Measuring the impact of commercial interim assessments in the area of early literacy education

The effective use of assessments is a key component of school improvement. This mixed-method study analyzed the effect of Discovery Education interim assessments on student performance in seven low-performing schools in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools over a two-year period. The third-grade reading End-of-Grade exam results of more than 1,000 students were compared to teacher and leader perception, use, and response to Discovery Education interim assessments during the 2013-14 and 2014-15 school years. The results were mixed, indicating that in one year, the use of Discovery Education interim assessments resulted in improved student outcomes in reading, while, in the other year, student outcomes changed little. This study also outlines the practices and perceptions present in schools in which student outcomes were most greatly affected.