\ >> >> >> Deep down we must have real affection for each other, a clear realization or >> recognition of our shared human status. At the same time, we must openly >> accept all ideologies and systems as a means of solving humanity's problems. >> One country, one nation, one ideology, one system is not sufficient. >> ~ The Dalai Lama >> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Mosaic mailing list >> Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org >> 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 > Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org > 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 Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org 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
