Case Studies in Preparation for the California Reading Competency Test

Pre-service and practicing teachers get practical help for preparing for the challenging California Reading Initiative Competency Assessment (RICA) in a unique case study approach that covers all domains, concepts, strategies, and assessment required by RICA.

This is the ideal resource for pre-service teachers who want practice in synthesizing and analyzing assessment and strategies for reading in the K8 classroom, for credential candidates who need to prepare to succeed in taking the Reading Instruction Competence Assessment (RICA), and for in-service teachers who want to enhance their assessment and instruction, while increasing students learning.

Model narratives appear throughout to help RICA candidates become familiar with the format used on the RICA, and the authors include assessments for a variety of groups of students, such as English language learners, struggling readers, and those with special needs.

Updates to the fourth edition include:

         The organization matches the new Content Specifications for the RICA:

1.       Planning, Organizing, and Managing Reading Instruction Based on Ongoing Assessment

2.       Word Analysis

3.       Fluency (new)

4.       Vocabulary, Academic Language, and Background Knowledge

5.       Comprehension

         Within the domains, there is new emphasis on meeting the needs of the full range of individual learners in the classroom, such as advanced learners, English language learners, struggling readers, and those with special needs.

         Assessment is now included within each domain, integrated within each chapter and in several multiple choice questions.

About Joanne C. Rossi andBeth E. Schipper:

Between them, the authors have over 60 years of experience in the field of reading and language arts as classroom teachers, reading specialists, curriculum consultants, clinicians, administrators, college professors and administrators, and supervisors of student teachers. In the past 20 years, a major focus of the authors work has been in the research and instruction of language arts assessment in elementary and high school districts. They are also the authors of the book Portfolios in the Classrooms: Tools for Learning and Instruction. Joanne Rossi is at Notre Dame DeNamur University and Beth E. Schipper is at California State University, Fullerton.