Baseline Trials Worksheet Baseline Assessment • Trial Probe 1
Reading Comprehension Probe
Goal Target: 3 of 5 Correct
Side 1 of 2
Student Name:
Date:
Target Skill:
Grade-Level Comp
Trial Score ____ / 5
Passage 1: The Midnight Lighthouse Lexile ~780L • 142 Words
Twelve-year-old Maya climbed the spiral iron staircase of Sentinel Rock Lighthouse, listening to the fierce gale rattle the copper lanterns. Her grandfather, Captain Silas, had tended the beacon for forty years, but tonight a sudden fever kept him in bed. As thunder shook the tower, Maya heard the emergency horn sound from the harbor master down below—a cargo barge had lost steering in the treacherous channel.
Maya knew exactly what to do. First, she checked the primary power switch, but the indicator dial blinked dead red. Remembering her grandfather’s strict training, she hurried past the locked radio desk straight to the manual backup generator. With both hands, Maya pulled the heavy brass lever toward the wall. The giant prism gear groaned, caught the cogwheel, and sent a bright golden beam slicing through the black fog just in time.
1. Detail
Why was Maya in charge of the lighthouse beacon tonight?
A Her grandfather was sick with a fever.
B The harbor master hired her for summer work.
C She was practicing for a boating license.
D The automatic electrical timer failed.
2. Sequence
What did Maya do immediately after checking the primary power switch?
A Called Captain Silas on the radio.
B Ran to the manual backup generator.
C Sounded the emergency harbor foghorn.
D Climbed down to inspect the generator cogs.
3. Inference
Based on the story, what can the reader conclude about Maya?
A She dislikes living near ocean water.
B She is frightened by loud ocean storms.
C She is observant, responsible, and quick-thinking.
D She wishes her grandfather would retire soon.
4. Prediction
What will most likely happen next in the story?
A The cargo barge navigates safely into harbor.
B Maya abandons the tower to call for help.
C The harbor master closes Sentinel Rock.
D Captain Silas drives into town for medicine.
5. Vocabulary
In paragraph 1, the word treacherous most nearly means:
A Shallow and quiet
B Extremely dangerous and risky
C Broad and sunny
D Uninhabited by fish
Trial 1 Result: Goal Met (≥ 3/5) Not Met (< 3/5)
Evaluator: ________________ Side 1 / Baseline
Baseline Assessment • Trial Probe 2
Reading Comprehension Probe
Goal Target: 3 of 5 Correct
Side 2 of 2
Student Name:
Date:
Target Skill:
Grade-Level Comp
Trial Score ____ / 5
Passage 2: The Secret Life of Desert Seeds Lexile ~810L • 146 Words
In California’s Death Valley, rain rarely falls for months or even years. The baked soil appears lifeless, cracked like shattered clay under the relentless sun. Yet hidden just inches beneath the dry crust lies a miraculous seed bank waiting in total stillness. Wildflower seeds produced by desert primrose and golden evening poppies are coated in natural chemical inhibitors that prevent them from sprouting too soon.
When rare autumn torrents soak the desert gravel, the heavy moisture washes away these chemical guards. Within days, embryonic roots burrow downward while green shoots push toward the daylight. If temperatures stay cool, millions of wildflowers burst into bloom simultaneously in an event called a superbloom. Knowing insects will soon arrive to pollinate, botanists rush across the canyon to document the brief spectacle before scorching desert heat dries the petals away.
1. Detail
What protects the desert wildflower seeds from sprouting prematurely?
A Thick stone shells that insects chew open
B Natural chemical inhibitor coatings
C Underground burrows created by rodents
D Heavy layers of mountain snowpack
2. Sequence
According to the text, which step must occur before green shoots can push toward daylight?
A Heavy moisture washes away the chemical guards.
B Pollinating insects land on dried flower petals.
C Botanists arrive with cameras and clipboards.
D Summer heat bakes the clay soil back into dust.
3. Inference
Why do botanists rush quickly into the canyon during a superbloom?
A Wild animals eat all the stems before noon.
B The flowers bloom only for a very brief period before heat dries them.
C Floods make the canyon paths completely impassable.
D The seeds cannot be gathered without special park rangers.
4. Prediction
If extreme scorching heat arrives immediately after the seeds sprout, what will happen?
A The seedlings will wither before producing new seeds.
B The sprouts will grow twice as tall into desert trees.
C Rain will fall again to save the young sprouts.
D The seeds will return underground until next year.
5. Cause & Effect
What causes insect populations to quickly increase in the desert during a superbloom?
A The clay soil cools down into solid rock.
B Millions of blooming flowers supply nectar and pollen.
C Flash floods drive the insects down from the cliffs.
D Botanists bring food supplies into the canyons.
Trial 2 Result: Goal Met (≥ 3/5) Not Met (< 3/5)
Combined Baseline: ____ / 10 Side 2 / Baseline
Progress Monitoring Worksheet Progress Monitoring • Trial Probe 3
Reading Comprehension Probe
Goal Target: 3 of 5 Correct
Side 3 of 4
Student Name:
Date:
Target Skill:
Grade-Level Comp
Trial Score ____ / 5
Passage 3: Reef of the Midnight Trench Lexile ~800L • 144 Words
A mile beneath the Pacific Ocean, marine biologist Dr. Elena Ramos guided a remote exploratory submersible named *Nautilus-4*. The vessel’s high-powered halogen lamps pierced the ink-black water, illuminating a vibrant forest of cold-water bamboo corals. Unlike tropical corals that depend on sunlight, these ancient creatures feed by snatching drifting organic particles from underwater currents.
Suddenly, the pilot alerted Elena to a tangled dark mass wrapped around a towering six-foot coral fan. It was a discarded commercial fishing net, known as a “ghost net,” slowly choking the colony. Operating the submersible’s delicate robotic claw, Elena carefully severed the nylon ropes strand by strand. As the heavy net peeled away and floated into a containment basket, dozens of small glass sponges and crab colonies were instantly freed to resume feeding.
1. Detail
How do cold-water bamboo corals obtain food in the deep ocean?
A Absorbing bright sunlight through clear water
B Catching drifting particles from ocean currents
C Hunting large fish swimming near trenches
D Burrowing deep into volcanic ocean floor rock
2. Sequence
What action did Dr. Elena take immediately after spotting the ghost net?
A Turned off the halogen lamps to save battery
B Surfaced the submarine to call for a rescue ship
C Cut the nylon ropes using the robotic claw
D Collected coral samples for lab examination
3. Inference
Why are abandoned "ghost nets" especially dangerous to deep-sea animals?
A They heat up the ocean water around reefs.
B They continuously trap sealife without human control.
C They poison the water with battery acid.
D They attract predator sharks from the surface.
4. Prediction
What will most likely happen to the coral fan now that the net is removed?
A It will recover and continue growing outward.
B It will float up to the surface of the sea.
C It will turn into tropical warm-water algae.
D It will immediately shed its branches and crumble.
5. Cause & Effect
What enabled the small sponges and crabs to resume feeding normally?
A Submersible headlights warmed up the trench.
B Removing the heavy entangled nylon net.
C Ocean currents reversed direction toward shore.
D The submarine dropped fish pellets on the seabed.
Trial 3 Result: Goal Met (≥ 3/5) Not Met (< 3/5)
Evaluator: ________________ Side 3 / Progress
Progress Monitoring • Trial Probe 4
Reading Comprehension Probe
Goal Target: 3 of 5 Correct
Side 4 of 4
Student Name:
Date:
Target Skill:
Grade-Level Comp
Trial Score ____ / 5
Passage 4: The Clockmaker’s Apprentice Lexile ~820L • 146 Words
Inside the dusty bell tower of Oakhaven, fourteen-year-old Julian held his breath as he set the final escapement gear into place. Master Orson stood silently behind him, watching through thick spectacles. For three centuries, the town’s massive tower clock had marked every wedding, harvest festival, and curfew. However, during an icy blizzard last winter, the heavy bronze pendulum had snapped, plunging the village into timeless confusion.
Julian polished each tooth of the escapement wheel with fine emery paper before applying a single drop of refined oil. Next, he lifted the new counterbalance weight and connected it to the copper anchor rod. When Master Orson signaled with a slight nod, Julian pulled back the pendulum and gently released it. A rich, rhythmic *tick-tock* echoed through the rafters, and the giant bronze hour hand on the exterior face crept precisely to twelve.
1. Sequence
What did Julian do immediately after polishing each gear tooth with emery paper?
A Applied a single drop of refined oil
B Pulled back the heavy pendulum
C Climbed down into the village square
D Replaced Master Orson's spectacles
2. Detail
What originally caused the town clock to stop working?
A Rust had corroded the copper anchor rod.
B The bronze pendulum snapped during a winter blizzard.
C Birds nested inside the gear mechanism.
D An apprentice dropped the heavy counterbalance.
3. Inference
What does Master Orson's "slight nod" suggest to the reader?
A He is falling asleep from boredom.
B He approves of Julian's work and authorizes the start.
C He wants Julian to take the mechanism apart again.
D He is angry that Julian worked so slowly.
4. Prediction
Now that the clock is running again, how will the villagers of Oakhaven respond?
A They will celebrate hearing the chimes resume.
B They will complain about the ticking noise.
C They will vote to demolish the ancient tower.
D They will refuse to follow the town curfew.
5. Vocabulary
In paragraph 2, the word rhythmic most nearly describes a sound that is:
A Harsh, screeching, and irregular
B Regular, steady, and repeated at equal beats
C Completely silent and muted
D Echoing from far across the valley
Trial 4 Result: Goal Met (≥ 3/5) Not Met (< 3/5)
Trial Mastery (Need 3 of 5 Trials): ____ Met Side 4 / Progress
Comprehension Scoring Guide Teacher Resource • Scoring & Keys
Comprehension Trials Answer Key
Goal: 3/5 in 3 of 5 Trials
Page 1 of 2
Scoring Rule: Each trial contains 5 items (1 pt each). A score of 3/5 (60%) or higher achieves that individual trial's mastery benchmark.
Passing = ≥ 3/5
Baseline Assessment Keys (Sides 1 & 2)
Probe 1: The Midnight Lighthouse Side 1
[Detail] 1. Reason in charge
A (Grandfather sick)
[Sequence] 2. Next action
B (Ran to backup gen.)
[Inference] 3. Maya's traits
C (Responsible/quick)
[Prediction] 4. What happens next
A (Barge navigates safe)
[Vocabulary] 5. "Treacherous"
B (Dangerous/risky)
Probe 2: Desert Seeds Side 2
[Detail] 1. Protection from sprouting
B (Chemical inhibitors)
[Sequence] 2. Step before shoots push
A (Moisture washes coats)
[Inference] 3. Why botanists rush
B (Brief bloom window)
[Prediction] 4. If scorching heat arrives
A (Seedlings will wither)
[Cause & Eff.] 5. Insect increase cause
B (Nectar & pollen supply)
Progress Monitoring Keys (Sides 3 & 4)
Probe 3: Midnight Trench Side 3
[Detail] 1. Deep corals feed by
B (Drifting particles)
[Sequence] 2. Elena's immediate act
C (Cut nylon ropes)
[Inference] 3. Why ghost nets harm
B (Continuously trap life)
[Prediction] 4. Coral fan future
A (Recover & grow)
[Cause & Eff.] 5. Enabled feeding
B (Removing ghost net)
Probe 4: Clockmaker’s Apprentice Side 4
[Sequence] 1. Act after emery paper
A (Applied drop of oil)
[Detail] 2. Cause clock stopped
B (Pendulum snapped)
[Inference] 3. Meaning of slight nod
B (Approves / authorizes)
[Prediction] 4. Villagers reaction
A (Celebrate chimes)
[Vocabulary] 5. "Rhythmic" meaning
B (Steady/equal beats)
Skill Distribution Across Probes
Detail Recall P1-Q1, P2-Q1, P3-Q1, P4-Q2
Sequence of Events P1-Q2, P2-Q2, P3-Q2, P4-Q1
Inference P1-Q3, P2-Q3, P3-Q3, P4-Q3
Prediction & Vocab P1-Q4/5, P2-Q4/5, P3-Q4/5, P4-Q4/5
Reading Comprehension Target Evaluation System Criteria: 3/5 Correct on 3 Consecutive Probes
IEP / RTI Progress Monitoring
Trial Data Log & Analysis Sheet
Mastery Criterion: 3 of 5 Trials
Page 2 of 2
Student: ___________________
Grade/Case Mgr: ___________________
Target Date: ___________________
Target Goal: Student will improve reading comprehension skills by answering a variety of question types (sequence, detail, inference, prediction, cause/effect, vocabulary) about grade-level material with at least 3/5 correct across 3 out of 5 consecutive trials .
Sequential Trial Data Log Benchmark: Score ≥ 3 (60%)
Trial #
Date
Probe / Material Used
Score (/5)
% Acc.
Trial Met?
Teacher Notes / Error Patterns
Trial 1
___/___/___
Baseline Probe 1 (Lighthouse)
___ / 5
____%
Y N
Baseline observation
Trial 2
___/___/___
Baseline Probe 2 (Desert Seeds)
___ / 5
____%
Y N
Baseline combined check
Trial 3
___/___/___
Progress Probe 3 (Deep-Sea Reef)
___ / 5
____%
Y N
Post-instruction check
Trial 4
___/___/___
Progress Probe 4 (Clockmaker)
___ / 5
____%
Y N
Check for consistency
Trial 5
___/___/___
Generalization / Cumulative Probe
___ / 5
____%
Y N
Mastery trial confirmation
Skill Error Analysis & Diagnostic Tally
Tally missed questions by skill across all completed trials to pinpoint targeted intervention areas:
Detail Questions
Missed: _____ / 4
Sequence Questions
Missed: _____ / 4
Inference Questions
Missed: _____ / 4
Prediction / Vocab
Missed: _____ / 8
Instructional Decision Framework (3 of 5 Trials Rule)
Goal Mastered (≥ 3/5 in 3 trials): Advance target to higher Lexile level or require constructed text-evidence explanations.
Progressing (1-2 trials met): Continue targeted instruction; focus practice on the weakest skill in error tally.
Insufficient Progress (0 met): Provide graphic organizers (timeline, text-evidence highlighters) and review Lexile difficulty.
Final Goal Determination: Goal Mastered (3 of 5 Trials Met) Goal In Progress / Extended
Signature: ______________________
