TITLE Improving Student Reading Comprehension Skills through the Use of Authentic Assessment.

This report describes an intervention to aid students in demonstrating their comprehension of reading material through an alternative instrument. The target population consisted of fifth grade students in a middle class community in central Illinois. Problems in comprehension were revealed through declining district test scores and teacher observations. Analysis of related data revealed that students arrive at school with varied experiential backgrounds, but are not given a variety of testing situations that would tap into these various experiences. This shows strongly in the area of reading. Traditional testing has only measured what a child can recall or recognize from the presented material. Teachers are concerned with this comprehension problem. A review of solutions strategies suggested in the research resulted in the selection of three major objectives of intervention. The interventions included the use of alternate teaching strategies, the use of student portfolios, and a change in assessment methods to be contraste