Oral Reading Fluency of College Graduates: Toward a Deeper Understanding of College Ready Fluency

Reading fluency has been identified as a critical competency for reading success. Accurate and automatic word recognition, one component of fluency, is normally assessed through reading rate (Oral Reading Fluency-ORF). While norms for ORF exist through grade 8, norms beyond grade 8 are largely unknown. The present study attempted to establish ORF norms associated with successful adult readers (college graduates), thus establishing a ceiling ORF target range for success in fluency. Results indicate that a word recognition accuracy range of 98-100% and an automaticity range of 138-158 words read correctly per minute on high school level reading material are associated with average performance by college graduates. Results are discussed in terms of implications for monitoring students' progress in fluency in the secondary grades and beyond.