A MODEL-BASED APPROACH TO MEASURING COGNITIVE GROWTH IN PRE-READING AND READING SKILLS DURING THE KINDERGARTEN YEAR

Abstract

This study has two primary purposes. The first is to outline a model-based measurement approach that relies on multiple criterion-referenced points to identify different patterns of student growth in reading during kindergarten. The second purpose is to demonstrate how applied practitioners might use the model-based measurement approach to address policy questions dealing with gender and school sector differences in reading growth during kindergarten. In addition, the study shows that the more traditional approaches to measuring change with respect to these policy questions may yield uninformative if not incorrect results.