Assessment: Periodic Assessment to Monitor Progress

Monitoring progress is a critical component of understanding the “response” to tier 2 services in a response-to-intervention (RTI) framework. Frequent, formative assessments are needed that indicate change in a student’s rate of growth, as a result of changes to their instructional environment. Frequent progress monitoring within a multi-tiered system of supports first established itself using fluency of oral reading from connected text, with elementary age students. As the RTI framework has grown, monitoring progress has also expanded to other content areas and grade levels. This chapter first provides a conceptual model to help practitioners consider the balance between general outcome measures and specific skill mastery assessments, both of which have become widely used in formative assessment. Research is presented on different approaches to progress monitoring across different grade levels and content areas, within the context of this new model. Next, the chapter explores the current state of research on oral reading fluency (ORF) as a progress monitoring measure. Using ORF as an example, the chapter examines four key issues that are especially relevant to understanding the technical limitations of a progress monitoring assessment: reliability and validity of change, sensitivity of change, linearity of change, and standards and expectations for change. The chapter reviews the current state of research, directions for future research, and implications for practice.