Degrees of Reading Power (DRP) — Questions and Answers

Question 1: What assessment method does the DRP use to measure reading comprehension?

True/false statements about each passage
Modified cloze procedure with multiple-choice answers (Correct answer)
Essay responses to passage content
Oral reading with a running record

Correct answer: Modified cloze procedure with multiple-choice answers

The DRP uses a modified cloze procedure in which students select the best word from provided choices to fill in blanks within prose passages.

Question 2: Which variable does the DRP readability formula NOT directly measure?

Student interest in the topic (Correct answer)
Overall text difficulty in DRP units
Sentence syntactic complexity
Word frequency or familiarity

Correct answer: Student interest in the topic

The DRP formula measures objective linguistic features like word frequency and sentence complexity, not the subjective variable of student interest or motivation.

Question 3: What does it mean when a publisher reports that a book 'has a DRP readability level of 58'?

Students with DRP scores at or near 58 can read and understand the book independently (Correct answer)
Students must score exactly 58 on an IQ test to read it
The book is 58 pages long
58% of students will enjoy the book

Correct answer: Students with DRP scores at or near 58 can read and understand the book independently

A DRP readability level of 58 signals that readers whose DRP comprehension score is around 58 units can independently comprehend that text.

Question 4: What is the purpose of DRP alternate test forms (e.g., Form A and Form B)?

To test different subjects like math and science
To reduce printing costs by rotating passages
To allow repeated testing without students memorizing answers from a previous form (Correct answer)
To provide easier and harder versions for different schools

Correct answer: To allow repeated testing without students memorizing answers from a previous form

Alternate forms prevent score inflation from memory or practice effects when students are tested more than once, while yielding comparable results through statistical equating.

Question 5: What does a DRP score of 0 theoretically indicate?

The student has perfect reading comprehension
The student's score was invalidated
The student did not take the test
The student cannot comprehend any of the test's prose passages (Correct answer)

Correct answer: The student cannot comprehend any of the test's prose passages

A DRP score near zero would indicate an inability to comprehend even the easiest passages on the scale, though in practice beginning readers score in the low 30s rather than at zero.

Question 6: Why should DRP scores be interpreted in conjunction with other classroom reading data?

Because state law requires multiple measures
Because DRP scores only measure writing, not reading
Because a single test score provides limited information and multiple sources give a fuller picture of reading ability (Correct answer)
Because DRP scores are always inaccurate

Correct answer: Because a single test score provides limited information and multiple sources give a fuller picture of reading ability

A single test score is limited by measurement error and the specific conditions of testing; combining DRP scores with teacher observation, portfolio evidence, and other assessments provides a more complete picture.

Question 7: In the DRP format, students encounter blanks within a passage and must:

Write any word that comes to mind
Select the best-fitting word from a set of provided answer choices (Correct answer)
Identify the main idea before attempting blanks
Read aloud and self-correct errors

Correct answer: Select the best-fitting word from a set of provided answer choices

Students choose from multiple provided options for each blank, making this a multiple-choice cloze format rather than a free-recall task.

Question 8: The DRP cloze procedure most closely aligns with which reading model or theory?

Whole-language theory focusing exclusively on meaning negotiation
Phonological awareness models
Interactive or constructivist models of reading comprehension (Correct answer)
Strictly bottom-up models emphasizing letter-by-letter decoding

Correct answer: Interactive or constructivist models of reading comprehension

The DRP reflects interactive/constructivist models by requiring readers to integrate lower-level decoding with higher-level contextual inference to select correct words.

Question 9: What is the purpose of including passages at multiple difficulty levels in the DRP?

To identify each student's independent and instructional reading range (Correct answer)
To compare passages from different genres
To satisfy state testing length requirements
To confuse students and test stamina

Correct answer: To identify each student's independent and instructional reading range

Using passages of varying difficulty allows the DRP to pinpoint the range within which a student can read independently versus where they need instructional support.

Question 10: Which practice would most effectively use DRP scores to support English language learners (ELLs)?

Using DRP scores alongside language proficiency data to find texts that develop both English reading comprehension and vocabulary (Correct answer)
Using DRP scores only for students whose home language is Spanish
Excluding ELLs from DRP testing entirely
Assuming all ELLs score the same regardless of DRP results

Correct answer: Using DRP scores alongside language proficiency data to find texts that develop both English reading comprehension and vocabulary

Combining DRP comprehension data with language proficiency data helps teachers select texts that appropriately challenge ELLs' developing English reading skills.

Question 11: In the DRP, distractor answer choices for each blank are typically designed to be:

Antonyms of the correct word
Completely unrelated to the passage topic
Grammatically plausible but semantically incorrect in context (Correct answer)
Randomly selected from a grade-level word list

Correct answer: Grammatically plausible but semantically incorrect in context

Distractors fit grammatically but do not preserve the passage's meaning, requiring students to use full contextual comprehension to identify the correct choice.

Question 12: What might a lack of DRP score growth over two consecutive testing periods indicate for a student?

The student may need additional diagnostic assessment and targeted reading intervention (Correct answer)
The student has reached their maximum possible reading level
The student is reading too much and needs a break
The student's test scores are invalid due to cheating

Correct answer: The student may need additional diagnostic assessment and targeted reading intervention

Flat DRP scores across testing periods signal that a student is not making expected reading progress, warranting further diagnostic assessment and possible intervention.

Question 13: What range of DRP units typically corresponds to texts accessible to early elementary readers?

80–90 DRP units
60–70 DRP units
30–45 DRP units (Correct answer)
10–20 DRP units

Correct answer: 30–45 DRP units

Early elementary texts generally fall in the 30–45 DRP unit range, reflecting the simpler vocabulary and sentence structures appropriate for beginning readers.

Question 14: How does the DRP account for guessing on its cloze items?

Scores are corrected for guessing by subtracting wrong answers
The five-option format reduces guessing probability to 20% (Correct answer)
Students must justify their choices in writing
There is no adjustment and guessing is ignored

Correct answer: The five-option format reduces guessing probability to 20%

With five answer choices per blank, the probability of guessing correctly is only 20%, making random guessing unlikely to substantially inflate scores.

Question 15: What aspect of fairness must DRP test developers address when creating passages and items?

That the test is always cheaper than competing assessments
That all passages are exactly the same length
That all items use the same five words as answer choices
That passages and items do not advantage or disadvantage students based on cultural background or prior experience (Correct answer)

Correct answer: That passages and items do not advantage or disadvantage students based on cultural background or prior experience

DRP developers must ensure that test content does not introduce bias by drawing on cultural experiences or knowledge that systematically favors one group of students over another.

Question 16: In the DRP, passages within a single test form are arranged in order of:

Random difficulty to prevent guessing
Topic familiarity for the student
Alphabetical subject matter
Increasing text difficulty (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Increasing text difficulty

DRP passages are ordered from easiest to most difficult so that students progress through increasingly challenging texts until comprehension breaks down.

Question 17: What is the approximate DRP difficulty range for typical high school content-area textbooks?

20–35 DRP units
60–75 DRP units (Correct answer)
40–55 DRP units
85–100 DRP units

Correct answer: 60–75 DRP units

Most high school content-area textbooks fall in the 60–75 DRP unit range, reflecting the more complex vocabulary and sentence structures expected of older students.

Question 18: In what way can DRP assessments be used to support differentiated instruction?

By designing multiple instructional strategies that align with varying reading levels (Correct answer)
By avoiding adjustments to instructional methods
By using the same teaching strategy for all students
By applying a one-size-fits-all teaching approach

Correct answer: By designing multiple instructional strategies that align with varying reading levels

DRP assessments reveal the diverse range of reading abilities present within a classroom. Differentiated instruction involves adapting teaching methods and materials to cater to these varied student needs. By using DRP data, educators can design multiple instructional strategies and group students effectively to address their different reading levels, ensuring all students receive appropriate support.

Question 19: Which cognitive process does the DRP cloze format most directly target?

Literal recall of isolated facts
Constructive comprehension using contextual clues (Correct answer)
Spelling and orthographic memory
Phonological processing and decoding

Correct answer: Constructive comprehension using contextual clues

The cloze format requires readers to construct meaning by drawing on surrounding text context, measuring constructive comprehension rather than rote recall.

Question 20: Which statement best explains why DRP scores are more useful for text selection than grade equivalents?

Grade equivalents cover a wider range of abilities
DRP units apply to both reader ability and text difficulty on the same continuous scale (Correct answer)
Grade equivalents are always more accurate
DRP scores are easier to explain to parents

Correct answer: DRP units apply to both reader ability and text difficulty on the same continuous scale

Grade equivalents cannot be applied directly to text difficulty, but DRP units work for both reader scores and text readability, enabling precise matching.

Question 21: What is the practical value of knowing a textbook's DRP readability level?

It tells teachers how many pages are in the book
It indicates the book's copyright date
It ranks the book for awards consideration
It allows teachers to determine whether the book is appropriate for students at specific DRP score levels (Correct answer)

Correct answer: It allows teachers to determine whether the book is appropriate for students at specific DRP score levels

Knowing a textbook's DRP readability level lets teachers determine whether it is accessible for students whose DRP scores are at or near that level.

Question 22: What does the DRP measure that distinguishes it from simple word recognition tests?

Speed of letter identification
Knowledge of grammar rules
Understanding of extended prose passages (Correct answer)
Ability to decode nonsense words

Correct answer: Understanding of extended prose passages

Unlike word-level tests, the DRP measures comprehension of connected, meaningful prose text at increasing levels of difficulty.

Question 23: What makes the DRP different from an informal reading inventory (IRI)?

The DRP measures only phonics skills
The DRP is a standardized group-administered test with national norms (Correct answer)
IRIs use cloze passages while DRP does not
The DRP is given orally one-on-one

Correct answer: The DRP is a standardized group-administered test with national norms

Unlike an IRI, which is individually administered and informal, the DRP is a standardized, norm-referenced assessment that can be given to groups and compared to national data.

Question 24: How many words are typically presented as answer choices for each blank in a DRP passage?

2 choices
3 choices
8 choices
5 choices (Correct answer)

Correct answer: 5 choices

Each DRP blank presents five answer options, only one of which is semantically and syntactically appropriate given the surrounding context.

Question 25: Which professional organization's standards guide the development and use of standardized tests like the DRP?

The US Department of Transportation
The National Football League
The American Medical Association
The Joint Standards of the APA, AERA, and NCME (Correct answer)

Correct answer: The Joint Standards of the APA, AERA, and NCME

The joint Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing, published by APA, AERA, and NCME, provide guidelines that govern the development, administration, and interpretation of tests like the DRP.

Question 26: How does the DRP readability system support differentiated instruction?

By requiring all students to read the same text
By providing multiple texts at different DRP levels so teachers can assign level-appropriate materials to different students (Correct answer)
By eliminating the need for student assessment
By ranking students by race or socioeconomic status

Correct answer: By providing multiple texts at different DRP levels so teachers can assign level-appropriate materials to different students

Using texts at varying DRP difficulty levels allows teachers to give each student or group materials at their appropriate reading level, supporting differentiated instruction.

Question 27: How does the DRP's focus on prose comprehension align with Common Core State Standards for reading?

It only aligns with math standards
It aligns because CCSS emphasizes close reading and comprehension of complex texts (Correct answer)
It conflicts with CCSS because CCSS bans standardized tests
It does not align because CCSS does not include reading comprehension

Correct answer: It aligns because CCSS emphasizes close reading and comprehension of complex texts

The DRP's focus on comprehension of complex prose directly supports CCSS reading standards that emphasize text complexity and close, evidence-based reading.

Question 28: Which ethical principle requires that DRP results be used only for their intended purpose of informing reading instruction?

Parallel form reliability
Standard error of measurement
Test-retest reliability
Consequential validity (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Consequential validity

Consequential validity considers the intended and unintended consequences of test use; DRP results should be used to support reading instruction, not for unrelated high-stakes decisions.

Question 29: What is true about the number of passages included in a single DRP test form?

The number varies randomly each time
There are two passages of equal difficulty
There are multiple passages of increasing difficulty (Correct answer)
There is only one long passage

Correct answer: There are multiple passages of increasing difficulty

A DRP test form contains a series of passages that increase in difficulty, allowing the test to capture a student's reading range.

Question 30: What is the risk of consistently assigning students to texts far below their DRP score level?

Students will not be sufficiently challenged and reading growth may stagnate (Correct answer)
There is no risk because easier is always better
Students will become frustrated and give up
Students will improve faster because the material is easy

Correct answer: Students will not be sufficiently challenged and reading growth may stagnate

Reading only texts that are too easy does not stretch comprehension skills, and without sufficient challenge, reading growth can plateau or slow.

Degrees of Reading Power (DRP)

The Degrees of Reading Power (DRP) is a standardized reading comprehension assessment using a modified cloze procedure, where students select missing words from non-fiction passages of progressively increasing difficulty. It measures reading ability across vocabulary, literal comprehension, inference, readability analysis, and text structure skills.

Questions

55 min

Time Limit

70%

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