An Independent Evaluation of the Technical Features of the Basic Reading Inventory

The present study investigated some psychometric properties of the Basic Reading Inventory (BRI), a widely used informal reading inventory. The BRI and Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) probes were administered to 149 third, fourth, and fifth graders. Test--retest and alternate forms reliability analyses indicated adequate levels of reliability for low-stakes decisions. Concurrent validity analyses indicated strong correlations with DIBELS, an established measure of reading fluency. These results are discussed in light of implications for use of the BRI for making instructional grouping, universal screening, and progress monitoring decisions.