Teach Reading, Not Testing

Foreword by W. James Popham Acknowledgments About the Authors Introduction 1. Conducting an Alignment Study Conducting an Alignment Study What Is Alignment? Teaching to the Test: Just Say No Key Points to Remember End-of-Chapter Quiz 2. Using Formative Assessments What Does Formative Mean? How Are the Scores of Test Takers Analyzed? Differentiated Instruction Tests as a Snap Shot: The Jacuzzi Metaphor DIBELS Test Quality and District Assessments End-of-Chapter Quiz 3. Struggling Readers Accommodations Versus Modifications Modifications and High-Stakes Tests: Alternative Assessments Accommodations and High-Stakes Tests Assistive Technology (AT) Response to Intervention (RTI) Differentiated Instruction (DI) English Language Learners (ELLs) End-of-Chapter Quiz 4. Attitude and Motivation Motivation Research Incentives Goal Setting What to Do If Your Principal Wants to Use Pizza Parties to Bribe Students The Use of Practice Tests: Preparation or Motivation? Test Preparation: Analyzing Tests as a Reading Genre Communicaton With Stakeholders End-of-Chapter Quiz 5. Engaged Independent Reading Connect Your Reading Units to Real-World Contexts Teaching Students to Read for Pleasure Reading at Home: W.E.I.R.D. What's the Deal With Boys? Literature Circles and Book Clubs: What Is Normal in the Real World? Best Practice for Book Clubs Summary End-of-Chapter Quiz 6. Best Practice What Do Quality Inservices Look Like? Theory and Practice at the Elementary Level: Best Practices Primer Know What Works for You End-of-Chapter Quiz 7. Implications for Your Teaching and Beyond Holding Your Ground Test Misuse in the Early Days of Testing The Need for a Supportive Principal No More Teaching to the Test Next Steps Final Thoughts Resource A: Answers to Quizzes Resource B: Five Ways to Teach Vocabulary General Glossary of Assessment Terms References Index