TECHNICAL MANUAL
Description of the Assessments
There are two computer adaptive assessments that are directly embedded in the A2i platform: Letters2Meaning (decoding and reading comprehension) and the Word Match Game (vocabulary and word knowledge). Students will see a unique combination of items every time they take the test and, because students only take items needed to obtain an accurate score, the duration of each assessment is short.For effective A2i implementation, it is recommended that the assessments are taken every six to eight weeks, but they can be done a minimum of three times per year. The data generated helps educators plan lessons, monitor the effectiveness of their instruction, and identify students who are not making expected growth.
Letters2Meaning (L2M) L2M Duration
For most students, L2M takes under 20 minutes to complete. Students with advanced reading skills are the most likely to have slightly longer assessment times. In general, the expected length of the assessment can be estimated based on a student’s grade: • Kindergarten students take 8.13 minutes on average (and over 90 percent of students finished in under 13.36 minutes). • Grade 1 students take 8.96 minutes on average (and over 90 percent of students finished in under 14.38 minutes). • Grade 2 students take 9.74 minutes on average (and over 90 percent of students finished in under 16.58 minutes). • Grade 3 students take 12.2 minutes on average (and over 90 percent of students finished in under 22.35 minutes). L2M Items L2M assesses a student’s letter/sound recognition, spelling, word reading, and basic comprehension ability. This assessment produces a single score (Grade Equivalent, or GE) representing the student’s overall decoding/comprehension performance. The score can be interpreted as proficiency measured by grade and month; for example, a GE of 2.3 represents a score typical of a second-grade student three months into the school year. The multiple item types in L2M follow a developmental sequence that increases in complexity as they get further into the items on the test. • Item Type 1: Identify Letter Names—students hear a letter name and must select the corresponding letter from a set of five options. Letters in each set are all capitalized or all lowercase. • Item Type 2: Identify Letter Sounds—students hear a letter sound and must select the corresponding letter that makes that sound from a set of five options. Letters in each set are all capitalized or all lowercase.
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