The Colorado Basic Literacy Act: Multiple Measures in Action

The Colorado Basic Literacy Law, enacted in 1996, requires that school districts report the number and percentage of students who are reading at or above grade level in grade 3, are on individualized literacy plans, or improve their reading achievement by two or more grade levels in a single year. The law requires the use of multiple indicators or a "body of evidence" for the first two of the requirements. This paper describes the impact of the new law on Colorado school districts and the multiple measures districts are using. The focus is on the first requirement, the number and percentages of third graders reading at or above the third grade level. The decision is based on standardized test results from an individual reading inventory and the state's third-grade reading test. A third indicator may be added, chosen from the state's approved list. Each district must set performance expectations for each instrument, and each must determine how to combine the evidence from multiple measures. As procedures now stand, information from the various districts will not be comparable because districts set their own cut points and make their own combining rules. An attachment lists the third grade reading proficiencies. (SLD)