[Pibe-division] new National Reading Media Assessment: Request

[Carrie Gilmer]

The National Reading Media Assessment:
A Future of Literacy for Blind and Visually Impaired Children

In October 2008 and January 2009, a group of teachers of blind and visually
impaired students, university professors, parents, and researchers gathered
at the National Center for the Blind in Baltimore, Maryland, to begin work
on a new assessment that paves the way for the achievement of literacy.
They began to develop an accurate, easy-to-use tool that will clearly
identify the reading medium or media of blind and visually-impaired
children.  This tool will determine whether each child who is assessed
should be taught Braille, print, or both.  

After studying and comparing existing assessments, the following areas of
need were identified:  high expectations, standardization, specificity,
realization of the importance of future need, and time efficiency for the
evaluator.  

The National Reading Media Assessment will address these needs by
integrating the following central concepts: 

1.  Expectations for literacy will be the same as they are for sighted
peers. 
2.  Assessment conditions will be standardized. 
3.  The assessment will answer the specific question of which reading medium
should be taught.  
4.  The assessment will take future need into account. 
5.  The assessment will make the assessment process less time-consuming and
more concise for TVIs.  

 In June, we completed the second stage of field testing, and are now
engaged in the third pilot test for the purpose of validation.  We are
looking for TVIs to assess low vision/visually impaired children in each of
the following categories: pre-reader/pre-k, grades k-12, and children of all
ages with cognitive disabilities.  Please refer to the attached chart for
target numbers for this study of children by category.  Past data indicate
that each assessment takes between one and two and a half hours to complete.
If you are a teacher of blind and visually impaired students and would like
to participate as an evaluator, or if you would like information on how your
school district or school for the blind can become a collaborator in this
important initiative, please contact: 

Jessica Bachicha, Project Coordinator 
Department of Affiliate Action 
National Federation of the Blind
at Jernigan Place
200 East Wells Street, Baltimore, MD 21230
 
Tel: (410) 659-9314 ext. 2529 
E-mail: jbachicha at nfb.org