Oral Reading Fluency and High School Data: Too Much and Now, Not Enough

In the last year, many educators went from having too much assessment data on students to not having current data to make decisions whether a skill or performance deficit was causing a student to have academic difficulties. As we resume in-person learning, most schools administered spring universal screening assessments. Plus, many states resumed end-of-year state tests. However, how reliable are these scores considering many students missed instruction, are struggling emotionally, or possibly are just burnt out?

At the high school level, many of us are left with assessment results from 2019 or before COVID-19. At the secondary level, extant data is often recommended as a first step for a data review (Fuchs et al., 2012). However, having access to updated information is helpful when trying to determine progress or current achievement. Current data also helps determine if a student is demonstrating a “can’t do or won’t do” problem. This year, some school psychologists may have noticed an increase in requests for special education evaluations and academic screenings as students earn lower grades than in the past.

Often, high schools have less defined screening, monitoring, and intervention options compared to elementary and middle schools. Due to the closure, then reopening and various attendance models, teachers may have had less contact with students in the past resulting in less rapport with students and students have less knowledge of the expectations from the teacher. Grades are consistent indicators of performance and have been present for the past year. However, what happens when a student fails several classes and teams are trying to determine if a skill or behavior deficit is leading to failure?

Oral Reading Fluency

Oral Reading Fluency (ORF) is an assessment with a long history of use at the elementary and middle school level as a universal screening tool (Fuchs, Fuchs, Hosp, & Jenkins, 2001). Although less research is present to support the use of Oral Reading curriculum-based measures, Rasinski and colleagues provided evidence that ORF may provide a relatively accurate prediction of performance on standardized test results at the high school level (Rasinski et al., 2005). ORF provides an efficient and reliable method of gathering information about a student’s performance and observational information as one listens to a student read. Listen to enough students read and I would argue one would begin to identify students with reading difficulties within a sentence or two in the first passage.

Past research indicated that past fourth or fifth grade, OR provides limited predictive value for outcomes on state tests (Silberglitt et al., 2006). The purpose of using OR passages at the high school level is not to only predict outcomes but to make the most of an efficient measure that can provide somewhat reliable data and a method to observe a student’s reading. OR passages will not be administered as a screening measure to all students but only to those suspected of either needing more instruction or intervention or to gather additional information about a student’s reading at the present time.

High School Decision-Making...Efficiently

As schools reopened, the usual structures of many schools were likely upended a bit due to the need to catch up and get routines back on track. However, academic and behavioral difficulties are still present and some students are failing classes. Social distancing and other precautions are still in place in many places and time is tight as everyone tries to make it through the year and finish strong. How are schools to obtain updated information

The use of an Early Warning System is often recommended for high school or secondary MTSS frameworks (Frazelle & Nagel, n.d.). Having served in high-achieving districts, I view early warning systems as somewhat limited regarding the return on investment provided. If a school district has a substantial percentage of students scoring below proficient, an early warning system could increase efficiency. When working in a system where the vast majority are proficient and advanced, employing a system where multiple sources of student data are consolidated may be a less precise way to find students in need of support. The EWS system has to be designed with consideration of how many students can be provided intervention and thresholds set accordingly. Plus, most EWS use attendance as a critical data point. Attendance this year was likely inconsistent for many students depending on quarantines, attendance models, and student health.

Gated Screening

Now could be the time to think about the introduction of a gated screening system at the high school. A gated screening system is one where multiple “gates” are developed as decision points where additional screening is warranted or screening is discontinued. For instance, if a student is suspected of having a reading difficulty, a first gate could include reviewing prior state test results to uncover if basic or minimal results were present in the past. If so, a review of previous grades could confirm if the skill deficit has potentially caused lower classroom performance.

A simple hypothetical gated screening system at the high school could look like the following.

1. The student has 1 or more failing grades

2. Review performance to determine if failing due to assessments or lack of work completion (skill vs. behavior?)

3. Review previous assessment history for patterns of weaknesses in reading, math, writing, behavior

4. Consider screening for instructional purposes and to narrow on skill to intervene. If you screen, you should have a way to intervene.

After identifying a possible skill deficit, either academic or behavioral, the process would continue into the problem-solving process.

ORF in a Gated Screening System

When reading concerns are suspected this year, I find myself using Oral Reading Fluency CBMs more at the high school level. High school students are not required to read aloud often in class. However, when a student begins reading aloud I find that I obtain a lot of information in a very short period of time. Within 5 minutes, I have a general idea if reading is a possible concern worth more investigation or whether more information in other areas is needed.

But, ORF probes end at 8th Grade….

CBM systems such as aimswebPlus and FastBridge have ORF passages up to the 8th grade. This is not an accident or limitation of the system. 8th grade has been determined to be the level that if a student can read adequately (approximately 165 words per minute/>97% accuracy) that they are competent. ORF measure BASIC SKILLS and by the end of 8th grade, basic skills should be mastered to provide students with the necessary competence to access the high school curriculum. When difficulties continue, the conversation shifts from what skill deficits are present to what behaviors are needed (study skills, organization, planning, etc) to enable success in the course? Dr. Mark Shinn masterfully addresses this far better than I can (click).

But...I NEED HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL PASSAGES!

Not really, but sometimes it is not worth the fight so this can become an AND issue. Give the 8th-grade level probes from the reliable and valid system and try some high school probes too. These are one-minute assessments and you can give 3-4 in a sitting and a student will likely not become too annoyed. When you need to move on, here are a couple of options. But, also administer 2-3 ORF from your usual source (e.g. FastBridge, aimswebPlus, easyCBM). Compare the results after.

Option 1: High School Assessment from the Ohio Literacy Alliance

Dr. Tim Raskinki at Kent State University developed probes from texts estimated to be at the 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th-grade levels. Probes, directions, and norms are included at the site.

Option 2: DIY (not really recommended)

Exemplar texts for high school are available at this CCSS appendix. Probes can be created at the Reading Fluency Passage Generator at Interventioncentral.org. After selecting a handful of texts, copy a text and paste it into the passage generator and click a few of the readability estimates at the bottom. Normally, I checked the first four but the only consensus on readability formulas is there is no consensus on which is best and they are all subject to reliability issues.

Download and save the pdf and repeat the process until you have a handful of options for each grade. The resulting probes are not validated although one could use the ballpark target of 150 words per minute with greater than 97% accuracy. Again, administer ORFs from a system as an anchor for decision making.

The overall objective when using ORFs is to gather information to help decide what information is needed next. If students demonstrate slow but accurate reading, that would indicate a need for guided practice or confirming silent reading is also slow. If a student is fast but inaccurate and guessing a lot, that indicates a need for another solution or examination if phonics skills are weak. If rate and accuracy are in the expected range, then comprehension strategies or attention may be next to rule in or out.

Summary

The past year is one many of us would likely like to forget and move on from. However, the effects of the past year could be long-lasting and more students may be exhibiting difficulties academically or behaviorally. As requests for evaluations increase or demands for assessment data remain high, there is a need for efficient screening and gathering of information. Establishing gated screening models may be a first step that teams can take to develop consistent and efficient problem-solving models to assist students and triage needs. Those serving high schools may wish to incorporate Oral Reading Fluency CBMs into their practice more to quickly assess if more information is needed and what type. ORF probes are not a perfect measure but it is a defensible assessment that could decrease the time needed for assessment and missed instructional time for students while guiding intervention selection.