The Gray Oral Reading Test (GORT)

The Gray Oral Reading Test (GORT) is an important reading assessment instrument that helps teachers measure children’s reading progress as well as identify those who are struggling and need extra help. A test methodology is typically used to determine the effectiveness of the test in accomplishing the desired objectives. Hall and Tannebaum evaluated GORT to determine its validity and reliability. The test was administered to 2556 pupils from 33 states with demographics similar to the region as a whole. Five types of correlation coefficients were constructed to measure the reliability of the scores acquired from the test i.e. alternate forms (delayed administration), alternate forms (immediate administration), test-retest, coefficient alpha, and interscorer reliability. The average coefficient alphas for both forms of the test in all the age intervals was more than .90, which considerably high. Other tests also revealed a high consistency among scores obtained from the GORT, which means that test users can have high levels of confidence in the test results. With regards to validity, the authors also determined that the test provides extensive evidence on three different types of validity – content, construct, and criterion. However, they suggest that the validity of GORT can be strengthened by conducting studies on the response processes of students and examiners (Hall & Tannebaum, 8).

The Test of Word Reading Efficiency (TOWRE)

The Test of Word Reading Efficiency (TOWRE) is usually used to assess a student’s word level reading efficiency. This test was evaluated by Hayward, Stewart, Phillips, Norris, & Lovell to determine its reliability and validity as a measure of reading efficiency. The reliability of TOWRE was determined using three tests: internal consistency of items, test-retest, and inter-rater. In all cases, it was found that the average coefficients of the scores obtained from the test were above .90 which indicates a significantly high level of reliability. The validity of the test was assessed in three areas: content, criterion, and construct. In all three cases, the test demonstrated a high level of validity including reduced instances of bias and a better reflection of small improvements compared to other tests such as GORT. However, it was noted that stronger relationships were demonstrated between whole word readings skills and text reading and comprehension compared to decoding skills (Hayward et al. 4).

Works Cited

Hall, Anna H., and Rory P. Tannebaum. “Test Review: JL Wiederholt & BR Bryant.(2012). Gray Oral Reading Tests—Fifth Edition (GORT-5). Austin, TX: Pro-Ed.” (2013): 516-520.

Hayward, D. V., et al. ”At-a-glance test review: Test of word reading efficiency (TOWRE).” Language, Phonological Awareness, and Reading Test Directory (2008): 1-4.