How Fifth-Grade Inclusion Teachers within a Suburban School District, Use Assessments to Guide the Literacy Needs of Their Students

Abstract

Much research has been conducted on inclusion classrooms as well as on assessments. However, little research exists on how teachers within inclusion classrooms use assessments to provide literacy instruction. I conducted a six-week study in two fifth-grade inclusion classrooms within a suburban school district, in order to determine how teachers use assessments to guide the literacy needs of their students. I interviewed two general education teachers and two special education teachers, and observed them during their ELA blocks. I explored formal and informal assessments the teachers used throughout the study. The participating teachers used more informal assessments than formal assessments, which were observed during guided reading lessons. The participating teachers met students' literacy needs through guided reading lessons, which were initially formed using students; instructional reading levels from formal assessments. Informal assessments were used during guided reading lessons to guide individual students' literacy needs. Further research should be conducted in order to generalize the study, since it took place in two classrooms with only four teachers.