Concurrent Validity of the Independent Reading Level Assessment Framework and a State Assessment.

This study investigates the use of screening assessments within the increasingly popular Response to Intervention (RTI)framework, specifically seeking to collect concurrent validity evidence on one potential new screening tool, the Independent Reading Level Assessment (IRLA) framework. Furthermore, this study builds on existing literature by disaggregating the validity evidence across grade, program, and race/ethnicity to better understand how the assessment functions amongst varying demographic categories. We add to the limited research base of evidence that the IRLA tool may be an important instrument for bridging the gap between screening and providing intensive, systematic instruction as detailed by the What Works Clearinghouse (Gersten et al, 2008). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]