How Theory and Research on Reading Assessment Can Serve Decision-Makers.

After reviewing the information that teachers-and other decision makers need to have aboUt student achievement and some . retent'advanCes in the heory and piactice of reading assessment, the author makes number of recommendations for improving assessment programs. These include: lo less massive, bread -band testing, but improve the reliability and informativeness of what testing is done; look-to instruction as the model for what to test, and then consider the influence of the testing situation, the tester, and the materials; be sure the information will be organized in-a useful.way, around theoretical Models bf the *reading process. Too often, decision makers have,the option of too little information (a single test score) -or too much information, (a myriad of behavidial'objective scores). In developing these arguments, the Minnesota Eddcati4nal, Assessment Program and 'tge 2nteractive Reading AsseSskent System'are analyzed to\illustratejoth problems and alternative approaches: (LA)