Trisha Katsuno

SPED 639 Reading Assessment Project

Section I: Identifying Data
Student’s Name: Noelle Katsuno Teacher: S. Miyamoto
Date of Birth: February 26, 2011 Date/s of Testing: March 28-29, 2019
Grade: 2 Date of Report: April 6, 2019
School: Kaneohe Elementary School Examiner: Trisha Katsuno
Chronological Age at time of Testing (CA): 8-1

Section II: Reason for Referral

Noelle was selected to be a part of this evaluation for the examiners training as a Literacy
Specialist.

Section III: Background History

Family History
Noelle lives at home with her married father and mother, two older sisters, Emmie (12) and
Peyton (11), and one younger brother, Jacob (2). Father is a flight attendant and is gone for
couple of days a week, and mother is school teacher.

Developmental History
All of Noelle’s developmental milestones were reached within normal limits.

Academic History
Noelle attended Pali View Baptist Preschool and has been at Kaneohe Elementary School since
kindergarten. Noelle has met or exceeded proficiency in all subject areas throughout her
educational career thus far. Her Star Math and Reading Scores have consistently been at or above
grade level from kindergarten to second grade. She had several absences this year due to a
broken ankle and the flu.

Social History
Noelle participates in soccer and baseball. She loves to draw, play on her iPod, put on makeup,
and play with her siblings and cousins. She is friends with both boys and girls, but has begun to
form stronger friendships with girls. She considers herself a “tomboy” and likes to wear jeans
and shoes to school. Noelle attends church every Sunday with her family and is part of the
primary organization. She is in the CTR (Choose The Right) 8 class with about six other
children her age. She is very well behaved in school-like settings and seems very quiet until she
feels comfortable.

Section IV: Behavioral Observations

Noelle was excited and eager to participate in the Gray Oral Reading Test (GORT-4). During the
first three stories, she was very confident and happy to read because the passages were short and
easy. After each story, she anxiously wanted to know how many comprehension questions she
answered correctly. Noelle was disappointed because she never received a perfect
comprehension score. Around story 5, she noticed the passages were increasing in length and
difficulty and began to slouch and wanted to stop. As she read through stories 7-9 it was apparent
that the stories were progressively more arduous as she had more deviations from print and lower
comprehension scores. However, she persevered until testing was completed. As soon as she
finished she put her head down in exasperation and relief saying, “Finally!” From her experience
Trisha Katsuno
SPED 639 Reading Assessment Project
with the GORT, she was less than ecstatic to do the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy
Skills (DIBELS). I assured her that the DIBELS test would be quick and easy. She obliged and
then said, “I only have one minute to read this?” She had a good attitude and tried her best on all
three sections, Nonsense Word Fluency (NWF), Word Reading Fluency (WRF), and Oral
Reading Fluency (ORF).

Section V: Tests and Procedures Administered

 Gray Oral Reading Test (GORT-4)
o Rate
o Accuracy
o Fluency
o Comprehension
 Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS 8th Edition)
o Nonsense Word Fluency (NWF)
 Correct Letter Sounds (CLS)
 Words Read Correctly (WRC)
o Word Reading Fluency (WRF)
o Oral Reading Fluency (ORF)
 Interview with child

Section VI: Test Results

Gray Oral Reading Test (GORT-4) Form A
Subtests Standard Score Percentile Age Equivalent Grade Equivalent
Rate 12 75 8.9 3.7
Accuracy 14 91 10.9 5.7
Fluency 14 91 10.3 5.2
Comprehension 12 75 9.3 4.2
Oral Reading
26 88 QRQ= 118
Quotient (QRQ)

The GORT-4 is a norm-referenced, oral reading test for those ages 6 years and 0 months old to
23 years and 11 months old. There are 14 stories with five comprehension questions for each. It
measures oral reading rate, accuracy, fluency, and comprehension. The rate is the amount of time
it takes the student to read the story aloud. Accuracy is the number of the words read correctly in
the passage. Fluency is rate plus accuracy scores. Comprehension is the number of questions at
the end of the passage that the student answered correctly. The Oral Reading Quotient is the
combination of the fluency and comprehension standard scores. The GORT-4 can help identify
students who are behind their peers in oral reading ability. It can also show students strengths
and weaknesses and aid in determining an appropriate intervention strategy to implement.

In the rate and comprehension subtests, Noelle was in the above average range with a standard
score of 12 and percentile of 75. With a 75 percentile, Noelle scored as well or better than 75
percent of all students when compared to the norms for her age. Her rate had an age equivalent
of 8.9 years, and grade equivalent of 3.7. However, the comprehension subtest had a slightly
higher age of 9.3 years and 4.2 grade equivalent. Noelle scored in the high range in accuracy and
Trisha Katsuno
SPED 639 Reading Assessment Project
fluency subtests. Noelle had a standard score of 14 and 91 percentile for both accuracy and
fluency. She scored as well or better than 91 percent of all students when compared to norms for
her age. For accuracy, she has an age equivalent of 10.9 years and grade equivalent of 5.7. Her
fluency age equivalent is 10.3 years and 5.2 grade equivalent. Noelle’s QRQ, or sum of fluency
and comprehension, standard scores are 26 with an 88 percentile. Therefore, Noelle scored as
well or better than 88 percent of all students when compared to norms for her age.

Noelle’s oral reading rate was the lowest score of all her subtests. She read at a steady pace and
did not rush through the stories. She seems to be slightly above grade level in comprehension
even though she did not have a score of 5 or 100% on any story she read. She is well above
average in accuracy and fluency. She took time to reread or self-correct her miscues, and also
read with appropriate expression.

Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS 8th Edition)

Benchmark NWF ORF
2 WRF Words
CLS WRC Errors
Middle Correct
Standard
93 32 50 122 0
Scores
100% accuracy Core
Classification Core Goal Core Goal Core Goal
Goal
*Reference DIBELS Benchmark Goals below

DIBELS 8th Edition: Preliminary Benchmark Goals

Trisha Katsuno
SPED 639 Reading Assessment Project

The Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) measures reading skills.
DIBELS includes subtests to measure foundational reading skills, which include phonological
awareness, phonics (or decoding), fluency, and comprehension. It assesses students in
kindergarten to eighth grade. It was developed to help identify students who were having
difficulty in acquiring basic early reading skills and guide teachers to implement early
interventions, so reading problems are not compounded in subsequent grade levels. It is
administered individually with one minute subtests. Nonsense Word Fluency (NWF) subtest
requires students to read aloud random VC and CVC nonsense words. It measures a student’s
decoding abilities based on the alphabetic principle. It breaks it apart into two scores, Correct
Letter Sounds (CLS) and Words Read Correctly (WRC). Word Reading Fluency (WRF) subtest
measures accuracy and fluency of reading sight words. The Oral Reading Fluency (ORF) subtest,
requires students to read a passage aloud in one minute while miscues are recorded, and
measures accuracy and fluency with connected text. Based on scores students are identified as in
the intensive range, strategic range, or core goal.

Noelle was identified as scoring above the core goal for the second-grade middle of the year in
all DIBELS subtests. For the NWF subtest the core goal was 83 CLS and 26 WRC, and Noelle
read 93 CLS and 32 WRC. The core goal for WRF is 45 and Noelle read 50 WRC. The ORF
score core goal is to read 82 words correct per minute (wcpm). Noelle read 122 words correct
with zero errors.

An analysis of Noelle’s DIBELS scores shows she is at low risk for reading failure. According to
her NWF scores, she has strong decoding abilities and sound understanding of the alphabetic
principle. Her WRF proves that Noelle accurately and fluently reads sight words. Also, her ORF
is evidence that she reads passages with appropriate accuracy and fluency.

Section VII: Conclusions

Noelle Katsuno is an 8 year 1 month old girl in the second grade at Kaneohe Elementary School.
Overall Noelle has strong reading abilities. She is at or above grade level in all tests given. Some
of her strengths is in accuracy and fluency. She is a careful reader that reads with prosody. She is
able to decode and understands the alphabetic principle. She also shows strong comprehension
skills. Noelle does not display significant weaknesses. Out of the four subtests on the GORT-4,
her reading rate was the lowest. It was still above her age and grade level. I believe that she
focuses on accuracy, fluency and comprehension, more than speed. As she read, she did not rush
through any of the passages or word lists. Although her comprehension shows 9.3 age equivalent
and 4.2 grade equivalent, she did not get a perfect score. I felt that she rushed through the
questions and answered right away. Noelle started off excited for testing because she wanted to
show how well she could read. However, after a while, the tests became more difficult and she
started to get tired and complained a little. She started reading the words before I finished the
DIBELS instructions. Despite being tired or impatient, she was compliant and put forth her best
effort.
Trisha Katsuno
SPED 639 Reading Assessment Project
Section VIII: Recommendations
Based on the reading evaluations given, the following recommendations should be considered
for Noelle:
1. As readings become difficult, Noelle displays slight anxiety due to perfectionism. Provide
positive reinforcement and encouragement to not be afraid to make mistakes.
2. Provide strategies to increase reading rate and comprehension
a. Provide multiple opportunities for Noelle to practice timed readings to increase
comfort level and rate.
b. Repeated Readings: student reads the same passage repeatedly to increase reading
rate and comprehension
3. Provide explicit instruction on how to answer comprehension questions
a. Slow down when reading comprehension questions and/or answer choices
b. eliminate obvious incorrect answer choices
c. Reread question and answer choices
d. Ask yourself, “Does that make sense?”
Trisha Katsuno
SPED 639 Reading Assessment Project
Trisha Katsuno
SPED 639 Reading Assessment Project