Research Behind CARS & STARS

CARS Plus Research

The CARS Plus Series is a diagnostic, progress monitoring and assessment tool that helps teachers focus their reading instruction to meet each student's needs. These classroom-based assessments meet the recommendations of several reading organisations and educational experts.

Data-driven Instruction

Data-driven instruction is an approach that benefits every student. Instructional decisions are based on the systematic collection of data that reflects students' understanding. Researchers recommend that data that drives instruction should come from multiple sources. The CARS Plus Series provides multiple sources of data to guide instruction through Pretests, Benchmarks, Post Tests and Teacher Assessments.

Pretest, Benchmarks and Post Test

Data-driven instruction is based on the data resulting from diagnosing, benchmarking and assessing students' performance on a learning task (Education Commission of the States, 1992; IRA, 2010; Trimble, Gay & Matthews, 2005). From these results, teachers may tailor their instruction to meet each student's needs. The CARS Plus Series is specifically constructed to provide teachers with the data they need to create effective and customised lesson plans using the STARS Plus Series.

Along with the effectiveness of data-driven instruction, researchers also recommend specific criteria for effective classroom assessment. These recommendations are listed below along with how the CARS Plus Series meets these recommendations

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