Has Curriculum-Based Assessment Become a Staple of School Psychology Practice? An Update and Extension of Knowledge, Use, and Attitudes From 1990 to 2000

Abstract

Over the past decade, curriculum-based assessment (CBA) has received substantial attention in the empirical literature as a reliable and valid method for assessment of academic skills problems. Despite this attention, there have been only limited studies on the use of CBA by school-based professionals. The present study reports the outcomes of a national survey of school psychologists' self-reported knowledge, use, and attitudes toward CBA in their everyday practice. Comparisons are made to a similar survey conducted 10 years ago. Results showed that although a statistically significant increase in self-reported practice has occurred over the past 10 years, the change in level of reported use was small. Among those school psychologists who reported that they used CBA in their practice, the frequency of use was substantially higher than a decade ago. Although self-reported use of CBA has not greatly increased, CBA appears to have become a much more common part of the graduate training programs of school psychologists. Attitudes toward CBA appear to have remained stable over the past decade. Despite the changes to include CBA more often in the everyday practice of school psychologists, a large proportion of school psychologists do not appear to be using CBA in the assessment of academic skills problems.