Curriculum-based Measurement Research Articles

Modeling Growth in Reading With Curriculum-Based Measurement Versus Computer-Adaptive Tests

Modeling Growth in Reading With Curriculum-Based Measurement Versus Computer-Adaptive Tests

Assessing Writing Across Levels of Language to Identify Instructional Needs

Educators are faced with many decisions regarding supporting students’ writing. While writing achievement and curriculum-based measure scores provide numbers that are important for high-stakes decisions like determining special education eligibility, they do not provide educators with information on a student’s explicit instruction needs. Written products can provide substantial information if educators know what to look for. This article offers five steps within an empirically supported framework to describe a student’s writing at a finely grained level and connect their writing performance to instructional planning.

Assessing Efficiency in Education: The Imperative of Curriculum-Based Measurements

This article explores the limitations of traditional maximum performance tests in psychological assessments within educational settings, highlighting the need for efficiency assessments to better understand students’ real-world capabilities. While maximum performance tests like IQ and achievement tests reveal peak abilities under optimal conditions, they often fail to reflect students’ proficiency and speed, crucial for classroom success. Efficiency assessments, such as Curriculum-Based Measurements (CBMs), provide valuable insights by evaluating both accuracy and speed, offering a more practical measure of skill mastery. By integrating these assessments, psychologists can more accurately identify areas of need, inform targeted interventions, and monitor progress, ensuring tailored support for each student’s unique learning profile. This comprehensive approach enhances academic development, ensuring that students receive the necessary support to thrive in educational settings.

Using Special Physical Education Curriculum-Based Measurement to Improve Student Motor Development in Both General and Special Needs Population: Review of Early Research Lasting More than Five Decades

The main goal of this study is to acquaint experts in the field of education with the results of early research, which are related to the problems they face even now when it comes to sensitive groups with special needs. Previous experiences can be a good indicator of different models of action for pedagogues and managers within the modern education system. Inclusive education has become a reality faced by all participants in the process. Effective action models have been adopted in developed countries, primarily Western countries. However, in less developed countries, it is evident that the problem of inclusion is faced later, primarily due to legal regulations and the need for more funds for specific training of all participants. This issue is especially neglected when it comes to inclusion in the physical education of children with various disorders in motor development. Examples from practice in earlier research can be a good guide for overcoming various obstacles that all participants face today, both in special and inclusive physical education. Controversies are still occurring between supporters of the traditional particular education approach versus the modern, inclusive education model. A better familiarity with the issue can contribute to overcoming prejudices, which this overview study of earlier research can contribute.

Assessing students with dyslexia and other reading difficulties through multiple diagnostic assessments.

This article aims to assist practitioners in understanding dyslexia and other reading difficulties and assessing students' learning needs. We describe the essential components of language and literacy, universal screening, diagnostic assessments, curriculum-based measurement and eligibility determination. We then introduce four diagnostic assessments as examples, including norm-referenced assessments (i.e. the Comprehensive Test of Phonological Processing second edition and the Woodcock-Johnson IV Tests of Achievement) and criterion-referenced assessments (i.e. the Gallistel-Ellis Test of Coding Skills and the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills). Finally, We use a makeup case as a concrete example to illustrate how multiple diagnostic assessments are recorded and how the results can be used to inform intervention and eligibility for special education services.

The Modifying Effects of Response Style on the Criterion-Related Validity of a Curriculum-Based Measure

Curriculum-based measures (CBMs) such as Word Identification Fluency promote student achievement, but because they are timed and administered frequently, they are prone to variation in student response styles. To study the impact of WIF response styles, we created and examined the validity of a novel response style measure and examined the degree to which it moderated the validity of WIF growth slopes as a predictor of student outcomes. Students who moved quickly through the WIF (speeders) exhibited greater growth compared to non-speeders with similar WIF slopes on a criterion measure, and WIF growth explained the most variance in growth on the criterion measure among speeders. Response style was rather consistent within students and across students within teachers, suggesting that teachers’ instructions and testing practices may influence how students approach the tests. Implications of the findings for effective CBM testing are discussed.

Validating Curriculum-Based Measurement Oral Reading Fluency (CBM ORF) Applicability To Evaluate Arabic Readers’ Performance

While curriculum-based measurement (CBM) accurately indicates reading skills, such as progress monitoring and early detection of reading difficulty, it has yet to be developed for Arabic. This study aimed to develop and validate a curriculum-based measurement for oral reading fluency (CBM-ORF) tailored to assess Arabic language students' reading abilities and create preliminary norms for students from second to sixth grades. Methods and Procedures: Various forms of the CBM-ORF were developed and administered to a sample of 414 students. After data analysis, the students' readings were rated by teachers to compare the CBM-ORF with an independent measure. Outcomes and Results: The results indicate that the CBM-ORF exhibits strong reliability and validity, making it a valuable tool for monitoring progress and identifying reading difficulties in Arabic readers. Furthermore, ORF norms have been established and proposed. Conclusions and Implications: This study emphasizes the absence of a valid reading tool for Arabic language students. It offers resources for teachers to make data-driven decisions, especially for students with learning disabilities.

Curriculum-based Measurement for Early Writing Struggles in Kindergarten: A Systematic Review

Curriculum-based Measurement for Early Writing Struggles in Kindergarten: A Systematic Review

Incorporating calibration errors in oral reading fluency scoring.

Oral reading fluency (ORF) assessments are commonly used to screen at-risk readers and evaluate interventions' effectiveness as curriculum-based measurements. Similar to the standard practice in item response theory (IRT), calibrated passage parameter estimates are currently used as if they were population values in model-based ORF scoring. However, calibration errors that are unaccounted for may bias ORF score estimates and, in particular, lead to underestimated standard errors (SEs) of ORF scores. Therefore, we consider an approach that incorporates the calibration errors in latent variable scores. We further derive the SEs of ORF scores based on the delta method to incorporate the calibration uncertainty. We conduct a simulation study to evaluate the recovery of point estimates and SEs of latent variable scores and ORF scores in various simulated conditions. Results suggest that ignoring calibration errors leads to underestimated latent variable score SEs and ORF score SEs, especially when the calibration sample is small.

Obstacles facing teacher of students with learning disabilities in applying curriculum-based measurement at learning disabilities resource rooms

This study aimed to identify the obstacles facing teachers of students’ with learning disabilities in applying curriculum-based measurement in learning disabilities resource rooms. The study sample consisted of 121 male and female teachers. To achieve the objectives of the study, a questionnaire was used, which in its final form consisted of 24 items. Its validity and reliability were verified before it was applied to the study sample.The results of the study showed that the level of obstacles facing learning disabilities teachers in applying curriculum-based measurement in learning disabilities resource rooms was moderate. The results also showed that there were no statistically significant differences due to the variables: gender, level of education, and years of experience in the level of obstacles facing teachers of students with learning disabilities. However, the results showed that there were statistically significant differences on the two dimensions roles and responsibilities of teachers of students with learning disabilities, the school administration attributed to those with experience categories less than 5 years, and 5 years to 10 years.

Examining the criterion validity of curriculum-based measurement of writing (CBM-W) with young EFL learners

This study examines the criterion validity of curriculum-based measurement of writing (CBM-W) for assessing the writing of young language learners in an EFL context. CBM-W has been found to have criterion validity with a variety of tests and student populations, including learners in ESL settings taking standardized tests. However, evidence of CBM-W's validity for use with young learners in EFL settings is limited. This study seeks to address this gap by investigating the criterion validity argument for the following CBM-W scoring procedures: words written (WW), words spelled correctly (WSC), correct word sequences (CWS), and correct minus incorrect word sequences (CIWS). The data set included classroom-administered narrative prompt writing samples and official test scores from the Cambridge Assessment English Young Learners exam reading and writing test collected from 51 Taiwanese English learners aged seven to eight. A Bayesian correlation data analysis found a greater probability favoring the criterion validity argument for CWS and WSC, with strong evidence for CWS and moderate evidence for WSC. This study sets the foundation for future research examining the validity argument of CBM-W for evaluating young EFL learners’ writing in research and classroom settings.

Evaluating a gated screening approach for identifying risk in kindergarten mathematics.

The purpose of the present study was to examine the diagnostic accuracy of different universal screening approaches for identifying mathematics difficulties in kindergarteners. We used extant data from 2,010 kindergarten students from 23 schools across two states. First, we identified the diagnostic accuracy of two individual screeners: (a) a set of three curriculum-based measures (CBM) and (b) a diagnostic measure, the Number Sense Brief (NSB). Then, we determined the diagnostic accuracy of a gated screening approach considering both the CBM and NSB. The criterion measure was a norm-referenced mathematics achievement test. The results indicated that area under the curve values met or exceeded .80 for both individual screeners; however, the number of false positives was high. The gated screening approach yielded fewer false positives at the expense of increasing false negatives. Directions for future research and the practical implications of the results for screening in kindergarten mathematics are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Measuring Linguistic Growth in Sentence-Level Writing Curriculum-Based Measures: Exploring Complementary Scoring Methods.

Picture-word writing curriculum-based measures (PW CBM-Ws) are technically sound, formative measures of descriptive, sentence-level writing but cannot estimate underlying linguistic skills. The purpose of this exploratory alternative scoring investigation was to apply metrics from language sample analysis (LSA) to PW CBM-Ws as a complementary measure of underlying language skills in beginning writers' sentence-level writing. LSA metrics were applied to 104 typically developing first through third graders' PW CBM-W samples across fall and spring semesters. Factorial analyses of variance with post hoc Bonferroni pairwise comparisons were applied after obtaining alternate-form reliability and criterion-related validity estimates. Analyses revealed reliable discrimination between grades and significant growth between fall and spring semesters for three LSA metrics: mean length of T-unit in words, mean length of T-unit in morphemes, and number of different words. While mean length of T-unit in words and morphemes demonstrated evidence of discrimination and growth in first grade only, number of different words showed evidence of reliable discrimination and growth in first and third grades. Mean length of T-unit in words, mean length of T-unit in morphemes, and number of different words showed evidence of adequate criterion-related validity, discrimination among grades, and sensitivity to growth when calculated using PW CBM-W samples to gauge underlying linguistic skills in first- and third-grade students. Implications and future directions for research are discussed. https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.25050290.

Efficacy of the Teaching Early Literacy and Language Curriculum With Preschoolers From Low-Income Families.

The purpose of this study was to test the efficacy of the Teaching Early Literacy and Language (TELL) curriculum package for improving the early literacy and oral language skills of preschoolers from low-income families. In a randomized controlled trial (RCT), TELL was implemented in 30 TELL and 28 business-as-usual classrooms. TELL is a Tier 1 whole-class curriculum package that includes a scope and sequence of instruction, lesson plans and materials, high-quality books, curriculum-based measures (CBMs), and professional development training and coaching. Implementation fidelity was high; however, due to COVID-19 school closures, we did not collect end-of-year data for our third cohort of teachers. Results indicated significant TELL effects on all code-related CBMs and two code-related distal measures as well as receptive and expressive vocabulary CBMs. No significant differences were found on distal measures of oral language/vocabulary or listening comprehension. Results of the present study, paired with findings from an earlier TELL RCT with children with developmental speech and/or language impairments, suggest that children enrolled in TELL classrooms achieve higher outcomes on a variety of code-related and vocabulary measures by the end of their final preschool year. https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.25345708.

Graph Out Loud: Pre-Service Teachers' Data Decisions and Interpretations of CBM Progress Graphs.

Data-based instruction (DBI) is a process in which teachers use progress data to make ongoing instructional decisions for students with learning disabilities. Curriculum-based measurement (CBM) is a common form of progress monitoring, and CBM data are placed on a graph to guide decision-making. Despite the central role that graph interpretation plays in the successful implementation of DBI, relatively little attention has been devoted to investigating this skill among special education teachers. In the present study, we examined the data decisions of 32 pre-service special education teachers (29 females and 3 males). Participants viewed data presented sequentially on CBM progress graphs and used a think-aloud procedure to explain their reasoning each time they indicated they would make instructional changes. We also asked participants to make the same type of decisions in response to static CBM progress graphs depicting 10 weeks of data. Overall, there was inconsistency in pre-service teachers' responses related to when or why they would make an instructional change. Decisions were often influenced by graph-related features, such as variability in the data. Furthermore, responses suggested misunderstandings that led to premature instructional change decisions and reliance on individual data points.

Teacher evaluation of the FABLe literacy application in the Indian context

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.

A Gender Bias in Curriculum-Based Measurement across Content Domains: Insights from a German Study

By immediately responding to achievement progress data, teachers can improve students’ performance by using curriculum-based measurement. However, there are studies showing that teachers are prone to make biased judgments about the students providing the data. The present investigation experimentally examined whether pre-service teachers in Germany were biased by the use of gender stereotypes when judging students’ achievement derived from progress data. N = 100 pre-service teachers received graphs that depicted the development of either oral reading fluency or math achievement of girls and boys over a time interval of 11 weeks. The results obtained confirmed the hypotheses partially. The participants did not favor girls over boys on average. However, they judged achievement in reading to be higher for girls than for boys, and math achievement to be higher for boys than for girls. The results suggest that gender stereotypes (boys are good at math, girls are good at reading) are still prevalent in pre-service teachers.

Family Involvement in Elementary Reading Intervention: Compensatory Relations to Dosage and Tutor-Level Heterogeneity

We used triannual reading curriculum-based measurement of oral reading fluency data from 11,834 U.S. students in Grades 2 and 3 enrolled in an evidence-based Tier 2 reading intervention program (Reading Corps) to investigate the extent to which family involvement in the intervention might buffer against a negative effect of lower intervention dosage. The relation between family involvement in Reading Corps and growth in oral reading fluency was stronger when students spent fewer hours in tutoring, suggesting that family involvement in tiered reading intervention can compensate for receiving less intervention dosage. There was noticeable variation in this effect across tutors, suggestive of tutor-level heterogeneity of this relation. The relation between sending family engagement materials to families and the materials that are returned to tutors also substantially varied across tutors. We discuss findings in terms practical significance for school-based academic intervention systems. We highlight limitations and opportunities for future directions as well.

Examining Written Expression Curriculum-Based Measurement for Students With Emotional and Behavioral Challenges

Students with emotional and behavioral challenges often struggle with writing. Curriculum-based measurement (CBM) is an assessment used for a variety of purposes including screening, progress monitoring, and data-based individualization. However, little research has examined technical properties of writing CBM data and supported inferences. This study examined criterion validity of two CBM tasks with the Test of Written Language-4 and whether writing fluency was affected by writing prompt type. Thirty-eight students in 7th–12th grades with emotional and behavioral challenges completed a descriptive writing task and a narrative writing task. Writing samples were scored for the number of words written, words spelled correctly, correct word sequences, and correct minus incorrect word sequences. Across all scoring procedures, associations between the descriptive prompt and the Test of Written Language-4 (number of words written, r = .27 [−.12, .58], words spelled correctly, r = .33 [−.05, .62]; correct word sequences, r = .38 [01, .65]; and correct minus incorrect word sequences, r = .44 [.08, .69] were stronger than associations between the narrative prompt and criterion measure.

Curriculum-Based Measurement in Languages Other than English: a Scoping Review and Call for Research

Curriculum-Based Measurement in Languages Other than English: a Scoping Review and Call for Research