Episode 120: Too Many Reading Assessments? What to Keep—and What to Let Go

Are you spending too much time on assessments without getting the clarity you need? In this episode, we break down which reading assessments actually matter, which ones may be wasting your time, and how to make smarter, more efficient decisions about the data you collect.

Show Notes

Guests in this Episode:

• Andrea Setmeyer – National Chapter Director at The Reading League and former school psychologist. Andrea works with literacy leaders and educators across the country to support evidence-aligned assessment and instruction.
• Dr. Adrea Truckenmiller – Associate Professor at Michigan State University and a school psychologist. Her research focuses on assessment, writing development, and improving how educators use data to inform instruction. She is the principal investigator of the federally funded Writing Architect project.

Resources & References Mentioned:

• The Reading League Journal (Jan/Feb 2026 issue) Subscribe.
  Article: “Balancing Cost and Accuracy: How to Select Reading Assessments for Universal Screening”
• Intervention in School and Clinic (Special Issue on Assessment)
  Guest edited by Adrea Truckenmiller & Jessica Toste
• Writing Architect Project
  (Assessment tool for identifying key writing components to support student progress)
• Book: Reading Assessment Done Right by Stephanie Stollar & Kate Winn
• Common Assessment Tools Referenced:
  • DIBELS: Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills
  • Acadience Reading Assessments
  • FastBridge
  • easyCBM
  • MAP Growth
  • Amira

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