E68|Strategic Assessment Systems with Dr. Adrea Truckenmiller and Dr. Eunsoo Cho

Dr. Adrea Truckenmiller and Dr. Eunsoo Cho discuss building a strategic assessment system in literacy education. They cover how to use data to inform reading instruction, the difference between screeners, diagnostics, curriculum based measures, and computer adaptive tests, and the importance of reliability in assessments. Common pitfalls like over-testing and teaching to the test are addressed, along with practical advice for setting up a coherent and actionable assessment framework in schools. Show Documents: Michigan Department of Education (2020). Early literacy assessment systems that support learning. Lansing, MI: Authors. J., Cho, E., Bourgeois, S., & Friedman, E. (2024). Uses and Misuses of Commercial Reading Assessment: An Applied Framework for Decision Making in Grades K through 6. The Reading Teacher, 77 (5), 609–623. https://doi.org/10.1002/trtr.2274 Truckenmiller, A., Coyne, M., Valentine, K., & Moura, P. (2025). Independent Researcher Review of Commercial Reading Screening Assessment Suites May 2025. https://doi.org/10.35542/osf.io/vrn3g_v1 00:00 Introduction and Welcome 02:36 The Importance of a Strategic Assessment System 05:25 Different Stakeholders, Different Data Needs 09:50 Assessment of Learning vs. Assessment for Learning 13:31 The Myth of the One Perfect Assessment 17:18 Understanding Screener, Diagnostic, and Progress Monitoring Assessments 28:26 CBM vs. CAT: Formats of Assessment 34:42 Accuracy in Assessment: Sensitivity and Specificity 38:05 Balancing Sensitivity and Specificity in Assessments 39:22 Importance of Reliable Assessments 40:40 Challenges of Over and Under Identification 45:12 Informal Reading Inventories: Pros and Cons 46:14 Modern Assessments and Their Advantages 54:48 Common Pitfalls in Data Usage 57:15 Over Testing and Its Implications 01:00:35 Teaching to the Test: A Critical Look 01:06:24 Building a Coherent Assessment System 01:13:55 Optimism for the Future of Literacy Research