Stanley L. Deno

Developments in Curriculum-Based Measurement:

Curriculum-based measurement (CBM) is an approach for assessing the growth of students in basic skills that originated uniquely in special education. A substantial research literature has developed to demonstrate that CBM can be used effectively to gather student performance data to support a wide range of educational decisions. Those decisions include screening to identify, evaluating prereferral interventions, determining eligibility for and placement in remedial and special education programs, formatively evaluating instruction, and evaluating reintegration and inclusion of students in mainstream programs. Beyond those fundamental uses of CBM, recent research has been conducted on using CBM to predict success in high-stakes assessment, to measure growth in content areas in secondary school programs, and to assess growth in early childhood programs. In this article, best practices in CBM are described and empirical support for those practices is identified. Illustrations of the successful uses of CBM to improve educational decision making are provided.

The Effects of Frequent Curriculum-Based Measurement and Evaluation on Pedagogy, Student Achievement, and Student Awareness of Learning:

This study examined the educational effects of repeated curriculum-based measurement and evaluation. Thirty-nine special educators, each having three to four pupils in the study, were assigned randomly to a repeated curriculum-based measurement/evaluation (experimental) treatment or a conventional special education evaluation (contrast) treatment. Over the 18-week implementation, pedagogical decisions were surveyed twice; instructional structure was observed and measured three times; students’ knowledge about their learning was assessed during a final interview; reading achievement was tested before and after treatment. Analyses of covariance revealed that experimental teachers effected greater student achievement. Additional analyses indicated that (a) experimental teachers’ decisions reflected greater realism about and responsiveness to student progress, (b) their instructional structure demonstrated greater increases, and (c) their students were more aware of goals and progress.

Sources of Individual Differences in Reading Comprehension and Reading Fluency.

This study examined the common and distinct contributions of context-free and context reading skill to reading comprehension and the contributions of context-free reading skill and reading comprehension to context fluency. The 113 4th-grade participants were measured in reading comprehension, read aloud a folktale, and read aloud the folktales words in a random list. Fluency was scaled as speed (words read correctly in 1 min) and time (seconds per correct word). Relative to list fluency, context fluency was a stronger predictor of comprehension. List fluency and comprehension each uniquely predicted context fluency, but their relative contributions depended on how fluency was scaled (time or speed). Results support the conclusion that word level processes contribute relatively more to fluency at lower levels while comprehension contributes relatively more at higher levels. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)

Paradigmatic Distinctions between Instructionally Relevant Measurement Models

In this article, we delineate essential commonalities and distinctions between two approaches to measurement for instructional decision making. Specific subskill mastery measurement is explained using a case study, and salient features of this predominant model are described. Then, a major contrasting approach, the general outcome measurement model, is explained; a curriculum-based measurement case study is provided to illustrate general outcome measurement; and the essential features of this alternative model are reviewed. Finally, we describe how general outcome measurement represents an innovative approach to assessment by bridging traditional and contemporary paradigms.

Curriculum-Based Measurement Oral Reading as an indicator of reading achievement: A meta-analysis of the correlational evidence

This meta-analysis summarized the correlational evidence of the association between the CBM Oral Reading measure (R-CBM) and other standardized measures of reading achievement for students in grades 1-6. Potential moderating variables were also examined (source of criterion test, administration format, grade level, length of time, and type of reading subtest score). Results indicated a significant, strong overall correlation among R-CBM and other standardized tests of reading achievement and differences in correlations as a function of source of test, administration format, and reading subtest type. No differences in the magnitude of correlations were found across grade levels. In addition, there was minimal evidence of publication bias. Results are discussed in terms of existing literature and directions for future research.

Oral Reading and Maze Measures as Predictors of Success for English Learners on a State Standards Assessment

Curriculum-based measurement (CBM) of oral reading has been used to aid in identifying students who are at risk for failing the reading portion of their spring state standards tests. The purpose of this study is to determine whether adding a maze reading measure would aid in predicting the performance of students who are English learners (ELs). The study, conducted in an urban elementary school, used both oral reading and maze measures with EL and non-EL students to predict their performance on the reading portion of a state standards test for third- and fifth-grade students. Moderate to moderately strong correlations were obtained between the state standards test and both oral reading fluency and the maze task. Combining the measures increased the predictive power for non-EL students but not for ELs.

Technical Adequacy of the Maze Task for Curriculum-Based Measurement of Reading Growth:

The purpose of the present study was to examine the technical adequacy of curriculum-based measurement (CBM) for assessing student growth over time. Participants were 43 second graders whose reading performance was measured monthly over 1 school year with the maze task. Technical characteristics of the CBM maze task were examined in terms of reliability, sensitivity, and validity for assessing student growth. Results showed that the maze task had good alternate-form reliability, with a mean coefficient of .81 and 1- to 3-month intervals between testing. The maze task also sensitively reflected improvement of student performance over a school year and revealed interindividual differences in growth rates. Finally, growth rates estimated on repeated maze scores were positively related to later reading performance on a standardized reading test; in addition, although a significant difference was not found, general education students appeared to develop reading proficiency faster than remedial education students. Results support the use of the maze task as a reliable, sensitive, and valid data collection procedure for assessing reading growth.

Identifying Indicators of Written Expression Proficiency for Middle School Students

In this study we examined the reliability and validity of various growth indicators in written expression for middle school students. In addition, we examined the effects of type and duration of writing on the validity and reliability of the growth indicators. Students (N = 112) in Grades 7 and 8 composed two story writing and two descriptive writing pieces. For each sample, students wrote for 3 and 5 minutes. The most reliable and valid predictor of student writing proficiency as measured by both teacher ratings and a district writing test was correct minus incorrect word sequences. No differences were found related to type or duration of writing.

Effects of Curriculum within Curriculum-Based Measurement:

This study assessed the effects of curriculum on technical features within curriculum-based measurement in reading. Curriculum was defined as the difficulty of material and the basal series from which students read. Technical features were the criterion validity and developmental growth rates associated with the measurement. Ninety-one students took a commercial, widely used test of reading comprehension and read orally for 1 minute from each of 19 passages, one from each grade level within two reading series. Correlations between the oral reading samples and the test of reading comprehension were similar across difficulty levels and across series. Developmental growth rates also remained strong regardless of difficulty level and series.

Accuracy and Fluency in List and Context Reading of Skilled and RD Groups: Absolute and Relative Performance Levels

The purpose of this study was to examine (1) the performance levels and the magnitude of performance difference between students with reading disabilities (RD) and skilled readers when reading a typical classroom text; (2) the hypothesis that students with RD have specific difficulty using context in such a way that reading fluency is affected; and (3) whether RD subtypes may be differentiated according to performance on contextual and context-free reading tasks. Two groups of fourth graders (85 skilled readers and 24 students with RD) completed a standardized test of reading comprehension, read aloud a folktale, and read aloud the folktales words in a randomly sequenced list. Performance was scored as correct rate and percentage correct. Based on the number of words per idea unit in the passage, we also estimated the rate at which reader groups encountered and processed text ideas. Compared to the RD group, skilled readers read three times more correct words per minute in context, and showed higher accuracy and rates on all measures. Both context and isolated word-reading rates were highly sensitive to impairment. We found no evidence for RD subtypes based on these measures. Results illustrate differences in reading levels between the two groups, the temporal advantage skilled readers have in linking text ideas, how word reading differs as a function of task format and performance dimension, and how limited word-identification skills (not comprehension) produce contextual reading difficulties for students with RD.