View in EDS

Combining Early Grade Assessments to Study Literacy Skills: Addressing the Variability in Tests Taken across Schools and Students. EdWorkingPaper No. 25-1133

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: Combining Early Grade Assessments to Study Literacy Skills: Addressing the Variability in Tests Taken across Schools and Students. EdWorkingPaper No. 25-1133
Language: English
Authors: Elaine Allensworth, Alex Gordon, Christopher Young, Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University
Source: Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University. 2025.
Availability: Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University. Brown University Box 1985, Providence, RI 02912. Tel: 401-863-7990; Fax: 401-863-1290; e-mail: annenberg@brown.edu; Web site: https://annenberg.brown.edu/
Peer Reviewed: N
Page Count: 50
Publication Date: 2025
Sponsoring Agency: Institute of Education Sciences (ED)
Contract Number: R305X220033
Document Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: Early Childhood Education
Elementary Education
Kindergarten
Primary Education
Grade 1
Grade 2
Descriptors: Literacy, Kindergarten, Grade 1, Grade 2, English Learners, Evaluation Methods, Elementary School Students, Multilingualism, Emergent Literacy, Public Schools, Time Perspective, Data Analysis, Scores, Academic Achievement, Achievement Tests, Reading Tests, Reading Fluency, Comparative Testing
Geographic Terms: Illinois (Chicago)
Assessment and Survey Identifiers: Measures of Academic Progress, Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS)
Abstract: There is considerable variability in the literacy assessments taken in Kindergarten through second grade, across schools and between multilingual learners and other students, and within students over time. This makes it difficult to study changes in students' acquisition of ELA skills in these formative years, or to evaluate policies and practices meant to support literacy development. Here we examine several popular early grade assessments--the MAP, ACCESS, DIBELS, TRC English & Spanish versions, and apply a novel approach to combining information to develop latent scores of students' literacy development. We find each assessment provides information that is predictive of students' development towards third grade literacy outcomes (ELA grades and state assessment scores), with different strengths and weaknesses, and considerable overlap among them. We further provide evidence of strong predictive validity for the combined scale, even in post-COVID-19 years, suggesting that we could leverage existing assessment information to produce metrics for studying school, district, and state policies and practices around literacy development. [The Chicago Public Schools partnered in this study.]
Abstractor: As Provided
IES Funded: Yes
Entry Date: 2025
Accession Number: ED671087
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
  Availability: 0
CustomLinks:
  – Url: https://eric.ed.gov/contentdelivery/servlet/ERICServlet?accno=ED671087
    Name: ERIC Full Text
    Category: fullText
    Text: Full Text from ERIC
Header DbId: eric
DbLabel: ERIC
An: ED671087
AccessLevel: 3
PubType: Report
PubTypeId: report
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
IllustrationInfo
Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: Combining Early Grade Assessments to Study Literacy Skills: Addressing the Variability in Tests Taken across Schools and Students. EdWorkingPaper No. 25-1133
– Name: Language
  Label: Language
  Group: Lang
  Data: English
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Elaine+Allensworth%22">Elaine Allensworth</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Alex+Gordon%22">Alex Gordon</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Christopher+Young%22">Christopher Young</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Annenberg+Institute+for+School+Reform+at+Brown+University%22">Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University</searchLink>
– Name: TitleSource
  Label: Source
  Group: Src
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Annenberg+Institute+for+School+Reform+at+Brown+University%22"><i>Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University</i></searchLink>. 2025.
– Name: Avail
  Label: Availability
  Group: Avail
  Data: Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University. Brown University Box 1985, Providence, RI 02912. Tel: 401-863-7990; Fax: 401-863-1290; e-mail: annenberg@brown.edu; Web site: https://annenberg.brown.edu/
– Name: PeerReviewed
  Label: Peer Reviewed
  Group: SrcInfo
  Data: N
– Name: Pages
  Label: Page Count
  Group: Src
  Data: 50
– Name: DatePubCY
  Label: Publication Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2025
– Name: SourceSuprt
  Label: Sponsoring Agency
  Group: SrcSuprt
  Data: Institute of Education Sciences (ED)
– Name: NumberContract
  Label: Contract Number
  Group: NumCntrct
  Data: R305X220033
– Name: TypeDocument
  Label: Document Type
  Group: TypDoc
  Data: Reports - Research
– Name: Audience
  Label: Education Level
  Group: Audnce
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Early+Childhood+Education%22">Early Childhood Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Elementary+Education%22">Elementary Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Kindergarten%22">Kindergarten</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Primary+Education%22">Primary Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Grade+1%22">Grade 1</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Grade+2%22">Grade 2</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Descriptors
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Literacy%22">Literacy</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Kindergarten%22">Kindergarten</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Grade+1%22">Grade 1</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Grade+2%22">Grade 2</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22English+Learners%22">English Learners</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Evaluation+Methods%22">Evaluation Methods</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Elementary+School+Students%22">Elementary School Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Multilingualism%22">Multilingualism</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Emergent+Literacy%22">Emergent Literacy</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Public+Schools%22">Public Schools</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Time+Perspective%22">Time Perspective</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Data+Analysis%22">Data Analysis</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Scores%22">Scores</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Academic+Achievement%22">Academic Achievement</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Achievement+Tests%22">Achievement Tests</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Reading+Tests%22">Reading Tests</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Reading+Fluency%22">Reading Fluency</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Comparative+Testing%22">Comparative Testing</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Geographic Terms
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Illinois+%28Chicago%29%22">Illinois (Chicago)</searchLink>
– Name: SubjectThesaurus
  Label: Assessment and Survey Identifiers
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SU" term="%22Measures+of+Academic+Progress%22">Measures of Academic Progress</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="SU" term="%22Dynamic+Indicators+of+Basic+Early+Literacy+Skills+%28DIBELS%29%22">Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS)</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: There is considerable variability in the literacy assessments taken in Kindergarten through second grade, across schools and between multilingual learners and other students, and within students over time. This makes it difficult to study changes in students' acquisition of ELA skills in these formative years, or to evaluate policies and practices meant to support literacy development. Here we examine several popular early grade assessments--the MAP, ACCESS, DIBELS, TRC English & Spanish versions, and apply a novel approach to combining information to develop latent scores of students' literacy development. We find each assessment provides information that is predictive of students' development towards third grade literacy outcomes (ELA grades and state assessment scores), with different strengths and weaknesses, and considerable overlap among them. We further provide evidence of strong predictive validity for the combined scale, even in post-COVID-19 years, suggesting that we could leverage existing assessment information to produce metrics for studying school, district, and state policies and practices around literacy development. [The Chicago Public Schools partnered in this study.]
– Name: AbstractInfo
  Label: Abstractor
  Group: Ab
  Data: As Provided
– Name: CodeSource
  Label: IES Funded
  Group: SrcInfo
  Data: Yes
– Name: DateEntry
  Label: Entry Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2025
– Name: AN
  Label: Accession Number
  Group: ID
  Data: ED671087
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=ED671087
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 50
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Literacy
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Kindergarten
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Grade 1
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Grade 2
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: English Learners
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Evaluation Methods
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Elementary School Students
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Multilingualism
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Emergent Literacy
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Public Schools
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Time Perspective
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Data Analysis
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Scores
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Academic Achievement
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Achievement Tests
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Reading Tests
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Reading Fluency
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Comparative Testing
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Illinois (Chicago)
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Measures of Academic Progress
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS)
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Combining Early Grade Assessments to Study Literacy Skills: Addressing the Variability in Tests Taken across Schools and Students. EdWorkingPaper No. 25-1133
        Type: main
  BibRelationships:
    HasContributorRelationships:
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Elaine Allensworth
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Alex Gordon
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Christopher Young
    IsPartOfRelationships:
      – BibEntity:
          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 01
              Type: published
              Y: 2025
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University
              Type: main
ResultId 1