What Are IRIs?
IRIs are individually administered diagnostic assessments designed to evaluate a number of different aspects of students’ reading performance. Typically, IRIs consist of graded word lists and passages ranging from preprimer level to middle or high school levels (Paris & Carpenter, 2003). After reading each leveled passage, a student responds orally to follow-up questions assessing comprehension and recall. Using comprehension and word recognition scores for students who read the passages orally, along with additional factors taken into consideration (e.g., prior knowledge, fluency, emotional status, among other possible factors), teachers or other education-related professionals determine students’ reading levels. They also use this information to match students with appropriate reading materials, place children in guided reading groups, design instruction to address students’ noted strengths and needs, and document reading progress over time. While IRIs serve a variety of purposes, pe
