A validity study of the Suffolk reading scale II (Maltese standardisation)

Abstract

This research study was undertaken in attempt to validate the Suffolk Reading Scale II, a popular choice of literacy assessment, against two other well established reading and reading comprehension tests in a Maltese setting. When compared to two other UK standardised tests, the British Ability Scales II Word Reading Test, and the Neale Analysis of Reading Ability II, students were found to perform at comparable levels, even when controlling for the gender and the form level of participants. In the school sector where this study was conducted, the independent school sector, generally speaking, students' scores and the Suffolk Reading Scale II correlated respectably with their scores on the British Ability Scales Word Reading Test and with the Neale Analysis of Reading Ability II. Furthermore, the findings indicate that for this specific school sector, Maltese norms are somewhat higher than the published UK norms, a not altogether unexpected result given the selective nature of the sector.