for use at school or home
for use at school or home
Building a community of lifelong learners!
About the Tests
The tests displayed on this website were based on California's 1997 Language Arts Standards, 2007 Frameworks, and state-adopted Literacy Programs. The tests were used by over 1 million students in grades K-6, and they target phonics, reading comprehension, spelling, grammar, vocabulary, and writing skills. The 6-week assessments were developed to provide teachers with ongoing insights into students' strengths and weaknesses. The assessments helped teachers determine the next steps to maximize learning. The tests may be administered at home to help parents develop an understanding of their children's progress toward grade-level reading and writing skills and strategies. Go to the menu at the top and bottom of this page to download tests. Teacher materials have all directions for administering the tests as well as answers.
The assessments provided on this site were funded by Reading First and used to inform teachers and administrators regarding student performance throughout the school year. The information helped teachers determine the effectiveness of their instruction and plan for the next six weeks.
reading first
Reading First (RF), a pivotal component of the No Child Left Behind education legislation under the George W. Bush administration, significantly shaped K-3 reading instruction. This federal program was designed to promote evidence-based research as the bedrock for K-3 reading instruction. To incentivize schools, RF offered $900 million in state grants. States were eligible for these grants if they could demonstrate their commitment to enhancing local educational agencies' reading instruction and student achievement through scientifically based research.
In California, 57% of the low-income students in RF were English learners compared to 29% statewide. The unprecedented gains from 1999 to 2005 have never been duplicated. Critical factors to student growth centered around California's carefully developed research-based state standards and training programs. Open Court Reading and Houghton Mifflin Reading, the only available programs based on the standards and the research at that time, were adopted to support these standards. Support was provided for administrators and teachers on the research and program implementation by the California RF Technical Assistance Center (CTAC).
Description
The purpose of this website is to provide you with reliable, validated, easy-to-administer assessments developed by the Reading Lions Center for Reading First schools, funded by the Department of Education, No Child Left Behind grants. Using the tests provided on this website might offer a way for parents and teachers to understand whether a student is reading on grade level. Should a student not meet minimum grade-level measures as defined, consider using a test from a previous grade level to get a preliminary understanding of where a student might be regarding grade-level reading. Poor performance on any of the tests provided on this website should be considered cautiously, as many factors could result in lower-than-normal scores. Further investigation would be required for any student not meeting grade-level expectations.