Examining the validity of a new large-scale reading assessment instrument from two perspectives

A study was conducted to evaluate the validity of the Illinois Goal Assessment Program [IGAP] grade-3 reading assessment from two perspectives: (a) its relationship to 21 other measures of reading via factor analyses, and (b) the sensitivity of the IGAP to instruction in three schools via multiple regression. Data were collected in a longitudinal study involving 350 students. Factor analyses indicate the tests load on two factors, a comprehension factor and a factor contrasting reading rate/accuracy with narrative comprehension. Two elements of the IGAP failed to load on either factor: the literacy survey and the metacognitive measure. The three regressions models were consistent across sites. After controlling for entering ability, home influences, and grade-1 and grade-2 teachers, instructional activities in grade 3 that focus students' attention on comprehension are associated with higher IGAP scores. Instructional activities that focus students' attention on decoding are associated with lower scores