A Saxon Phonics and Spelling User s Guide To Interpreting Benchmark Results This User s Guide has been prepared to assist teachers in interpreting Benchmark Results in light of the instruction their students have received in Saxon Phonics and Spelling. According to the guidelines, students should be assessed at the beginning, middle, and end of the academic year. This User s Guide assumes teachers will administer the first benchmark before beginning Saxon instruction, the second benchmark four to five months into instruction, and the final benchmark upon completion of Saxon instruction for that grade. Interpreting the Results In the guide, the implications for students performance on the first benchmark in Grades 1, 2, and 3 assume students received Saxon instruction the previous year. The implications for the second benchmark in grades K-3 are based on a comparison of the specific concepts assessed by with those that have been explicitly taught by mid-year in the Saxon lessons. In some instances, there is not a one-to-one correspondence between concepts taught in Saxon Phonics and Spelling and those assessed by the benchmark, even though a large number of concepts have been taught. Regardless of this midyear mismatch, when the third benchmark is administered at the end of the year, Saxon students have been taught all the assessed concepts. Therefore, its results are highly predictive of their knowledge base. Prescribing Remediation Activities The value of a benchmark measure is to obtain timely feedback so teachers can modify or refine instruction based on individual needs. Teachers using Saxon Phonics and Spelling may want to use its weekly diagnostic assessments as mini-benchmarks. These assessments are cumulative and are designed to provide information on individual student progress toward the mastery of specific skills. If a Saxon assessment indicates a deficiency in concept knowledge, teachers should follow the recommended remediation activities that accompany the assessment. In many instances the recommended remediation includes the use of the Saxon Kid Cards. The Individualized Practice and Remediation: Hands-On Games and Activities booklet in the Saxon Phonics and Spelling Teacher s Manual provides suggestions for games that will help improve students weak areas. These same suggestions and activities can be used to address deficiencies identified by the benchmarks, as needed Preparing for Success When interpreted using this guide, the results of the Benchmark Assessment, though not perfectly predictive, can be used in concert with the weekly diagnostic assessments in Saxon Phonics and Spelling to help teachers identify students who need more intensive instruction. By providing remediation activities in a timely manner, teachers can meet students needs during the critical primary grades, thus ensuring their future academic success. 1
A Saxon Phonics and Spelling User s Guide To Interpreting Benchmark Results Kindergarten, Benchmark K - 1 Administered Beginning of Year Before Beginning Saxon Phonics and Spelling K Variable Performance Status Initial Sound ISF< 4 4 = ISF< 8 ISF = 8 LNF< 2 2 = LNF< 8 LNF = 8 Segmentation 2
Kindergarten, Benchmark K-2 Administered Middle of Year Variable Performance Status Progress in Saxon Phonics and Spelling K: Week 16, Lesson 61* ISF< 10 Deficit Beginning in Week 3, Lesson 10, the process of Initial recognizing initial sounds is one of the skills Sound 10 = ISF< 25 Emerging practiced during the daily Phonemic Awareness Activity. By the middle of the year, Saxon ISF = 25 Established lessons have taught the sounds of 15 letters, 9 (s, f, t, i, r, p, m, k, and b) of which are on this benchmark. Segmentation LNF< 15 15 = LNF< 27 LNF = 27 PSF< 7 7 = PSF< 18 PSF = 18 NWF< 5 5 = NWF< 13 NWF = 13 The names of all 26 letters of the alphabet, both uppercase and lowercase, have been practiced in each lesson beginning in Week 1, Lesson 2. Beginning in Week 3, Lesson 10, the process of phonemic segmentation is one of the skills practiced during the daily Phonemic Awareness Activity. By the middle of the year, students have learned to recognize the sounds of 51 of the 72 phonemes chosen for this benchmark both in isolation and within 3 letter words. Students have learned the short vowel rule and all the letters and sounds necessary to read 9 of the 50 nonsense words chosen for this benchmark. Of the remaining 41 nonsense words, 37 feature at least one sound that has been explicitly taught before Week 16. *Lesson 61 represents approximately how much could be taught five months into a nine-month school year. Saxon Phonics and Spelling K Based on Saxon instruction to date, a status indication of Deficit may not accurately reflect a Saxon student s knowledge and Recommend a status of Deficit be assigned to students who miss more than four of the nine sounds taught by Saxon to this point. Based on Saxon instruction, the Based on Saxon instruction, the. Based on Saxon instruction, the 3
Kindergarten, Benchmark K-3 Administered End of Year Variable Performance Status Progress in Saxon Phonics and Spelling K: Week 35, Lesson 140 Initial Sound Segmentation LNF< 29 29 = LNF< 40 LNF = 40 PSF< 10 10 = PSF< 35 PSF = 35 NWF< 15 15 = NWF< 25 NWF = 25 The names of all 26 letters of the alphabet, both uppercase and lowercase, have been practiced in each daily lesson beginning in Week 1, Lesson 2. Beginning in Week 3, Lesson 10, the process of phonemic segmentation is one of the skills practiced during the daily Phonemic Awareness Activity. By the end of the year, students have learned to recognize the sounds of 71 of the 74 phonemes chosen for this benchmark both in isolation and within words. Students have learned the short vowel rule and all the letters and sounds necessary to read all 50 nonsense words chosen for this benchmark. Saxon Phonics and Spelling K Based on Saxon instruction, the Based on Saxon instruction, the Based on Saxon instruction, the 4
First Grade, Benchmark 1 Administered Beginning of the Year Before Beginning Saxon Phonics and Spelling 1 Variable Performance Status Progress in Saxon Phonics and Spelling 1 LNF< 25 Have not started 25 = LNF< 37 LNF = 37 PSF< 10 Deficit Have not started Segmentation 10 = PSF< 35 Emerging PSF = 35 Established NWF< 13 Have not started 13 = NWF< 24 NWF = 24 Reading Saxon Phonics and Spelling K. For any student who had Saxon s kindergarten instruction, the status can be interpreted as an accurate reflection of his/her knowledge and For any student who had Saxon s kindergarten instruction, the status can be interpreted as an accurate reflection of his/her knowledge and For any student who had Saxon s kindergarten instruction, the status can be interpreted as an accurate reflection of his/her knowledge and 5
First Grade, Benchmark 2 Administered Middle of Year Variable Performance Status Progress in Saxon Phonics and Spelling 1: Lesson 86* Segmentation Reading PSF< 10 10 = PSF< 35 PSF = 35 NWF> 30 30 = NWF< 50 NWF = 50 ORF< 8 8 = ORF< 20 ORF = 20 Deficit Emerging Established Deficit Emerging Established Students practice segmenting the sounds in words beginning in Lesson 2. Beginning with Lesson 16, the process of phonemic segmentation is one of the skills practiced during the daily Phonemic Awareness Activity. Students have learned the short vowel rule and all the letters and sounds necessary to read all of the nonsense words chosen for this benchmark. Beginning in Lesson 6 homework worksheets have a list of high-frequency words so students can practice word recognition. By Lesson 86, 71 common sight words have been taught to enable students to fluently read text that contains nondecodable words. Also students have practiced oral reading fluency using 15 of the 26 Saxon fluency readers. Furthermore, students have learned to decode 185 of the 213 words in the selection chosen for Benchmark 2.1, 150 of the 190 words in Benchmark 2.2, and 171 of the 199 words in Benchmark 2.3 *Lesson 86 represents approximately how much could be taught five months into a nine-month school year. Saxon Phonics and Spelling 1 Based on Saxon instruction, the status can be interpreted as an accurate reflection of a student s knowledge and Based on Saxon instruction, the status can be interpreted as an accurate reflection of a student s knowledge and Based on Saxon instruction, the status can be interpreted as an accurate reflection of a student s knowledge and 6
First Grade, Benchmark 3 Administered End of Year Variable Performance Status Progress in Saxon Phonics and Spelling 1: Lesson 140 PSF< 10 Deficit Students practice segmenting the sounds in words beginning in Lesson 2. Beginning in Segmentation 10 = PSF< 35 Emerging Lesson 16, the process of phonemic segmentation is one of the skills practiced Reading PSF = 35 NWF< 30 30 = NWF< 50 NWF = 50 ORF< 20 20 = ORF< 40 ORF = 40 Established Deficit Emerging Established At Risk Some Risk Low Risk during the daily Phonemic Awareness Activity. Students have learned the short vowel rule and all the letters and sounds necessary to read all of the selected nonsense words chosen for this benchmark. Beginning in Lesson 6, homework worksheets have a list of high-frequency words so students can practice word recognition. By Lesson 140, 89 common sight words have been taught to enable students to fluently read text that contains non-decodable words. Also students have practiced on oral reading fluency using all 26 Saxon fluency readers. Furthermore, students have learned to decode 221 of the 223 words in the selections chosen for Benchmark 3.1, 117 of the 221 words in Benchmark 3.2, and 208 of the 215 words in Benchmark 3.3. Saxon Phonics and Spelling 1 Based on Saxon instruction, the Based on Saxon instruction, the Based on Saxon instruction, the 7
Second Grade, Benchmark 1 Administered Beginning of Year Before Beginning Saxon Phonics and Spelling 2 Variable Performance Status Progress in Saxon Phonics and Spelling 2 NWF< 30 Deficit Have not started 30<=NWF< 50 Emerging NWF>= 50 Established ORF< 26 Have not started Reading 26 = ORF< 44 ORF = 44 Saxon Phonics and Spelling 2 For any student who had Saxon s first grade instruction, the status can be interpreted as an accurate reflection of his/her knowledge and Based on Saxon instruction, the reflection of the student s knowledge and Second Grade, Benchmark 2 Administered Middle of Year Variable Performance Status Progress in Saxon Phonics and Spelling 2: Lesson 86* ORF< 52 Beginning with Lesson 1 homework worksheets have a list of high-frequency words so students can Reading 52 = ORF< 68 practice word recognition. By Lesson 86, 85 common sight words have been taught to enable students to ORF = 68 fluently read text that contains non-decodable words. Also students have practiced oral reading fluency using 15 of the 26 Saxon fluency readers. Furthermore, students have learned to decode 241 of the 253 words in the selection chosen for Benchmark 2.1, 193 of the 216 words in Benchmark 2.2, and 211 of the 229 words in Benchmark 2.3. *Lesson 86 represents approximately how much could be taught five months into a nine-month school year. Saxon Phonics and Spelling 2 Based on Saxon instruction, the status can be interpreted as an accurate reflection of a student s knowledge and 8
Second Grade, Benchmark 3 Administered End of Year Variable Performance Status Progress in Saxon Phonics and Spelling 2: Lesson 140 ORF< 70 Beginning with Lesson 1 homework worksheets have a list of high-frequency Reading 70 = ORF< 90 words so students can practice word recognition. At this point 125 common sight ORF = 90 words have been taught to enable students to fluently read text that contains nondecodable words. Also students have practiced oral reading fluency using all 26 Saxon fluency readers. Furthermore, Saxon lessons have taught students to decode 229 of the 232 words in the selection chosen for Benchmark 3.1, 233 of the 234 words in Benchmark 3.2, and all the words in Benchmark 3.3. Saxon Phonics and Spelling 2 Based on Saxon instruction, the 9
Third Grade, Benchmark 3-1 Administered Beginning of Year Before Beginning Saxon Phonics and Spelling 3 Variable Performance Status Progress in Saxon Phonics and Spelling 3 Saxon Phonics and Spelling 3 ORF< 53 As a maintenance program, Saxon Phonics and Based on Saxon instruction, the Spelling 3 reviews concepts previously taught Reading 53 = ORF<77 while providing ongoing fluency practice through ORF = 77 the use of the Saxon fluency readers. Third Grade, Benchmark 3-2 Administered Middle of Year Variable Performance Status Progress in Saxon Phonics and Spelling 3 Saxon Phonics and Spelling 3 ORF< 67 As a maintenance program, Saxon Phonics and Based on Saxon instruction, the Spelling 3 reviews concepts previously taught Reading 67 = ORF< 92 while providing ongoing fluency practice through ORF = 92 the use of the Saxon fluency readers. Third Grade, Benchmark 3-3 Administered End of Year Variable Performance Status Progress in Saxon Phonics and Spelling 3 Saxon Phonics and Spelling 3 ORF< 80 As a maintenance program, Saxon Phonics and Based on Saxon instruction, the Spelling 3 reviews concepts previously taught while Reading 80 = ORF< 110 providing ongoing fluency practice through the use ORF = 110 of the Saxon fluency readers. 10
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