Questar Releases the Degrees of Reading Power® in an Online Platform

BREWSTER, N.Y., Nov. 20, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Questar Assessment, Inc., (Questar), a leading educational assessment provider for states, school districts, and higher education institutions, announced today that the Degrees of Reading Power® (DRP) assessment is now available in an online platform. New test forms and new diagnostic reports reflecting essential Common Core requirements are featured.   

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The DRP test of reading comprehension requires close and analytical reading of informational passages. With newly designed diagnostic reports, the DRP both indicates overall comprehension ability and provides actionable information about students' understanding of Key Ideas & Details, Craft & Structure, and Integration of Knowledge & Ideas, all critical components of the Common Core State Standards. The DRP provides growth information for students in grades 2 – 12, as well as for adult learners, and offers new grade-specific test forms. The new web-based program features an online administration center for educators to track students' progress and to access the program's instructional resources. The DRP Online simplifies test administration, scoring, and reporting. Now, educators have immediate access to test results upon the conclusion of a testing session. 

"We are very excited about the improvements to the Degrees of Reading Power. Educators using this program will have a more detailed understanding of their students' reading abilities and needs. The new diagnostic reports provide the type of information educators need to make informed instructional decisions to meet the rigorous requirements of Common Core State Standards," said Theodore Naegeli, President and Chief Executive Officer of Questar. "The new web-based format will help educators get to the right information faster."

The Degrees of Reading Power tests report student reading ability and growth on the DRP Scale, recently validated by independent researchers as reliably measuring instructional materials that climb the text complexity ladder toward college and career readiness. This recognition, coupled with the Common Core's increased emphasis on the importance of informational texts, reaffirms the DRP's value in preparing students to meet the literacy demands of the 21^St century.

For more information, a new website about the Degrees of Reading Power program launched this week.  The address is http://drp.questarai.com/home/

For more information about the DRP as a valid and reliable measure of text complexity, please visit:  http://www.corestandards.org/assets/E0813_Appendix_A_New_Research_on_Text_Complexity.pdf

About Questar Assessment, Inc.
Questar Assessment, Inc. is a leading educational assessment provider for states, schools, and school districts. Headquartered in Minnesota and New York, Questar offers comprehensive custom assessment services—from large-scale statewide assessment programs to alternate, modified, and English language proficiency assessments. Questar provides complete, end-to-end services designed to address all aspects of assessment from test design, development, calibration, and psychometric services to print production, distribution, scanning, scoring, reporting, and data analysis. Questar also offers customized online testing services to schools and educational entities in the K–12 market. For further information, visit www.QuestarAI.com or call 1-800-800-2598.

SOURCE Questar Assessment, Inc.