Achieving Exemplary Performance in Reading Comprehension...
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Introduction Focus on questions about reading comprehension: What is reading comprehension? Why is it not possible to accurately predict how students will perform on reading comprehension standardized assessments, even when a school campus has outstanding teachers and school leadership, positive and productive school climate, excellent student attendance, active parent involvement, and unlimited educational resources? Why is the percentage of students on a school campus reading on grade level according to evaluation studies through informal reading inventories not a predictor of reading comprehension standardized assessment performance? Why do American students rank 17th in the world on literacy assessments? 1 How is reading comprehension tested on standardized assessments at state, national, and international levels? What are the critical components of a reading comprehension lesson? For the past 16 years I have tried to answer these and other questions about reading comprehension. Since founding Kilgo Consulting, Inc., in 1996, I have spent over 40,000 hours researching and studying reading comprehension. Now, as we enter a new era for literacy in 21st century America with the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), I would like to share my research model and findings in support of strong, effective implementation of the CCSS across the nation. Author Monographs Achieving Exemplary Performance in Reading Comprehension for Students, Regardless of a Student’s Background and Experiences, Parents’ Income, or Ethnic Group Developing an Evidence-Based Reading Comprehension Instruction and Assessment Program through Effective Implementation of the 2010 Common Core State Standards (CCSS) By Margaret Kilgo Founder/President, Kilgo Consulting, Inc. 1 “Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development,” (2010). PISA 2009 Scores and Rankings by Country. PISA 2009 Database. Retrieved June 4, 2011. http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/54/12/46643496.pdf “Federal ID Copyright Protected: All Rights Reserved; Margaret Kilgo, June 2012 www.margaretkilgo.com”
Transcript of Achieving Exemplary Performance in Reading Comprehension...
Introduction
Focus on questions about reading comprehension:
Whatisreadingcomprehension?
Whyisitnotpossibletoaccuratelypredicthowstudentswillperformonreadingcomprehensionstandardizedassessments,evenwhenaschoolcampushasoutstandingteachersandschoolleadership,positiveandproductiveschoolclimate,excellentstudentattendance,activeparentinvolvement,andunlimitededucationalresources?
Whyisthepercentageofstudentsonaschoolcampusreadingongradelevelaccordingtoevaluationstudiesthroughinformalreadinginventoriesnotapredictorofreadingcomprehensionstandardizedassessmentperformance?
WhydoAmericanstudents rank17thintheworldonliteracy assessments?1
Howisreadingcomprehension testedonstandardizedassessments atstate,national,andinternational levels?
Whatarethecriticalcomponentsofareadingcomprehensionlesson?
Forthepast16yearsIhavetriedtoanswertheseandotherquestionsaboutreadingcomprehension.SincefoundingKilgoConsulting,Inc.,in1996,Ihavespentover40,000hoursresearchingandstudyingreadingcomprehension.Now,asweenteraneweraforliteracyin21stcenturyAmericawiththeCommonCoreStateStandards(CCSS),Iwouldliketosharemyresearchmodelandfindingsinsupportofstrong,effectiveimplementationoftheCCSSacrossthenation.
Author Monographs
Achieving Exemplary Performance in Reading Comprehension for Students, Regardless
of a Student’s Background and Experiences, Parents’ Income, or Ethnic Group
Developing an Evidence-Based Reading Comprehension Instruction and Assessment Program through Effective Implementation of the
2010 Common Core State Standards (CCSS) By
Margaret KilgoFounder/President, Kilgo Consulting, Inc.
1 “OrganisationforEconomicCo-operationandDevelopment,”(2010).PISA2009ScoresandRankingsbyCountry.PISA2009Database.RetrievedJune4,2011.http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/54/12/46643496.pdf
“Federal ID Copyright Protected: All Rights Reserved; Margaret Kilgo, June 2012 www.margaretkilgo.com”
Kilgo Research Model, Process, and FindingsPurpose and Focus: Toresearchandstudystateandnationalcurriculumstandardsinreadingcomprehensionfromtheviewpointofreadingstandardizedassessmentswithoutreviewingmultiple-choiceoptionsortest-takingstrategies,andtoanswerthefollowingquestionsfromthestandardizedassessmentviewpoint:
Howisreadingcomprehensiontestedonstandardizedassessments?
Whatarethecognitive connectionsbetweenthereadingselection,thecomprehensionquestion/testitem,andthecorrectanswer(constructiveresponse,notselectiveresponse,multiple-choiceoptions)?
Whatisthesourceofthequestion/testitem?
Isthecorrectanswerstatedorimpliedinthereadingselection?
Whatarethestepsinthinkingwhenthecorrectanswerisstated?
Whatarethestepsinthinkingwhenthecorrectanswerisimpliedinthereadingselection?
Whatistheroleofprior knowledgeinansweringthequestioncorrectly?
Usingtheconstructive,open-endedresponse(OER)assessmentprocessexclusivelybyidentifyingthecognitiveconnectionsbetweenthequestionandcorrectanswerremovesonlythefalseassumptionsoftest-takingstrategies,includingtheeliminationstrategy,andfocusesonhigher-levelthinking,reasoning,andreadingcomprehensionskillsrequiredinreadingcomprehensionwhilereadingandinteractingwithatextselection.
Initial Findings from Studying Assessment Viewpoint: Duringmyfirsttwoyears(1996–1998)ofstudyingthereadingcomprehensionstateandnationalstandardsfromtheviewpointofstandardizedtests(assessmentviewpoint),Idocumentedthefollowingresearchfindings:
Thestandardizedtestsaretestingthereadingcomprehensionstandards.
Eachreadingcomprehensionquestionona
standardizedtestisalignedwiththeaccurateinterpretationofaspecificreadingcomprehensionstandard.
Intheeraofindividualstatereadingstandardizedassessments,onlythereadingstandardsonthestatereadingstandardslistaretested.Ifareadingcomprehensionskillisnotonthestatereadingstandardslist,thatspecificskillisnottestedonthestatestandardizedassessment.
Thereadingcomprehensionstandardslistdeterminesthequalityofthereadingcomprehensionstandardizedtest.Astateornationalreadingstandardizedtestisonlyasstrongandeffective
inevaluatingstudentperformanceinreadingcomprehensionasthereadingstandardslist.Forexample,ononestatestandardizedtestforGrade4Iresearched,therewerenomainideaquestions.AcarefulreviewofthestatereadingcomprehensionstandardsrevealedthattheGrade4listofstandardsdidnothaveamainideastandard.However,thereweremainideastandardsinGrades3and5withalignedmainideaquestions
onthereadingstatestandardizedassessments.
Allinferredcorrectanswersarebasedonaccurate, relevant, explicittextevidenceinthereadingselection,notonthereader’spriorknowledgeunrelatedtothereadingselection.
Research Process Based on Initial Findings:
1.Readcarefullythereadingselection.
2.Identifythereadingcomprehensionstandardtestedwiththecomprehensionquestion.Whichstandarddidthequestiontest?
3.Studythequestionandthecorrectanswerfromtheanswerkey.Whatarethestepsinthinkingrequiredtoanswerthequestioncorrectly?
4.Whenthecorrectanswerisimpliedintheselection,findthetextevidenceinthereadingselectionthatprovesthecorrectanswer.
5.Studythecognitivealignmentbetweenthecorrectanswerandtheevidenceinthetextprovingthecorrectanswer.Whatistheroleoftextevidencein
“A state or national
reading standardized
test is only as strong
and effective in
evaluating student
performance in reading
comprehension as the
reading standards list.”
Achieving Exemplary Performance in Reading Comprehension for Students
determiningunstatedcorrectanswers,includinglogicalinferencesandimpliedmainideas?
6.Describetherelationshipbetweenthereadingcomprehensionstandard,thecomprehensionquestion,thetextevidence,andthecorrectanswer.
7.Recordtheresearchfindings.
Research Findings of Study of Standards-Based Assessments:FollowingthestepsintheResearchProcessIoutlinedonthepreviouspage,Isharemyresearchfindingsfromovera14-yearperiod(1998–2012):
1.Allcorrectanswerstocomprehensionquestions/testitemsonstateandnationalstandardizedassessmentsarebasedonaccurate,relevant,andexplicittext evidence.
2.Thehigher-levelthinkingrequiredtodeterminewhatisinferredbythestudentinareadingselectionisrereadingtheselectionto“findtextevidence”thatisdirectlyconnectedtoalogicalinferencethatisthecorrectanswerforthequestionasked.
3.Todeterminetheimpliedmainideainaselection,thereadermust
a. engageinsortingtoidentifythemostimportant eventsinfictionorthemostimportantfactsin informationaltext,and
b. classifytheimportantorkeyeventsorfactsto determinewhattheyhaveincommon.
4.Correctanswersdonotvarybecausethereisonlyonecorrectanswerbasedonaccurate,relevant,explicittextevidenceandthereader’spriorknowledgedirectly connectedtothereadingselection.
5.Thereadingcomprehensiontestedinreadingcomprehensionstandardizedassessmentsisclose, text-dependentreadingcomprehension,which
requiresreadingfromtheauthor’sviewpoint,notthereader’spersonalopinion,personalschema,orpriorknowledgewithoutconnectionstothetextselection.
6. Thehigher-levelthinkingrequiredinclose,text-dependentreadingcomprehensionisdeductive reasoning,definedas“basedonreason
andlogicalanalysisofavailablefacts,”2withthelogicalinferencereachedbyconnectingaccuratetextevidenceandpriorknowledgedirectlywiththeselection,notaddingotherideasorinformationoutsidetheselection.
7. Close,text-dependentreadingcomprehensionrequiresstrongintellectualdisciplinebecausethereadermustself-monitorcomprehensiontoavoidusingpriorknowledgeandexperiencesnotconnectedtothetextselection.
8.Therelationshipbetweeneachtestitemquestionandcorrectanswertestsanaccurateinterpretationofthewordinginaspecificreadingcomprehensionstandardwiththecognitiveconnections(stepsinthinking)betweenthereadingstandard,question/testitem,andcorrectstandards-basedanswer.
• Cognitive Alignment: Thecomprehensionquestions/testitemsaredesignedtopromptthethinkingrequiredbytheverbinthestandard.InterpretationofthemeaningoftheverbisbasedonthedictionarydefinitionoftheverbnotonBloom’sTaxonomy,whichrequiresthereadertothinkandaddinformationoutsideofthereadingselection.
• Reading Comprehension Skill Alignment: Thereadingcomprehensionskillinthestandardistheskilltestedinthequestionwithaccurate,relevant,explicittextevidenceprovidingtheimpliedcorrectanswer.
• Context Alignment:Thestandardsoftenspecifythetermsofthecontextforexactlyhowthereadingcomprehensionskillinaspecificstandardwillbetested.
• Vocabulary: Thevocabularywordsinthestandardareusedinvariousformsinthequestions.
2DeductiveReasoning.”Concise Oxford American Dictionary,OxfordUniversityPress,2006.
Research State/National Standards from Assessment Viewpoint
QuestionState/National Standard
CORRECT ANSWER ONLY1) RELEVANT, ACCURATE TEXT EVIDENCE2) OER RESEARCH PROCESS3) NO MULTIPLE CHOICE REVIEW
Steps in thinking requiredto get the correct answer
Achieving Exemplary Performance in Reading Comprehension for Students
4.BalancereadingselectionsbetweentheLiteratureandInformationalgenrestandardsandmeettheCCSScriteriaforincreasinglycomplextext.
5.Studentsshouldhaveelaboraterehearsalinthehigher-levelthinkinganddeductivereasoningrequiredinclose,text-dependentreadingcomprehension.Studentsmustlearnhowtofindaccurate,relevant,explicittextevidenceandcitethetextevidencefoundtosupportinferredandimpliedcorrectanswerstoquestions.
6.Evaluationofstudents’progressinreadingcomprehensionperformanceshouldbebasedonacombinationof
a. findingandcitingtextevidence,and
b. identifyingcorrectanswerstocomprehension questions.
7. Provideequityandconsistencyinthereadingcomprehensionprogramacrossallgradelevels,classrooms,andschoolcampuseswiththesamehigh-levelofcomprehensionquestionsforallrecommendedreadingtextselections.
8.ProvidereadingteacherswithaneffectiveprofessionaldevelopmentprogramfocusedontheCCSSandclose,text-dependentreadingcomprehension.
9. Althoughthestandardizedassessmentsalign100%withtheexactwordinginthestateornationalstandards,notallverbs,readingcomprehensionskills,context,andvocabularyinaspecificstandardaretestedinonetestitem.
10.Manyofthestatestandardizedreadingcomprehensionassessmentsover-testtheeasierverbwithareadingcomprehensionskillwhenthereisachoiceoftwoormoreverbsinaspecificreadingstandard.
11.Textselectionswereweightedheavilytowardfiction,bothliteraryandnarrative.ThemajorityoftheinformationalreadingselectionsinGrades3-5wereeitherliterarynonfiction(biography)ornewsarticles.
Effective Implementation of the 2010 Common Core State Standards (CCSS) Based on the Kilgo Research Model Findings
Applying Reading Comprehension Research Findings
Recommendations for Effective Implementation of the 2010 Common Core State Standards (CCSS) at the Campus and School District Levels:
1.BasereadingcomprehensionlessonsonanaccurateinterpretationoftheexactwordingofthegradelevelCCSSwithquestions,textevidence,andcorrectanswers(75%inferredandimplied).
2.Readingcomprehensionlessonsshouldbeaminimumof50%ofallreadinginstructionbeginninginkindergartenandfirstgrade.
3.Teachingreadingcomprehensionthroughstandards-basedquestioningafterreadingtextselectionsshouldrequireconstructive,open-endedresponses(OER),notselective,multiple-choiceanswers.
RD12W9417
Achieving Exemplary Performance in Reading Comprehension for Students
Comparing Previous State Reading Comprehension Standardized Assessments to the New CCSS State Standardized Assessments
