Diagnostic

Diagnostic tests can be given as soon as a screening test indicates that a student has a deficit in one or more areas of reading. However, a diagnostic test is given only if a student fails to make adequate progress following instruction. If a screening indicates that the student is experiencing difficulty, the teacher should plan immediate appropriate instruction and monitor the progress. If progress monitoring indicates that the instruction is not effective, a teacher may consider assessing a student with a diagnostic test to acquire more specific information about strengths and needs.

Diagnostic assessments give a more in-depth look at the skills and knowledge so that even more precise interventions can be implemented for the student. Diagnostic tests like Diagnostic Assessment of Reading (DAR), Early Reading Diagnostic Assessment (ERDA), and Fox in a Box are more time-consuming to administer but ultimately provide more in-depth data.

Click on the following links to find out more about diagnostic assessments used in Florida.

http://www.fldoe.org/core/fileparse.php/5423/urlt/312AdminManual.pdf

Caution

While it is important to pinpoint a student's instructional needs, valuable instructional time can be wasted if assessments do not have a clear purpose. Diagnostic tests should be given when there is a clear expectation that they will provide new, or more reliable, information about a student 's reading difficulties, which can then be used to provide more intense instruction. The major argument for not performing additional diagnostic testing is a determination that diagnostic testing would be unlikely to add any additional information to planning effective interventions, and might delay initiating needed interventions for a student.