Conducting the BAS/benchmark assessment allows teachers to ...

Determine students’ independent and instructional reading levels. Determine reading placement levels and group students for reading instruction. Select texts that will be productive for student’s instruction and inform parents of student progress. Assess the outcomes of teaching and identify students who need intervention. Assess a new student’s reading level for independent reading and instruction. Document student progress across a school year and across grade levels.

BAS FAQs

Should I assess both fiction and nonfiction reading?

The fiction and nonfiction book at each level are equivalent measures. You can use either text to determine a student’s ability to read at that level. We recommend alternating fiction and nonfiction books as you move up the levels.

May I show a student the pictures during the introduction of the text? We do not recommend showing the pictures during the introduction. The student may look at the front cover as you read the introduction. It is important to follow the standardized directions for the administration so your results will be consistent.

When I am assessing and the first book the student reads is too hard, what should I do? You should judge how hard the book is and move down at least a couple of levels so you can find his independent and instructional levels.

Are there any plans to expand the number of benchmark books offered at each level? There are no current plans to add books to the system. Two books at a level (one fiction, one nonfiction) are all that is needed. If you use a book for one assessment conference, the student will be at a different level by the next conference interval. If for some reason this is not true, you have an alternate book to use at that level. Further, if a book is too hard for a child you should discontinue the reading. You can use this book again if the student read very little of it months before.

If a student reads the same book (from fall to spring), does it change the effectiveness of the assessment?

Yes. A student should not be assessed on the same book more than once. If a student is familiar with a book it can skew the results. That is why two different books are provided.

If a student is reading a book that is too hard, is it necessary for her to finish it so I can determine an accuracy level?

No, you can stop the reading early. You might want to say something like, “This is a very tricky book. You can stop there.” As a teacher, you have gathered the data you need and you can discontinue the testing. There is no need to have the student continue to read if the accuracy rate has gone well below 90% for Levels A-K or 95% for Levels LZ.

If a student makes multiple errors on the same work, is that counted as an error each time he says it?

Each missed word in the book counts as one error each time it is misread. Therefore, if a student misreads the same word eight times, it counts as eight errors. This is a very telling behavior as the student had eight opportunities to notice that it did not look or sound right. The exception to this rule is proper nouns, which count as an error only one time, even if a student misreads it again and again.

Do the headings count as errors if the students do not read them?

Yes, the headings count as they are included in the running words count. Other items like captions, diagram labels, etc. are not included in the running words so should not be counted as errors if students skip them.

What if I have a student who reads a level with accuracy and understanding but is not at all fluent?

Should I go down a level for instruction? That is not always the answer. We suggest using the teaching prompts and procedures in Prompting Guide, Part 1 to get a shift in fluency before moving down a level. Some students develop a habit of reading dysfluently and might do so even at easy levels. You will want to look in greater depth at their reading. We suggest using the Six Dimensions Fluency Rubric found in the Assessment Forms Book and CD-ROM so that you can decide with more precision what to teach the student. Sometimes, if accuracy and understanding are there, you can teach intensively for fluency and get a shift in a short time.

Fountas and Pinnell suggest you take a frequent running record on the guided reading books you use with your small groups. This is considered a Continuous Assessment. You gather information or data on a continuous basis to give you a picture of individual progress over weeks of time throughout the year.