Recommended Teacher Resources
Books
Title: Every Child Can Read: Strategies and Guidelines for Helping Struggling Readers
Author: J. Baskwill & P. Whitman
Copyright:1997
ISBN#:0-590-10389-X
Publisher: Scholastic Professional Books
Information: This is a great book that goes through a step by step approach to meeting the needs of struggling readers. There are explanations of techniques to use and example stories of teachers who have used this approach. I found it helpful for the running records shorthand chart and the miscue analysis section.
Title: Succeeding with Standards: Linking Curriculum, Assessment, and Action Planning
Author: J. Carr & D. Harris
Copyright: 2001
ISBN#: 0-87120-509-2
Publisher: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development
Information: In this book the authors explain how to determine who is to teach and assess each standard, create a curriculum and assessment plan, define effective practice, create a comprehensive assessment system, and map out a path to success through action planning. I found this book helpful in understanding all the ways that assessment can help teachers and students.
Title: Truth About Testing: An Educator's Call to Action
Author: W. Popham
Copyright: 2001
ISBN#: 0-87120-523-8
Publisher: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Information: In this book the author explores the consequences of today's testing programs. He provides advice for distinguishing between sound and unsound large-scale tests, guidelines to help teachers maximize the instructional benefits properly constructed classroom tests can bring, and evidence-gathering strategies for teachers and administrators trying to survive and thrive in an accountability-driven environment. I used this book to find another perspective on assessment and where it plays a part in the classroom. His ideas are very interesting and take a different spin on some traditional ideas.
Title: Rubrics and Other Tools for Classroom Assessment
Author: M. Graves, C. Juel, and B. Burns
Copyright: 2001
ISBN#: 0-205-32805-9
Publisher: Allyn and Bacon
Information: This book gives explanations of assessment tools that can be used with primary and secondary grades. There are detailed explanations for each type of assessment which include directions for the teacher for each section of that assessment tool. Following the directions are any worksheets or recording sheets that would be used during the activity.
Articles
Valencia, S. W. (1997). "Authentic classroom assessment of early reading: Alternatives to standardized tests." Preventing School Failure, 41, 63-71.
- This article presents several alternatives to traditional reading assessment. Some of these alternative assessments are authentic classroom reading assessment; emergent reading behaviors; establishment by a author of a reading clinic; oral reading interaction for with students; and assessment techniques for more developed readers.
Sibenaller, K. (2001). "Reading assessment tools & tangible improvement." Media and Methods, 37, 6-8.
- This article focuses on how computers and technology can enhance student assessment accuracy and reading improvement. It discusses views on what constitutes effective assessment, development of a program to help students with severe reading difficulties advance to the next grade level, and tips in selecting reading assessment software.
Yates, S. and Nagel, S. (1997). "How do we know Johnny can read?" Thrust for Educational Leadership. 26, 22-25.
-This article evaluates the reading assessment procedure intended to assess the reading performance of the students in Central School District. They use running records as pilot assessments for first grades and analyze the miscues. There are Reading Recovery teachers which oversee the assessment and progress evaluation. Describes the six point scale used in the district.
McMillan, James H. (2000). Fundamental assessment principles for teachers and school administrators. Practical Assessment, Research & Evaluation, 7, 8.
- The purpose of this article is to use suggestions and guidelines from these sources, in light of current assessment demands and contemporary theories of learning and motivation, to present eleven "basic principles" to guide the assessment training and professional development of teachers and administrators.