Basic vs Proficient Reading

Proficient Reading

Proficient Reading measures are more difficult and designed to directly align with grade-level standards. These measures assess students’ skills around literal, inferential, and evaluative aspects of reading comprehension.  They should be used with students who are much closer to meeting grade-level reading comprehension expectations.

Basic Reading

Basic Reading measures are easier than the Proficient Reading measures and shorter, and more simplistically written. They are designed for students who are consistently struggling with reading comprehension and are low performing on the Proficient Reading measures relative to their peers.

When to use: Basic Reading measures were designed for students who are struggling readers. They fill a need for easier-access reading comprehension measures for students still developing their Literal Comprehension skills. The Basic Reading measures are recommended for Progress Monitoring rather than benchmark screening. Unlike the Basic Reading measures, the more challenging Proficient Reading measures more accurately capture the reading comprehension of students who are at or above grade level in this construct. The Proficient Reading measures, with their focus on inferential and evaluative as well as literal comprehension, are much better suited for Benchmark Screening.