BENCHMARK PASSAGES & RUNNING RECORDS

Why Benchmark Passages

Benchmark Passages assess comprehension and reward students' progress from level to level. They are one part of a three-part process that provides a more complete assessment of reading behavior and comprehension than any of the parts independently.

• Each level has 2 fiction and 2 nonfiction passages.
• Each level has at least 1 fiction-nonfiction passage pair on the same topic.
• Each passage uses a level-appropriate percentage of words from leveled books at that reading level.
  • aa-E = 100%
  • F-J = 95% + 5% new words
  • K-Z = 90% + 10% new words
• The text of the entire passage is used in the Running Record.
• Most are one page long, but upper level passages can be two pages.
• ALL are available on Raz-Plus.

How to Use Benchmark Passages

1. Give a student a Benchmark Passage he or she has never seen before to read aloud. If you prefer to use familiar text, use the fiction-nonfiction topic pair at each level. Use one passage from the pair to support a student's understanding of the topic before assessing with the other passage.
2. Record the student's reading behavior using the passage's Running Record form.
3. If a student scores 90 percent, assess the student's comprehension using a Quick Check from Level A-Z and Retelling Rubrics.
4. If a student scores from 90%-94% percent on the running record and answers comprehension questions at 80%-100%, he or she is at an instructional level. (For more details, see About Running Records).
5. Use Benchmark WOWzers to reward students' progress from level to level.