DEGREES OF READING POWER. A Powerful System for Measuring and Developing Reading Comprehension

DEGREES OF READING POWER A Powerful System for Measuring and Developing Reading Comprehension

INTRODUCING DEGREES OF READING POWER Every school faces the essential challenge of preparing students for the literacy demands of the 21st century Degrees of Reading Power is a measurement system that helps educators understand each student s reading comprehension ability. Results from DRP help teachers scaffold their instruction with the right degree of intensity and challenge to ensure that students are on a path to college or career readiness. Data from DRP also help school leadership monitor reading growth and determine the efficacy of their curriculum so that timely interventions can be made. Academic progress depends on literacy skills. A key factor in school improvement is an emphasis on developing the literacy skills needed for all students in all subject areas. A first step toward that improvement is access to meaningful information about students reading abilities and instructional needs, and a view of the trajectory of their progress. DRP provides precise and real-time data for educators to monitor the progress of students as together they work to meet the literacy demands of the 21 st century. FULLY AUTOMATED ASSESSMENT, SCORING, AND REPORTING PROVIDE YOU WITH IMMEDIATE RESULTS. 2 www.questarai.com/drp

A POWERFUL SYSTEM FOR MEASURING READING COMPREHENSION As a universal screener and growth monitor, DRP provides actionable data that drive instruction and higher levels of reading achievement. With the data from DRP, teachers can: Set rigorous yet realistic goals to College and Career Readiness Track progress on the Common Core State Standards for Reading Make informed instructional decisions Empower students to read independently and reach higher levels of achievement Research-based components make the DRP a program that drives instruction and learning Assessments Tools to measure reading comprehension levels and monitor literacy growth for readers in Grades 2 12 and Adults Reports Details of reading ability are provided on student, class, teacher, school, and district level reports DRPgBookLink Online resource that contains titles to reading materials calibrated to the DRP scale DRP Analyzer Free online tool that evaluates instructional text using the DRP scale Professional Learning Workshops and webinars that provide guidance on using DRP results and effective instructional strategies for successful reading comprehension in the content areas 3 www.questarai.com/drp

THE POWER OF THE DRP SCALE A research-based initiative to bring reader and text together Degrees of Reading Power reports on a scientifically developed scale, recognized as a valid measure of text complexity by independent researchers for the CCSS. It provides measures of student reading ability and text difficulty in a single metric. The DRP Scale of Text Complexity is an equal interval scale ranging from 0 100 units. Lower units are associated with primers for emerging readers; higher units with professional journals. Why this information matters in the classroom Reading Support: When teachers know the difficulty of a text relative to the reading abilities of their students, they know the levels of support their students will need to access the text. Reading Growth: When teachers have objective, quantitative goals, they can set clear and achievable growth expectations for students. Reading Success: When teachers know their students independent reading levels, they can confidently assign challenging work that their students can successfully handle. Average Text Complexity of Real-World Texts and Reading Benchmarks on the DRP Scale 75 78 Experimental Science Journals, Professional Journals 70 First Year College Textbooks 68 Front Page of National Newspapers 64 State Drivers License Manuals 62 High School Textbooks 61 Teen Magazines 56 Middle School Textbooks 50 Elementary School Textbooks 40 Primary School Textbooks 33 Stories in Primers RECOGNIZED AS A VALID MEASURE OF TEXT COMPLEXITY BY INDEPENDENT CCSS RESEARCHERS 4 www.questarai.com/drp

HOW THE DRP MEASURES READING COMPREHENSION Designed to measure levels of reading comprehension for all readers DRP tests provide a diagnostic, criterion-referenced measure of how closely and deeply students read and comprehend informational texts at different levels of text complexity. Each DRP test consists of nonfiction passages with embedded probes to determine how well students understand the surrounding text. The students must choose the correct answers from a set of carefully selected common vocabulary words. For each item, they choose the word that makes the best sense within the context of the passage. The reading task of each DRP test item supports the development of close reading skills and requires thought and analysis. DRP results help educators understand how well students derive meaning from the texts they are reading. The power of the DRP item format is that it generates strong and reliable measures of reading comprehension for all students at all ability levels. The DRP answers the educational challenge of how to accurately determine how well a student is able to engage in close, careful, and critical reading of increasingly complex text. DRP test items are carefully designed to: Function as an integral part of the text, not as discrete questions about the text Assess the reader s ability to use the information within the text Engage students active metacognitive behaviors as they read the item The year 1783 was an important one for fl ight. The fi rst recorded launching of a hot-air balloon occurred in France then. This balloon, built by Joseph and Etienne Montgolfi er, was a cloth bag 36 feet across. It was lined with paper and fastened with buttons. The bag wasn t closed all the way around. Rather, there was a 8 at the bottom. The balloon was positioned above a fire so hot air could rise into the opening. That is how the balloon was 9. Once inflated, it was released into the sky. That same summer, a second kind of balloon made its first flight. It was built by the scientist, Jacques Charles. Charles did not put hot air into this balloon. Instead, he used a different 10. Charles used hydrogen, a newly discovered gas that was lighter than air. Charles believed hydrogen balloons would float longer than hot-air balloons. 8 a) rope b) sail c) wheel d) hole e) lamp 9 a) turned b) filled c) stored d) lowered e) painted 10 a) name b) field c) color d) uniform e) substance Reduce likelihood of guessing strategies, associative processes, and other non-reading activities Charles launched his first balloon from a Paris park jammed with spectators. So many people came to watch that the army was called This out. sample That is is how excerpted large the from a 11 passage was. that The measures 11 a) piece 53 DRP units. b) chamber balloon rose into the clouds and disappeared. It came down c) crowd d) engine miles away, where people knew nothing of flying balloons. Its e) pattern descent so alarmed local residents that they attacked the balloon with pitchforks. Then they tied it to a horse, which dragged it over the countryside. Soon, the balloon was completely 12. To keep other balloons from being ruined, the king 12 a) destroyed b) burned 5 www.questarai.com/drp

HOW YOUR STUDENTS EXPERIENCE DRP Online Experience DRP Online provides immediate feedback on students reading comprehension levels so that the important work can begin. Online Features Students receive unique logins to access their test on a secure browser. The online format allows students to flag test items and go back to those items later. Before they log off, students will receive a list of flagged items as well as any items that they did not answer. These prompts help students demonstrate their reading skills to the fullest. The test interface also contains accommodation features including sizing tools, highlighters, and text underlining tools. Untimed Test Because DRP measures deep reading and not speed of reading, it has been designed as an untimed test. Most students complete the assessment in 45 minutes. As an untimed test, scores are comparable regardless of the amount of time students are engaged in the test. Remember: Choose the word that makes the best sense in the blank. Fill in the circle in front of the word you have chosen. THE WEB-BASED TEST ALLOWS STUDENTS TO USE COMPUTERS OR TABLETS IN YOUR DISTRICT. SCORING IS AUTOMATIC, WITH DATA AVAILABLE IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING TESTING. Some animals feed only once a day. Others 1 more often. Some have many meals each day. The United States once had just 13 states. This 2 has changed. Today there are 50 states. Storms can do great harm to beaches. A lot of 3 may be lost. It may take years for the shore to recover. 1 \ climb \ wash \ eat \ fight 2 \ road \ store \ trade \ number 3 \ wheat \ sand \ oil \ paper ANF-50010-1.3; STS-50034-1.3; SHD-50227-1.3 PX-P Page 4 (Go to the Next Page) 6 www.questarai.com/drp 08 DRP Form-PX-P_FINAL.indd 4 8/4/2008 11:53:37 AM

HELP STUDENTS MEET THE DEMANDS OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND THE WORKPLACE To meet the reading demands our students will face after high school, the Common Core State Standards specify that students should be exposed to texts of increasing complexity during their elementary and secondary school years. DRP helps educators meet this challenge by reporting student results on a research-validated and nationally recognized scale, and links those results to textbooks, works of literature, and popular fiction and nonfiction. DRP research shows the median text complexity levels of post-secondary texts far exceed the median levels of text complexity of high school texts. To help students prepare for the level of reading they will need to succeed in college and career, teachers need to provide them with more complex text and develop instructional strategies to help students access the text. With DRP, teachers have tools to drive higher achievement for all students. Teachers can reliably identify student reading ability through the DRP Core Comprehension Tests and can locate appropriate independent reading through the DRP BookLink database. Educators can close the gap with a scientifically designed program and data that track progress toward new standards and new expected outcomes. DRP Supports Critical Demands Of The Common Core Reading Standards: Evaluating text complexity levels needed to reach college and career readiness Placing emphasis on reading of nonfiction and informational texts Expecting accountability for independent reading of textbooks and content area texts Supporting the development of close reading skills 7 www.questarai.com/drp

HOW DRP ALIGNS TO THE COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS DRP Core Comprehension Tests provide diagnostic information about students literacy strengths and weaknesses, and report that information in the context of the College and Career Anchor Standards. Key Ideas and Details These items require readers to: Read closely to determine explicit meaning of the text Make logical conclusions based on evidence in the text Make generalizations from supporting details in the text Craft and Structure These items require readers to: Determine technical, figurative, or connotative meaning of words and phrases Understand and apply language rules and patterns that impact text structure Recognize semantic relationships Integration of Knowledge and Ideas These items require readers to: Infer connections among ideas in the text such as cause and effect, comparison and contrast, and fact and opinion in order to construct meaning Interpret significant points in text based on the author s presentation of reasons and evidence Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity The DRP provides a direct measure of CCSS Reading Standard 10, with all assessment items emphasizing the close, careful, and critical thinking/reading actions that lead to comprehension of complex texts. DRP Scale of Text Complexity and CCSS Grade Bands COLLEGE & CAREER GRADES 11 12 GRADES 9 10 GRADES 6 8 GRADES 4 5 GRADES 2 3 GRADES K 1 30 40 50 60 70 80 Sarah, Plain and Tall Are You My Mother? Green Eggs and Ham My Five Senses Bud, Not Buddy Little Bear Black, Blue and Gray: African Americans in the Civil War The Longitude Prize Vincent Van Gogh: Portrait of an Artist A Night to Remember Alice s Adventures in Wonderland Bats, Creatures of the Night America s Constitution: A Biography Declaration of Independence Exemplary titles from CCSS Appendix B 8 www.questarai.com/drp

DATA REPORTS FOR EDUCATORS DRP Individual Performance Chart This report provides data on the reading power of an individual student. The key data in this report are the measures of a student s independent reading level (90% comprehension of text) and instructional reading level (70% to 80% comprehension of text). To help teachers understand a student s reading skills according to the Common Core Anchor Standards for Reading, this report provides interpretive suggestions for further instruction. May Kenneth Cora 1 75 District: Questar School District School: Questar Elementary School Examiner: Jones Class: 6-A 2 05/08/13 1 Instructional DRP scores reflect the most difficult text students can read and comprehend with instructional support; Independent DRP scores reflect the most difficult text they can read independently. 3 2 Students reading skills in three CCSS areas are shown along with suggestions for needed level of instruction. 3 Students scores are plotted on the DRP scale with connections made to CCSS exemplar texts and benchmarks. 2013 9 www.questarai.com/drp

TEACHERS AND ADMINISTRATORS HAVE IMMEDIATE ACCESS TO POWERFUL PERFORMANCE REPORTS DRP School or District Profile This report, available at the district, school, teacher, or classroom level, summarizes the data points of the Individual Performance Charts and provides a frequency distribution of the group s DRP scores. Like the Individual Performance Chart, these scores are linked to the exemplar texts in Appendix B of the Common Core State Standards, and to standard textbooks and external benchmarks. District: Questar School District School: Questar Elementary School 75 1 The distribution of the group s DRP scores is shown graphically to assist educators in planning for differentiated instruction. 1 2 Summary information of the group s performance, measures of central tendency, and CCSS Text Complexity Expectations are also displayed. 05/08/13 52 2 2013 10 www.questarai.com/drp

DATA REPORTS FOR EDUCATORS DRP Alphabetic Roster This report provides summary information on test performance organized at the district, school, or classroom level. District: Questar School District School: Questar Elementary School 05/08/13 2 1 2013 1 Comprehensive data are provided for each student in the group, including Independent and Instructional Level DRP Scores, national percentile rank, number of items correct on each passage of the DRP test administered, and CCSS diagnostic scores. 2 Performance in relation to the CCSS Reading Standard 10 shows student performance in relation to CCSS grade level text complexity expectations for the end of the school year (Below Grade Level, On Grade Level, or Above Grade Level). 11 www.questarai.com/drp

DATA REPORTS SHOW STUDENTS ABILITIES RELATIVE TO COMMON CORE COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS ANCHOR STANDARDS DRP CCSS Diagnostic Summary This report, available at the district, school, and classroom level, helps educators set priorities for reading instruction as they relate to the Common Core State Standards. District: Questar School District School: Questar Elementary School 05/08/13 1 2 3 2013 1 Students in the APPLY range have demonstrated an understanding and effective use of the skills and are prepared to interact with more complex text. 2 Students in the PRACTICE area showed some understanding of comprehension skills and strategies in the cluster of items and need to continue to improve reading skills. 3 TEACH means that students scored very low on this cluster of items and need to be introduced or reintroduced to the skills and strategies in these standards. 12 www.questarai.com/drp

UNTANGLING TEXT COMPLEXITY ACROSS THE CURRICULUM WITH STRATEGIES TO IMPROVE COMPREHENSION Measure what matters with Degrees of Reading Power. When used to its fullest potential, Degrees of Reading Power provides an accurate and reliable assessment of your students reading comprehension. Become a Degrees of Reading Power super user. To help you and your staff get proficient, we offer two professional learning options: an onsite workshop or virtual training through a live webinar. Choose the option that best suits your needs. Both target these key learning outcomes: Ensure that you have instructional strategies to help students become better readers Dr. Ken Eastwood, superintendent of the Enlarged City School District of Middletown, New York, said it well: Most schools do an excellent job of teaching students how to read but fall short in the next phase reading to learn. We help you effectively use the major item types found in Degrees of Reading Power to help students develop the close, careful and critical thinking and reading that leads to comprehension of complex texts. ONSITE PROFESSIONAL LEARNING AGENDA 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., including lunch and breaks Getting Started Warm-up activity (Questar Vision Rebus) Introductions Learning objectives for the workshop Text Complexity and Comprehension Linking students and texts, then and now CCSS Reading Standards in DRP results Comprehension is thinking while reading Okay, I ve got my DRP results, now what? Disciplinary literacy requirements and implications Comprehension strategies Sample instructional activities Wrap Up and Evaluations PRICING Address a wide range of reading abilities within one classroom With Degrees of Reading Power, you ll identify each student s independent and instructional scores and use them to directly inform individual instruction that will increase every students reading comprehension and its practical application. Offer strategies to enable students success in learning content You ll learn how to interpret the Degrees of Reading Power Scale of Text Complexity and how to foster thinking while reading, as well as explore disciplinary literacy and instructional strategies, including how to help students get meaning from context and integrate knowledge and ideas. Live Webinar/Interactive Virtual Training (approximately 1.5 to 2 hours) $500 A deeper dive into report interpretation and incorporation of DRP scores Onsite Professional Learning (6 hours/1 day) $2,500 Interpreting report Incorporating DRP scores Using effective teaching strategies to enhance reading comprehension 13 www.questarai.com/drp

The Degrees of Reading Power is the only test that challenges students to demonstrate their understanding of what they read, as they read. Such thinking while reading is what the new Common Core State Standards demand for students to reach the reading proficiency levels required in the competitive workplaces and schools of today and tomorrow. Dr. Roger Farr Professor Emeritus, Indiana University Member of the Reading Hall of Fame Past President of the International Reading Association Interested in learning more? Visit us at www.questarai.com/drp or contact us at 800-800-2598 5550 Upper 147th Street West Minneapolis, MN 55124 800-800-2598 DRP@QuestarAI.com www.questarai.com/drp MKT-61001 Degrees of Reading Power, DRP, and DRP BookLink are registered trademarks of Questar Assessment, Inc. Copyright 2015 Questar Assessment, Inc. All rights reserved.