At a glance
• Provides consistent analytical and predictive information
• Perfect for analysing gaps in knowledge and understanding
• Helps compare students’ performance against national averages throughout KS3
• Designed to plot progress as students begin to develop the skills needed for GCSE
How do you reliably measure progress in Key Stage 3 reading?
Comprehensive, standardised attainment and progress data should identify learning steps and growth over time, and show how a student has performed compared to others of his/her age or year group nationally, as well as showing progress against defined achievement benchmarks.
Assessments should also provide information that indicates where learning interventions should be targeted.
This is what Progress in Reading and Language Assessment (PiRA KS3) can do, by providing a shared language for describing and comparing student performance, with free online analysis and reports.
PiRA KS3 is a suite of standardised termly tests that empower schools to precisely measure and forecast students’ progress in reading as they begin to develop the knowledge and skills they need for GCSE.
They have been standardised using a nationally representative sample of over 3,500 students, and mapping to GCSE grades for all year groups is available online.
The tests themselves are top-notch, with questions suitable for all exam boards from Year 7, featuring attractive age-appropriate texts written by experts.
Standardised scores allow you instantly to see whether a student is above or below the national average for their year cohort and age-standardised scores let you gauge how a learner is performing against other students of the same age, calculated in months.
Then there are performance indicators which facilitate comparisons of every student’s score to performance within the standardisation sample, so you can get a sense of whether they are above, below or within the national average.
PiRA KS3 provides reading ages for measuring ability against the age at which the student’s performance is typical and the Hodder Scale is an independent metric providing additional fine monitoring of progress and the prediction of future performance.
The PiRA KS3 tests are all supported by free online gap analysis and reports to help guide planning, teaching and intervention. These let you see performance, progress and potential in one easy to access place so you can compare and contrast and set realistic targets.
There’s a teaching manual too, with full mark schemes and diagnostic profiling information.
This is diagnostic assessment at its very best, providing both summative and formative feedback that can be used to make deliberate differences.
PiRA provides quality data that is actionable, contextual, longitudinal and interoperable.
It makes data work for students.
Verdict
• Builds a comprehensive profile of each student’s performance
• Provides valuable evidence about whether students have made good progress
• Supports instant gap analysis and elicits misconceptions
• Ensures meaningful interventions are targeted, personalised and effective
Upgrade if…
You are looking for reading tests with valid and reliable results that will help you differentiate and direct meaningful and efficient teaching based on outstanding diagnostic information.
Find out more at hoddereducation.com/piraTS.
Reviewed by John Dabell
