Teacher evaluation of the FABLe literacy application in the Indian context

Abstract

Fluency Assessment for Benchmarking in Literacy education (FABLe) is the first curriculum-based measurement (CBM) application being developed for the Indian context. It is designed for use in elementary grades, but has presently been validated for Grade 3 only. As a precursor to developing more measures and validating it across grade levels, the purpose of the current study is to assess the implementation of the application in a school environment and evaluate the efficacy of teachers’ use of the application in their classrooms. Our data sources included a survey and rating scale to collect demographic information and teachers’ feedback on the application; and focus groups to get a more detailed understanding of the efficacy of the application. Our sample included 15 teachers from four participating schools, representing low, middle and high-cost private schools. Our findings revealed that: (a) the application was easy to use and appropriate for their context; (b) data received through the application was helpful in progress-monitoring and instructional planning, and (c) FABLe was rated favorably to previous paper-pencil US-based CBM measures they had employed. Implications for reading assessment and practice in the Indian context will be discussed.