Initial Validity Evidence for an Early Literacy Screener: The Virginia Language & Literacy Screening System
Conner, C., Wellberg, S., Soland, J., Solari, E.L., Anaya, J., Lipscomb, D.
Under review at Practical Assessment, Research, and Evaluation
This study provides initial validity evidence to support the use of an early literacy screener, the Virginia Language & Literacy Screening System (VALLSS), to screen for risk of developing literacy difficulties in Kindergarten through Grade 3. VALLSS includes subtests of both code-based and language comprehension skills, as both are necessary for reading development (Gough & Tunmer, 1986; Hoover & Gough, 1990). 63,566 students participated in VALLSS during the fall of 2023, providing the sample for this study. Three broad findings bear mention. First, evidence suggests that the dimensionality (factor structure) of the measure is in line with prior theory of reading development that describes the need for both code-based and language comprehension skills. Second, the tests generally functioned consistently across student subgroups (measurement invariance). Third, the tests provided sufficient reliability around cut scores used to set bands of risk to support their use in helping identify students in need of intervention. Findings suggest that the use of VALLSS may help to improve early identification of students at risk for language and literacy difficulties.
Comparing code-based and language-comprehension skill profiles across early elementary grades
De La Cruz, V., Wellberg, S., Conner, C., Garfinkel, P., Solari, E.J., Soland, J., & Hayes, L.
This study used confirmatory factor analysis and latent profile analysis to examine the associations between the code-based skills of decoding, encoding, and phoneme segmenting and the language-comprehension skills of passage comprehension and retell, and to identify combinations/profiles of those skills across a general student population (N = 43,151) in grades 1-3. We examined each of those grades separately to determine whether different profiles emerged for older versus younger students and found that while the overall themes remained consistent, there was a noticeable difference in how phonemic awareness related to the other constructs across grade levels.
Examining the relationship between proficiency levels in a statewide accountability test and an early literacy screener
Wilburn, K., Wellberg, S., Hayes, L., De La Cruz, V., Conner, C., Garfinkel, P., Vann, S., Mengarelli, A., Solari, E.J., & Soland, J.
This study examines thee extend to which the risk classifications from an early literacy screener align with student proficiency classifications on the Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) assessment and which subskills are the most predictive of passing the SOL.
"A shot in the dark": High-school mathematics teachers' test development processes
Wellberg, S.
This study explores the factors that high-school mathematics teachers consider when constructing classroom tests.