DART, EPRA and FIEPRA are all performance-based reading assessments, designed in British Columbia, by cohorts of British Columbia educators, in response to teachers’ questions about how best to use assessment information to guide their reading instruction. These whole class formative assessments can also be used to collect summative information at the end of the school year. Grade protocols for administering and coding the assessments are included. Teacher collaboration is encouraged in administering, coding and determining a ‘what’s next’ course of action. On-line videos support the use of the assessments. Purchase of a district site license provides on-line access to all the materials, except the student books. These are purchased directly from publishers.
DART (District Assessment of Reading Team) is a grade 3-9 assessment. There are 2 forms to the assessment – fall and spring for each grade – and additional in-between assessments to be possibly used throughout the year.
EPRA (Early Primary Reading Assessment) is K-grade 2. There are 2 forms to the assessment: common text for fall and spring, and leveled text to be used throughout the year. The common text assessment can be administered to the whole class or to small groups of students. The leveled text assessment is best administered to small groups of students as students choose a ‘just right’ book for themselves, from a collection of 4-6 choices.
FIEPRA (French Immersion Early Primary Reading Assessment) is K-grade 3. There are 2 forms to the assessment: French common text for fall and spring, and French leveled text to be used throughout the year. The common text assessment can be administered to the whole class or to small groups of students. The leveled text assessment is best administered to small groups of students as students choose a ‘just right’ book for themselves, from a collection of 4-6 choices. Included as an extension are common texts for grades 4-7, 2 texts per grade, to be used in the fall and in the spring.
For information on acquiring a site license and support in using the assessments, contact Faye Brownlie.
