Which form of assessment provides specific data related to phonemic awareness?

The choice of informal phonological awareness assessments as the correct answer is appropriate because these assessments are specifically designed to evaluate a student's understanding and ability to manipulate phonemes, which are the smallest units of sound in spoken language. These assessments often include tasks such as identifying sounds, segmenting words into individual sounds, and blending sounds to form words.

Such assessments provide targeted insights into a student’s phonemic awareness skills, which are foundational for reading development. This level of specificity is crucial, as it allows educators to identify precise areas of difficulty that a student may face in phonemic processing, leading to tailored intervention strategies.

High-stakes testing generally evaluates broader competencies, such as overall academic achievement or readiness for graduation, rather than focusing on the nuanced aspects of phonemic awareness. Literature reviews compile existing research but do not assess student performance directly. Curriculum-based assessments are designed to evaluate students' knowledge and skills based on a specific curriculum but may not delve deeply into phonemic awareness specifically. Therefore, they might lack the targeted insight that informal phonological awareness assessments provide.