Accessible Assessment: How 9 Sensible Techniques Can Power Data-Driven Reading Instruction

Count on the assessment that only counts what really counts

With these nine sensible, essential assessments, teachers can gather all the data they need. We share these assessments and show teachers how to use them across a school year for maximum instructional effect Michael Opitz, Michael Ford, and James Erekson

"Data-driven instruction" is a new education watchword. But today teachers don't have time to collect data about readers that isn't absolutely essential. Accessible Assessment simplifies reading instruction by only counting what really counts.

Accessible Assessment isn't like many of today's complex, time-consuming assessment programs. It combines nine informal techniques into a manageable, calendarized framework that makes sense and drives highly targeted, differentiated instruction. Opitz, Ford, and Erekson help teachers:

• measure only what matters most
• assess with the confidence that comes from a strong research base
• increase consistency and organization across school years, grades, and buildings
• implement predictable assessment structures flexibly
• plan short-, medium-, and long-range instructional goals.

Accessible Assessment can make a big difference for individual teachers, but it's even more powerful for teaching teams or entire buildings. It can bring a new level of coherence to any crucial assessment task, including:

• screening, progress monitoring, and diagnostics for RTI
• assessing for key reading standards (including Common Core)
• sharing information with colleagues, administrators, and parents.

Make assessment count more than ever by counting only what really counts. Count on Accessible Assessment.

A former elementary school teacher and reading specialist, Michael Opitz (@MichaelOpitz4) is professor emeritus education of reading at the University of Northern Colorado where he taught undergraduate and graduate courses and supervised doctoral dissertations. He is now a literacy consultant and author well known to individual teachers, instructional leaders, and researchers as the author of numerous professional and curricular resources and through his extensive work in schools nationwide.

TEACHER PROFESSIONAL BOOKS

Titles with Heinemann

• Accessible Assessment: How 9 Sensible Techniques Can Power Data-Driven Reading Instruction (2011)
• Classroom Catalysts: 15 Efficient Practices That Accelerate Readers' Learning (2014)
• Comprehension and English Language Learners: 25 Oral Reading Strategies That Cross Proficiency Levels (2009)
• Do-able Differentiation: Varying Texts, Supports and Groups to Reach Readers (2008)
• Good-bye Round Robin (1998/2008)
• Books and Beyond: New Ways to Reach Readers (2006)
• Listen Hear! 25 Ways to Enhance Listening Comprehension (2005)
• Reaching Readers: Flexible and Innovative Strategies for Guided Reading (2001)
• Rhymes and Reasons: Literature and Language Play for Phonological Awareness (2000)

• Reading Diagnosis and Improvement: Assessment and Instruction, 6th ed. (Allyn & Bacon, 2011)
• Literacy Lessons to Help Kids Get Fit and Healthy (Scholastic, 2010)
• Don't Speed. Read! 12 Steps for Smart and Sensible Fluency Instruction (Scholastic, 2007)
• Flexible Grouping in Reading (Scholastic, 1998)
• Literacy Instruction for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students (IRA, 1998)
• Getting the Most from Predictable Books (Scholastic, 1995)
• Learning Centers: Getting Them Started, Keeping Them Going (Scholastic, 1994)

CORE, SUPPLEMENTAL, AND RTI PROGRAMS

• Pair-It Extreme (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2010), a supplemental reading program aimed at engaging boys with reading
• Literacy by Design (Rigby, 2008), a supplemental literacy and RtI program
• Intervention by Design (Rigby, 2009), an intervention program tailored to children who need additional help with reading
• Summer Success Reading (Great Source, 2007), a reading program designed to help children who need additional help with reading
• Afterschool Achiever's Reading Club (Great Source, 2003)
• Daybooks, Grades 3-5 (Great Source, 2008, contributing author)

ARTICLES
Mike is the author of more than 20 articles in peer-reviewed journals such as:

• The Reading Teacher
• Literacy Research and Instruction
• Reading Horizons

AWARDS AND HONORS
Mike has received more than 15 awards for his teaching, scholarship, and service to professional organizations, including the Fannie Stabenow Award from the Colorado Council of the International Reading Association.

LEADERSHIP ROLES

• Editorial Boards of The Reading Teacher and Reading Horizons
• Former Chair of IRA's Teacher Educator Award Committee
• Numerous committees in CCIRA

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Michael Opitz provides on- and off-site professional development through Heinemann Professional Development.

Michael Ford is a professor of reading in the College of Education and Human Services at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. He has been involved with literacy education for more than 30 years as a first-grade and Title I teacher as well as a researcher and teacher-educator. His work with the international school associations has taken him to Africa, Europe, Central America, South America, and the Middle East.

Teacher Professional Books with Heinemann

• Classroom Catalysts: 15 Efficient Practices That Accelerate Readers' Learning (2014)
• Do-able Differentiation: Varying Texts, Supports and Groups to Reach Readers (2008)
• Books and Beyond: New Ways to Reach Readers (2006)
• Where Have All the Bluebirds Gone? How to Soar with Flexible Grouping (2002)
• Reaching Readers: Flexible and Innovative Strategies for Guided Reading (2001)

Core, Supplemental, and RTI Programs

• LEAD 21 (McGraw Hill-Wright Group, 2010, senior author)

Articles
Mike is the author of more than 40 articles in peer-reviewed journals such as:

• The Reading Teacher
• Childhood Education
• Language Arts
• Reading Research and Instruction

Leadership Roles

• Chair of the International Reading Association's Children's and Young Adult Book Awards Committee
• Former President of the Wisconsin State Reading Association (WSRA)
• Current WSRA Advocacy Chair
• Current President of the Wisconsin Professors of Reading
• Host of the series Behind the Lesson--a teacher PD companion to the award-winning Wisconsin Public Television children's series Into the Book

Awards and Honors

• The McGraw Hill Seeing the Learner in Every Child Award
• WSRA's Celebrate Literacy Award
• WSRA's Outstanding Service Award

Professional Development
Michael Ford provides on- and off-site professional development through Heinemann Professional Development Services. Visit Heinemann.com/PD for more information.

James Erekson is an associate professor of reading at the University of Northern Colorado. He has been teaching in the field of languages and literacy for more than 20 years, including teaching second and third grades, and coordinating a successful middle school reading center for eight years. Jim has collaborated with K-12 teachers to simultaneously teach and do research on reading, writing, and oral language in elementary and middle school. He has presented his work both nationally and internationally.

Teacher Professional Books
Heinemann Titles

• Comprehension and English Language Learners (2009), Chapter 2

• Reading Diagnosis and Improvement: Assessment and Instruction, 6th ed. (Allyn & Bacon, 2011)

Articles
Jim has published peer-reviewed articles in journals such as Reading Horizons and the Journal of Visual Literacy. He also writes a regular feature article for parents of secondary readers for the Colorado Council of the International Reading Association.