Which measure of central tendency is most appropriate for reporting skewed oral reading fluency scores?

The median is the most appropriate measure of central tendency for reporting skewed oral reading fluency scores because it effectively represents the middle value of a data set without being influenced by outliers or extreme values. In situations where the distribution of data is skewed, the mean can be disproportionately affected by these extreme scores, leading to a misleading representation of the central tendency.

The median, by contrast, is the value that separates the higher half from the lower half of the dataset. It indicates the point at which 50% of the scores fall below and 50% fall above, providing a more reliable measure of what a typical score looks like in skewed distributions. This makes it particularly useful in educational assessments where fluency scores may vary widely among students, allowing educators to gain a clearer understanding of a student's performance relative to peers.

While the mode can show the most frequently occurring score, it may not provide a comprehensive picture of the overall performance when the data is skewed. The range only gives information about the spread of scores without reflecting central tendency. Therefore, using the median ensures that the reported score is robust and accurately represents the data set's center.