Lynn S. Fuchs

Effects of Instrumental Use of Curriculum-Based Measurement to Enhance Instructional Programs:

This study investigated the importance of instrumental use of curriculum-based measurement (CBM) to planning effective reading programs. Participants were 53 mildly handicapped students and their 29 teachers who had been assigned randomly to CBM and control groups. Teachers implemented their CBM or control treatments for 15 weeks. After the treatment period, student records were inspected to divide the CBM participants into two implementation groups. The CBM-measurement only group comprised 15 students and 9 teachers; these teachers measured students reading performance as required but did not use the assessment information to structure students reading programs. The CBM–measurement with evaluation group comprised 21 students and 12 teachers; these teachers measured student performance and used the assessment information to design instructional programs. Analysis of variance revealed that, compared to the control group, pupils in the measurement with evaluation group achieved better than students in the measurement only group. Implications for instructional assessment activities are discussed.

Monitoring Progress Among Mildly Handicapped Pupils Review of Current Practice and Research

The purpose of this paper is to review research on the use of formative evaluation with mildly handicapped pupils. First, the importance of formative evaluation to special education is described. Then, four critical issues in formative evaluation methodology are discussed: focus of measurement, frequency of measurement, data display, and data-utilization methods. Finally, a proposal for additional related research is advanced.

Effects of Goal Structures and Performance Contingencies on the Math Performance of Adolescents with Learning Disabilities

This study assessed the effects of assigned versus self-selected goals and contingent versus noncontingent gameplay conditions, delivered during computer-assisted math computation drill-and-practice sessions. Participants were 20 high school pupils with learning disabilities who had active Individualized Education Plan (IEP) goals that targeted the improvement of computational skills. Students were assigned randomly to goal conditions and, within goal conditions, to contingency groups. Math computation performance was measured pre-, mid-, and posttreatment. Analyses of variance indicated that students who selected their goals performed better than pupils with assigned goals. No differences existed between the contingency groups. Implications for practice are discussed.

Test performance of language-handicapped children with familiar and unfamiliar examiners.

The importance of examiner familiarity to childrens performance on tasks requiring high or low levels of symbolic mediation was investigated. Thirty-four handicapped preschool children were examined within a repeated measures crossover design, once by one of two familiar classroom teachers and once by one of four strange teachers. Subjects performed significantly better with familiar than with unfamiliar examiners on high symbolic mediation tasks; no such differential performance was obtained on low symbolic mediation items. Findings are related to current efforts to identify procedural and situational variables in assessment, uncontrolled by present standard test administrations, that may preclude childrens optimal performance.

Data-Based Program Modification: A Continuous Evaluation System with Computer Software to Facilitate Implementation.

This paper provides a rationale for and describes a continuous evaluation system, data-based program modification (DBPM), which has demonstrated technical adequacy, logistical feasibility, and instructional effectiveness. Additionally, the paper illustrates the use of DBPM with a case study, and then describes the DBPM software package that stores, summarizes, analyzes, and displays a graph of student performance data.

An Analysis of Spelling Curricula and Teachers' Skills in Identifying Error Types

In conjunction with a curriculum-based measurement (CBM) computer program, software was designed to identify 27 phonetic patterns within correctly spelled words and 27 spelling error types within misspelled words. Two applications of this software were examined. First, an analysis revealed similarity among four commonly used spelling curricula with regard to frequency of occurrence of phonetic patterns. Second, 27 teachers were assigned randomly to three 15-week treatment groups: one that used CBM with software providing a skills analysis of error types. one that used CBM with software that allowed visual inspection of errors, and a control group that did not use CBM. Teachers responses to a post-treatment measure were examined. Analysis of variance indicated that ongoing feedback regarding types of student errors enhanced teachers correct identification of phonetic spelling errors, a skill considered necessary in designing effective spelling instructional programs. Implications for teacher training and spelling instruction are discussed.