John L. Hosp

Curriculum-Based Measurement for Reading, Spelling, and Math: How to Do it and Why

Abstract The purpose of this article is to provide a rationale for collecting and using curriculum-based measurement (CBM) data as well as providing specific guidelines for how to collect CBM data in reading, spelling, and math. Relying on the research conducted on CBM over the past 25 years, we define what CBM is and how it is different from curriculum-based assessment (CBA). We describe in detail how to monitor student growth within an instructional program using CBM data in reading, spelling, and math. Last, we discuss reasons teachers should collect and use CBM data.

Assessment for Instructional Planning

Assessment is a common task in education that has many varied purposes. One of these is the use of assessment data to make decisions about instructional planning. This article presents a framework for how to use assessment data to plan instruction. It also provides some background on terminology of assessment for instructional planning, considerations for the development or use of assessment measures, and guidance for designing instruction.

Characteristics of Behavior Rating Scales Implications for Practice in Assessment and Behavioral Support

This study examined the structure of items on commonly used behavior rating scales in order to determine their usefulness in planning and monitoring positive interventions. Fourteen forms from 9 published behavior rating scales commonly used in research and practice were selected. The items on each scale were categorized as addressing a positive action, a negative action, a lack of positive action, or a lack of negative action. Ten of the 14 scales were composed of a majority of negative action questions, which are not useful for assessing positive behaviors. Thirteen included lack-of-action questions, which indicates they do not address observable, measurable behaviors. Implications for the selection and use of behavior rating scales within the context of a proactive model of social intervention, as well as directions for future research, are discussed.

Curriculum-Based Evaluation and Math: An Overview

Poor math performance is a major concern leading the current educational reform agenda. Many educational math critics are claiming a math crisis. Researchers and school personnel are trying to resolve this crisis. Some are looking at curriculum-based evaluation (CBE) as a process for solving this problem. CBE and curriculum-based measurement (CBM) are widely accepted validated tools for effectively yielding information necessary to make sound educational decisions. In this article, best practices in CBE and CBM are described as they pertain to math instruction. Specific steps of the CBE process are described as they pertain to math.

Second Opinions on the Reading First Initiative: The View from Utah

This article provides a summary of the five years of implementation of the first cohort of schools participating in Utahs Reading First Initiative. Fifteen schools across six districts comprised this cohort. Performance is compared to the performance of a cohort of matched comparison schools as well as the average state performance on the Utah Language Arts Criterion-referenced Tests (CRTs). Results indicate that Reading First schools appeared to have made greater gains than comparison schools or the state average in the percentage of students achieving proficiency on the CRTs. In addition, the achievement gap for most disaggregated groups was reduced, and greater performance was noted for students who spent three years in Reading First schools rather than one or two. These data are in contrast to the results of the Reading First Impact Study, but highlight the need to examine the contextual effects of systemic reform initiatives such as the Reading First Initiative.

Spell It out: The Need for Detailed Spelling Assessment to Inform Instruction.

Spelling is an important, but often overlooked, component of literacy instruction and development. Although it is related to other aspects of literacy, there are independent theories of spelling development as well as assessment and instructional strategies that align with these theories. This article summarizes the rationale for linking assessment and instruction within the domain of spelling and provides an overview of this special series on spelling assessment and instruction.

Using Curriculum-Based Measures With Postsecondary Students With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

The purpose of this study was to provide preliminary evidence of the criterion-related validity of curriculum-based measurement (CBM) for reading, mathematics, and written expression with postsecondary students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (ID). The participants included 41 postsecondary students with ID enrolled in a 2-year certificate program at a large Midwestern university. CBMs were administered to participants using standardized procedures, and results were compared with performance on the Woodcock–Johnson Tests of Achievement. Descriptive statistics were calculated as were bivariate correlations between CBM measures and the content-appropriate criterion measure. Results are discussed in terms of the potential use of CBMs as indicators of academic performance for postsecondary students with ID.

Word Recognition Error Analysis: Comparing Isolated Word List and Oral Passage Reading.

The purpose of this study was to determine the relation between word recognition errors made at a letter–sound pattern level on a word list and on a curriculum-based measurement oral reading fluency measure (CBM-ORF) for typical and struggling elementary readers. The participants were second, third, and fourth grade typical and struggling readers (n = 69) who were systematically sampled from a pool of 265 students participating in a larger study. Participants read a nonsense word list composed of 599 words across 89 letter–sound patterns and three CBM-ORF passages. Pearson product–moment (Pearson r) correlation coefficients indicate students’ recognition of letter–sound patterns on word list and CBM-ORF differs between patterns as well as between type of reader. Results are discussed in terms of usefulness for CBM-ORF to assess letter–sound pattern recognition skills of typical and struggling elementary readers.

Assessing Specific Grapho-Phonemic Skills in Elementary Students

This study examines the relation between decoding and spelling performance on tasks that represent identical specific grapho-phonemic patterns. Elementary students (N = 206) were administered a 597 pseudoword decoding inventory representing 12 specific grapho-phonemic patterns and a 104 real-word spelling inventory representing identical grapho-phonemic patterns presented on the decoding inventory. Correlational and quantile regression analyses revealed a moderate to strong correlation between student performance in decoding and spelling tasks, with stronger relations found among more complex grapho-phonemic patterns and weaker relations found among less complex grapho-phonemic patterns. The results of this study support the utility of a spelling assessment with items representing a wide range of grapho-phonemic patterns as a screener for specific areas of grapho-phonemic knowledge weakness and provide educators with an efficient method of collecting the data needed to develop targeted interventions.

Postreading Questioning and Middle School Students’ Understanding of Literature

The study examined the effectiveness of a “story map,” a questioning technique (Beck & McKeown, 1981) for improving students’ understanding of literature. Though the story map idea was widely adopted as a student-initiated strategy, the original story map—a teacher-generated, postreading questioning framework—was never empirically tested. This study examined the effects of using three postreading questioning conditions with stories from middle school anthologies: the story map, anthology questions, and no questioning. Results indicated a significant difference for comprehension between both questioning conditions and no questioning but no significant difference between the story map and anthology question treatments. However, the story map condition had a more positive effect on students’ enjoyment of the stories and their feeling of success in understanding them than the other conditions.