Book excerpt: The Adolescent Literacy Inventory (ALI) helps teachers understand students' reading as it develops. The Adolescent Literacy Inventory,Grades 6-12, is a revolutionary new assessment tool that makes it possible for middle and high school teachers to learn more about their students' reading and writing abilities than ever before. Two premier adolescent literacy and literacy assessment experts Bill Brozo and Peter Afflerbach, have incorporated into ALI passages from actual science, social studies, English/Language Arts, and math textbooks, allowing teachers and literacy specialists to efficiently diagnose students' academic literacy abilities. The ALI provides teachers with information not only on reading skill and strategy but also on how students use these in content areas, so teachers can determine the most appropriate text adaptations and instructional strategies for their students. Take a peek inside... Includes authentic assessment passages from actual student textbooks in the four major content area domains Features alternative assessment passages for each grade level and content area Embeds comprehension questions within each passage that allow teachers and students to check for comprehension as they read Allows teacher to determine the best assessment path for each student with the "Decision Tree" feature