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Administering the Teacher’s College Running Records Assessment

2012 Tulsa Institute

Please sit with your CMA groups.

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Your Presenters

• Julie Baker, Houston ’09, Kansas City MTLDjulie.baker@teachforamerica.orgLS at Hamilton and & Robertson

• Angelica Leveroni, Rio Grande Valley 2007angelica.leveroni@gmail.com LS at Hale, McLain, & Rogers

1 What is a reading level? Why does it matter?

2 Why do we use Running Records?

3 Steps to Administering a TC Running Record

Agenda

4 CM Practice

Tough Facts.

Of children who live below the poverty line for at least a year during their K-12 education and are not reading proficiently by third grade, more than a quarter never finish high school. The rate is highest for low-income African-American and Hispanic students, at 31% and 33% respectively.

On average, African-American and Hispanic 12th graders in the US read at the same level as Caucasian 8th graders.

Roughly 35% of low-income high school graduates are not ready to succeed in an introductory level college writing course.

Tonight’s ObjectivesIdentify the components of a

student’s reading level and explain the significance of this information to targeted, goal-driven reading instruction and long-range growth.

Identify the purpose and components of a Running Records reading assessment and be prepared to administer and score an assessment for their own students.

What is a Reading Level?

Grade level approximationDecoding + comprehensionSome examples:

Flesch Kincaid scores (Microsoft Word) DRA levels Lexiles Fountas & Pinnell

Why do we test for a reading level?

Select developmentally appropriate texts.

“Frustration level” texts: Kids make frequent errors; teacher should read these aloud.

“Instructional level” texts: Kids have some foundational knowledge but require direct instruction.

“Independent level” texts: Kids read & understand on their own.

Set clear, meaningful goals & benchmarks.

Flexible (ability) grouping

From where does the approximation come?For kids: “Trial and error”

Decoding Fluency Comprehension

For texts: Complexity of… Vocabulary Sentence structure Sentence variety

The Facts: Running Records

Purpose: determine student’s ability to read and comprehend text at a given level.

Outcome: Fountas & Pinnel score (A-Z)

Process: Find a ceiling.

: Fluency + comprehension

Limitations: Subjectivity

This is not an exact science.

…but it will be invaluable to your work.

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5 Steps to Administering Running Records

1. Find a starting point.2. Gather materials.3. Assess oral reading.4. Assess comprehension.5. Calculate final score to determine whether text is at

independent level.

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Step 1: Find a Starting Point

• The San Diego Quick (SDQ)• Start at pre-primer• Check off words that are correct• Record errors• Stop the students when he/she misses 3 words

in a grade level• Choose the lowest letter from that grade

level to start your Running Records

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Snapshot: San Diego Quick

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San Diego Quick: Ms. Bisso & Scarlett

• Where does she make three mistakes?• Where would we start her Running Records?

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Step 2: Gather Materials

• Start with the lowest letter for the grade level you determined on the San Diego Quick• Scarlett 3rd grade

• Use your Reading Level Correlation Chart

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Step 2: Gather Materials

•For Student• Student text Level N

•For Teacher• Teacher text and scoring forms for Level N• Teacher text and scoring forms for level below and above• Sample responses for comprehension questions

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Step 3: Assess Oral Reading Fluency

•Student reads first 100 words aloud•Teacher times student and notes miscues on scoring form

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Miscues that count as errors Miscues that don’t count as errors

Substitutions

sitting at the small back (black) table

Mispronunciations

Severely severly

Omissions

a boy can hatch a plan

Insertions

Pete flew ^right^ in through the door

Reversals

So dumbfounded and startled

Teacher prompts

Self-corrections

Repetition

Short Pauses

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Step 3: Scoring Oral Reading Fluency

• Record accuracy rate100 - # of miscue errors

100

• Determine fluency scoreRubric: 4 categories

93% accuracy rate2 on the Fluency Rubric

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Step 4: Assess Comprehension

• Student finishes reading the rest of the text silently• Student gives an oral retelling of the passage

• Can prompt if necessary, but make note of this• Use Retelling Rubric to rate

• Student answers 4 comprehension questions orally• 2 literal questions• 2 inferential questions

2 on Retelling Rubric2/4 comprehension questions correct

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Step 5: Final Score Sheet

Note – This score sheet assesses for your student’s independent level.

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CM Practice

• Handouts you will need for this portion- Blank San Diego Quick- Running Record N- Sample Student Response N

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Practice: San Diego Quick

• Based on the San Diego Quick results, what running record level should we start assessing her at?

Grade 3Level N

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Practice: Oral Reading Fluency

• What was her accuracy rate?

• How would you rate her on the fluency scale?

98% accuracy4 on Fluency Rubric

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Practice: Comprehension Assessment

• How would you rate her on the Retelling Rubric?.

• How many comprehension questions would you give her credit for?

4 on Retelling Rubric3 out of 4 questions

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Practice: Final Score & Next Steps

• Calculate final score.

• Next steps?

Independent at Level NContinue testing until she is

no longer independent

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When kids start behind, they stay behind.

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Contact Info

• Julie Baker, julie.baker@teachforamerica.org LS at Hamilton & Robertson

• Angelica Leveroni, angelica.leveroni@gmail.com LS at Hale, McLain, & Rogers

http://readingandwritingproject.com/resources/assessments/reading-assessments.html

ORGoogle “Teacher’s College Reading Assessments”