Is the PROBE reading assessment an effective measure of reading comprehension?

Abstract

Although the PROBE reading assessment is widely used to assess the reading comprehension of students in New Zealand schools, there is little information available about the reliability and validity of the test.

The study reported in this article investigated the adequacy of the PROBE test for a group of Year 4 students.

The findings of the study raise some concerns about the reliability and validity of the test.

The article also discusses other issues that impact on the adequacy of the PROBE test, including
(1) a lack of information on the determination of reading ages for particular text levels,
(2) problems with the classification of comprehension questions, and
(3) variability in the ways that the PROBE test can be administered at different times.