The Degrees of Reading Power (DRP) tests are group-administered measures of how well students understand the surface meaning of what they read. They measure the process of reading rather than products of reading such as main idea and author purpose. The tests are administered in the fall and spring to students in Grades 4-8.

DRP tests consist of nonfiction paragraphs and/or passages on various topics. Words have been deleted and students are asked to select from multiple-choice options the correct word for each deletion. The items assess the ability to use information in the text to figure out the meaning of the text. Test items are designed so that passages in which items are embedded must be read and understood for students to answer correctly. Students need no prior familiarity with the subject matter to answer the embedded items correctly. All response options are common words; failure to respond correctly to test items is generally a result of a failure to comprehend the text in which they appear. In order to assess a broad range of reading levels at each grade level, each test contains passages for which items may not be answerable by all but the best readers.

Results for the DRP are expressed in DRP scores ranging from 15- to 99+. These represent the difficulty of materials that students can read. DRP scores are reported in two levels of comprehension:

• The Independent level represents the level of difficulty that a student can read with 90 percent comprehension or, essentially, reading independently.
• The Instructional level represents the level of difficulty that a student can read with 75 percent comprehension or, essentially, with instructional help.

With the exception of scores at the extremes of the DRP range, the Instructional level is equal to the Independent level plus 11 DRP points. For example, a student with an Independent level DRP of 39 will have an Instructional level DRP of 50.

Since DRP scores correspond to the difficulty of reading materials, knowledge of a student’s DRP level can point the way to reading materials that students can read with success or varying degrees of challenge. District profiles display DRP levels and the types of reading materials to which they correspond.

The district Literacy Department has established grade-level expectations in each of the five tested grades for the fall and for the spring. As a result, DRP scores are split into groups of At or Above grade level (At/Above), Close to grade level (Close to), Below grade level (Below), and Far Below grade level (Far Below). The categories will be used to determine student progress, target individual students who are in need of additional reading support, and provide information on the effectiveness of the support and intervention programs for students in Grades 4-8.

The DRP was first administered in 2004-05. Prior to 2004-05, the district used the Stanford Diagnostic Reading Test (SDRT) as the district-mandated reading assessment.

DRP Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)