Handheld Devices Used to Assess Reading Comprehension

Immediate feedback provides for focused interventions

The School District of Seward has utilized the DIBELS assessment of reading skills process in the elementary school for over two years. This process evaluates a student's reading ability based upon 6 major areas of emphasis: phonemic awareness, alphabetic principle, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension. In the past, the students were assessed by a team of teachers using handwritten forms. The data from these assessments were keyed in to a data collection website and reports were then generated for perusal by the teaching staff in order to modify instruction for groups of students. The elapsed time between the measure of a student's progress and the summative data reports was typically several weeks.

On January 3rd and 4th, the elementary teachers received training conducted by Brad Best on the assessment of these same reading skills using handheld devices (Palm Pilots). Now, when a teachers sits down with a student to conduct these short reading ability assessments, the teacher taps the screen of the handheld to indicated the student's responses.  Once the short activity is completed, the summary data is immediately available to the teacher. The handheld devices are synchronized with a comprehensive website so that the instructor, student and parents can see the progress of the student immediately and in a graphical and narrative format.

Typically, all students are assessed to acquire "benchmark" data three times per year. The results of these benchmark tests indicated specific areas of emphasis that are necessary to achieve reading comprehension improvement by the student. Between benchmark testing times, those students at risk are evaluated with short "progress monitoring" assessments as often as every two weeks. As part of the assessment process, the feedback from the handheld devices also includes suggested intervention activities for those students that are not at "grade level". The information from these snapshot assessments is immediately charted on the student's record of progress and specific intervention activities are recommended for the student based upon their progress. These activities are designed to address specific areas of concern and are quick and easy to implement.

The teachers and administration at the elementary have made the commitment to ensure that all students are reading at grade level by the end of their 4th grade year. While this is an ambitious goal, with the implementation of the handheld devices, progress for each student can be monitored closely and more specific activities can be designed and developed for each student based on their instructional needs. For additional information, please contact Mrs. Lana Daws, Elementary Principal or Mr. Brad Best, Director of Curriculum and Staff Development.

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