Acadience Reading 7-8: Gating Procedures
Benchmark assessment with Acadience Reading 7–8 is conducted within a system of multiple gating. This allows students to be assessed three times per year so that students who may be at risk can be identified throughout the school year. At the same time, the multiple-gating process minimizes assessment time by reducing the number of students who are assessed individually.
Gate 1
In Gate 1, Maze is administered to all students. The Maze Total Adjusted Score is equated and used as the Gate 1 Score. Typically, students whose Gate 1 Scores are At or Above Benchmark are not assessed until the next scheduled benchmark. Students whose Gate 1 Scores are Below Benchmark or Well Below Benchmark enter Gate 2 and are assessed with the group-administered Silent Reading (SR) measure.
Gate 2
Students who enter Gate 2 are administered SR. Their Maze and SR equated scores are averaged to create a Gate 2 Score. Typically, students who score At or Above Benchmark at Gate 2 are not assessed until the next scheduled benchmark. Core support, with differentiation as needed, is recommended. The instructional recommendation for students who are Below Benchmark at Gate 2 is strategic support. A progress monitoring schedule can be set up if needed as described in Chapter 4 of the Acadience Reading 7–8 Assessment Manual. Students whose Gate 2 Scores are Well Below Benchmark enter Gate 3 and are assessed individually with the Oral Reading (OR)measure.
Gate 3
Students who move to Gate 3 are administered Oral Reading. Although Oral Reading is administered individually and requires the most time to administer, it provides important additional information about the student’s reading fluency, accuracy, and comprehension skills. The student’s OR scores are equated and averaged with the Maze and SR equated scores to calculate the Gate 3 Score. Students who score At or Above Benchmark at Gate 3 may not need any additional assessment and core support is recommended. It would be unusual for a student to score At or Above Benchmark at Gate 3 because the student has already demonstrated difficulty in Gates 1 and 2. If a student does score At or Above Benchmark, we recommend validating the student’s Maze, SR, and OR scores. If upon validation the student’s Gate 3 Score is still At or Above Benchmark at Gate 3, core support is recommended. For students whose Gate 3 Scores are Below Benchmark, strategic, targeted support is recommended. For students who score Well Below Benchmark at Gate 3, intensive instructional support is recommended. For students who score Below Benchmark and Well Below Benchmark at Gate 3, information from Acadience Reading Survey and Acadience Reading Diagnostic may be helpful in guiding appropriate steps for instruction and progress monitoring.
The figure below illustrates the gating procedures.
For more information please see the Assessment Manual located on the Acadience Resource Hub.
