Reading assessments that the National Assessment Governing Board oversees use the knowledge and input from teachers, school administrators, policymakers and parents, according to the National Center for Education Statistics website. This board regularly analyzes reading-assessment tests and compares students' results over the years. The purpose of teaching reading in school is so the student will learn to understand what she has read, be able to interpret what the text means and be able to figure out the correct meaning particular to the type of text and its purpose.
The kinds of reading students do in assessment tests are literary and informational. Literary reading includes passages of fiction, literary nonfiction and poetry. Informational reading includes essays, arguments persuasive writings and instructional documents. This teaches students that people read for a variety of reasons. A good vocabulary will help students with these tests.
All states set benchmarks for reading levels. Under No Child Left Behind, public schools determine if students are making adequate yearly progress (AYP), according to the U.S Department of Education. Students must meet the academic standards set by their states in reading and language, arts and math. If a school cannot make AYP, parents can transfer their child to another school.
When teachers test younger children for reading assessments, they also include reading accuracy, which is having the student read a passage without making mistakes. When students read aloud, their comprehension often suffers, according to SEDL, a nonprofit education corporation. The reason is that children are often concentrating so hard on getting the words right, they are not paying attention to what they are reading.
The National Center for Education Statistics recommends certain targets that students should be able to achieve by attending school. Students should be able to locate and remember information that they have just read. They should be able to examine the ideas from the text and be able to interpret the meaning. They should be able to analyze and evaluate what they have read.