Oral Reading and Maze Measures as Predictors of Success for English Learners on a State Standards Assessment

Abstract

Curriculum-based measurement (CBM) of oral reading has been used to aid in identifying students who are at risk for failing the reading portion of their spring state standards tests. The purpose of this study is to determine whether adding a maze reading measure would aid in predicting the performance of students who are English learners (ELs). The study, conducted in an urban elementary school, used both oral reading and maze measures with EL and non-EL students to predict their performance on the reading portion of a state standards test for third- and fifth-grade students. Moderate to moderately strong correlations were obtained between the state standards test and both oral reading fluency and the maze task. Combining the measures increased the predictive power for non-EL students but not for ELs.