Examining the Validity of Two Measures for Formative Teaching: Reading Aloud and Maze

Abstract

This study examined the relations among performance on standardized reading tests, two informal measures (reading aloud and maze), and teacher judgment. Subjects were 335 students from Grades 2–6. Correlations between oral reading fluency and two achievement tests varied according to students' grade level, with a declining trend in the coefficients as grade level increased. Correlations between oral reading and achievement tests at the upper grade levels were lower than those reported in previous studies. In contrast, coefficients between performance on maze tasks and achievement tests did not show a similar decline from lower to upper grade levels. Results are discussed in the context of assessment procedures used in formative instruction.