THE EVALUATIVE MEASURES
The effects of the curriculum were measured by progress on the Reading
Section of the Wide Range Achievement Test, Third Edition
(WRAT) and the Gates-MacGinitie Reading Test, Third
Edition (Gates). The WRAT is a test of word recognition and decoding. The
Gates is a test of vocabulary and comprehension. These tests were given
to all students on intake and annually thereafter, in May. The reading
section of the WRAT consists of a single test with alternate forms. The
Gates battery is composed of several different levels, each with alternate
forms. Levels were assigned to students according to each student's age-grade
level at the time of testing, not according to achievement. The tests were
not timed: students were given as much time as necessary to finish them.
Students received alternate test forms in successive years.
Scores on the Gates are reported separately for vocabulary and comprehension,
and the two scores are aggregated to form a total score. For the purposes
of the present study, we used the total scores.
The test scores are here reported as Normal Curve Equivalents (NCEs).
NCEs are transformations of T scores, where NCE = 2(T-25). NCEs are designed
to be intuitively comparable to Percentile Scores. Like Percentiles, NCEs
range from 1 to 99, with a mean of 50, but unlike Percentiles, NCEs may
be appropriately added, subtracted, multiplied and divided in customary
statistical operations. Twenty NCE points equal one Standard Deviation.
Administration Manual. Wide Range, Inc., 15
Ashley Place, Suite 1A, Wilmington, Delaware 19804-1314. (302) 652-4990.
. Riverside Publishing Company, 8420 Bryn Mawr Avenue,
Chicago, IL 60631. (630) 467-7000. www.riverpub.com
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