Refer to the article titled “Understanding Flagging” for an explanation of flagging.
Q & A
Question: How is it possible for students not to be flagged on performance mode, yet have a down arrow on percentile mode?
Answer:
Performance mode assesses students against national standards and norms. If a student doesn’t raise any concerns in performance mode, there’s generally no need for worry. While there might be room for improvement, it’s not a cause for concern.
Percentile mode, on the other hand, compares students to their peers in the class, highlighting the top 15% and bottom 15%. For instance, a student could be highly proficient but still fall within the bottom 15% if the overall class is performing exceptionally well.
Question: On the reports for our school, the fluency (timing) is always flagged. While it may be that our school reads slowly it’s meaningless if everyone is flagged. What should we do?
Answer: The flags serve a meaningful purpose. They indicate that your students’ reading scores are below benchmark norms when compared to benchmarks and norms. To address this issue, we recommend that your teachers focus on improving fluency, either during class or as homework. In class, students can work on flashcards, while for homework, they can engage in a fluency reading program.
For fluency improvement, you can use the following resources:
Fluency Reading Program Level 1: Letters
Fluency Reading Program Level 2: Nekudos
See this article for more information on how to improve fluency.
If your goal is to target the weakest readers specifically, you can generate reports using the Percentile Mode. This mode highlights the highest-performing students with a green up arrow and the lowest-performing students with a red down arrow, allowing you to quickly identify who requires the most support.
Question: We did assessments for our class and a lot of students were flagged for fluency (time). When we did further assessments, they knew all their skills. What would your recommendation be?
Answer: Assess your students on both אותיות in isolation and אותיות ונקודות. Once you enter the data, the reports will inform you if the students are struggling on the basic level.
Pinpointing the specific areas where students lack fluency is crucial to providing effective support. This could involve letter recognition, nekuda identification, single-syllable combinations, or even the skills themselves. Conducting a comprehensive assessment is the first critical step to identifying these areas of deficiency. Once identified, targeted interventions can be tailored to address each weakness effectively.
Based on our extensive experience conducting numerous assessments, we have observed a common pattern among students: they often struggle with foundational elements like letters and nekudos. When students constantly need to pause and deliberate over individual letters or nekudos, their overall fluency is naturally hindered. This underscores the importance of ensuring students have a strong grasp of these fundamental elements before progressing to more complex skills.
Only once you identify which area the student is not fluent in can you provide targeted support to increase the fluency within that skill. This data-based approach ensures that students receive the specific assistance they need to improve their fluency and overall reading proficiency.
Original Question – Kriah Coordinator: Hi, I am wondering about the fluency percentages I see in the reports from assessments. A lot of the kids have 1% for fluency. I would like to know how to grade the student fluency for report cards. I know which kids I think have good fluency. But it would be nice to have objective data the teachers could use. Do you have any suggestions? Also if you could please explain why so many percentages are 1%. Thanks!
Follow-up dialogue:
Tova: It’s indeed a serious concern that a student is scoring 1%, which is significantly below grade level. We need to investigate the underlying reasons for this low performance.
How is the kriah instruction being conducted in the classrooms?
Are teachers adhering to the recommended 3 pages of daily reading?
Kriah Coordinator: We are usually doing just 2 pages. 3 is taking too long.
Tova: 2 pages isn’t enough. 3 shouldn’t take so long. Is everyone engaged?
Kriah Coordinator: Mostly. Some kids get distracted or talk and we have to stop so it is quiet and everyone is in the right place.
Tova: that explains why they aren’t fluent. Something needs to change….
The data presented in the reports is objective and reflects the students’ actual performance.
Kriah Coordinator: Thank you for clarifying about the percentages. I’m going to see what else we can do to get more reading in!
Tova: It’s not only getting more reading done -the quality of the reading must be upgraded.
If the students are talking during reading – even if it’s only 1 – I can tell you right now that the choral reading isn’t being maximized and that the reading isn’t being as effective as it can be.
I recommend either having those teachers join the Kriah AMA or setting up a coaching session.
Kriah Coordinator: OK you inspired me. I challenged the girls to do the 3 pages in 10 minutes. No talking or drawing on the side, and they did it!
We usually split up into 2 groups, reading one after the other, so we only have 10-12 minutes for each group.
Tova: Fantastic. Thank you for the follow-up! Congratulations on doing data-based instruction!
Question: Hi, I have a question about the fluency standards for assessments, particularly for kindergarten and first grade. They seem high for the “average” student.
Answer: The standards we employ are indeed set at a high level, but they are attainable. A robust frontal lesson, engaging choral reading, and consistent daily reading of the recommended pages make these standards very achievable. Our standards are the result of extensive research, aligning with what schools across the country with strong reading programs are using.
Question: Do the standards vary by grade for the same assessment, such as Ois-Nekudah? Would a second grader be expected to complete it in less time than a first grader?
Answer: Certainly. While many assessments remain consistent across grades, the benchmarks differ. As the grade level increases, so do the expectations. Fluency improvement is anticipated through 5th grade.
Question: Is it possible to exhibit fluency without accuracy?
Answer: Fluency is a combination of both speed and accuracy. While speed is one component, accuracy is even more crucial. Errors will significantly impact fluency, as they indicate that the student is reading fast – but not fluent. In assessing fluency, it’s important to consider both speed and accuracy to gain a comprehensive understanding of a reader’s proficiency.
Question: I have a student who completed the assessment rapidly but made numerous errors. Despite her speed, it’s apparent that she lacks both fluency and accuracy. How do errors factor into the evaluation of fluency?
Answer: Your student will be assigned two separate scores—one for accuracy and another for fluency. These scores are generated programmatically, with the computer assessing accuracy and fluency as separate skills. Consequently, it is essential for the teacher to examine both accuracy and fluency to gauge whether a student is genuinely fluent. Solely considering fluency won’t provide sufficient insight into the student’s reading proficiency. The teacher must consistently evaluate both components (accuracy and fluency) to obtain an accurate understanding of the student’s level and identify areas where support is needed.
Question: How is it possible for a student who made 20 mistakes on the Fluency 1 assessment to achieve a grade of 94%? Doesn’t this indicate a need for intervention?
Answer: The Fluency assessments encompass a broad spectrum, with over 350 possible errors involving letters, nekudos, and skills. Although registering 20 errors is indeed significant and suggests the need for intervention, it’s important to note that, given the extensive range of potential errors, a student can still attain a 94% score. The system only raises a red flag for intervention if the score falls below 85%.
Question: I’ve noticed that there’s only a field to input the total number of errors on the fluency assessments. In contrast, the other assessments allow me to specify errors, like letters, nekudos, or skills. How can I indicate the types of errors when entering grades?
Answer: The Fluency assessments lack a breakdown of errors, unlike the other assessments. To address this, it’s crucial to make notes in the comments section, specifying the types of errors made. This allows for the identification and resolution of any skill deficits.