A resource I wanted to share is called, “Visible Learning For Literacy.” I have always found it challenging to assess reading. It is different than assessing math. There are certain math problems students can work tied to a particular standard that can give you insight into whether or no students have master that standard. However, there are so many aspects to literacy. Are you assessing vocabulary, fluency, comprehension etc. Or are you assessing a particular standard like analyzing the theme of a passage. I have found this book very helpful to being able to actually see that students are making growth in reading. According to this reference, ” This time, we needed to explore the ways in which the Visible Learning influences could be mobilized at three levels-surface, deep, and transfer.” I think the last step is key. Are students able to transfer what they are learning to their own readings. For example, if I am teaching how to find the theme of a passage I would check to see if students can do this on their own with a cold read. I think it makes sense that students truly have learned a concept if they can transfer that learning and apply to their own independent work.

Visible Learning For Literacy: Implementing the Practices That Work Best to Accelerate Student Learning

Author: Douglas Fisher, Nancy Frey, and John Hattie