The focus of any curriculum based assessment is that of the student’s fluency.  Fluency is a term usually encountered when speaking of reading, but fluency is defined as the speed or automaticity at which a student is able to produce the correct answer on any academic task.

When considering reading, the fluency measure is correct words per minute. However in math, the fluency measure is the number of correct computations on given facts within a time limit.

So why is fluency, or ease of producing correct answers, so important?

According to Dr. Andrea Ogonosky, the major reason for using fluency as a measure in assessment is so that the student can show mastery of pre-requisite (basic) skills that will show a readiness for movement to the next step in the curriculum. If a student does not possess and/or demonstrate fluency of a certain set of skills in any given subject, then the missing skills must be taught and mastered before more advanced grade-level curriculum can be introduced with any hope for success.  It is important, even absolutely necessary, that a student is taught on his or her instructional level in order to show a mastery of skills, or fluency, before he or she will be capable of moving through the next level of instruction. Without this fluency established, students are at risk of failing the introduction of new skills, and students will not make adequate progress.

If a student shows fluency on skills, ONLY then will the frustration level and behavior issues be reduced and the student be motivated to learn new concepts being introduced by the teacher.

In addition, a test of fluency in math or reading shows the teacher the rate at which the student acquires newly introduced material. Without this assessment the pace of instruction may be faster than the student is able to maintain, and then frustration and difficulty in processing the new skill occurs.  After the teacher has completed assessments and once instructional rate is determined, then the intervention team will decide the setting based on the pace and needed skills for the individual student.

White Oak Intermediate School is highly successful in providing the best educational settings for individual students based on available data. The professional judgment of our teachers is evident by our three years of Exemplary Ratings. The success of our students is always our first priority. For that reason, Fluency assessments in both math and reading are extremely important to us.