Researchers studying curriculum-based measurement of written expression have used a variety of writing prompt types and durations when establishing criterion validity of these tools. The purpose of this study was to determine through meta-analytic procedures whether any prompt type or duration was superior to others in terms of criterion validity.…

While curriculum-based measurement (CBM) tools for screening decisions in reading, mathematics, and written language have been well examined, tools for use in content areas (e.g., science and social studies) remain in the beginning stages of research. In this study, two alternate forms of a new CBM tool (Statement Verification for Science; SV-S),…

Assessing students' emerging literacy skills is crucial for identifying areas where a child may be falling behind and can lead directly to an increased chance of reading success. The Waterford Assessment of Core Skills (WACS), a computerized adaptive test of early literacy for students in prekindergarten through 2nd grade, addresses this need.…

This study focused on the development of a new classroom environment instrument for late-elementary students. The development of the survey of contemporary learning environments (SoCLE) followed a content analysis of three similar instruments on constructivist learning environments and the literature on characteristics of contemporary learning…

Two studies using similar methods in two states investigated the long-term predictive utility of two single-skill early numeracy Curriculum Based Measures (CBMs) and the degree to which they can adequately predict high-stakes test scores. Data were drawn from kindergarten and first-grade students. State standardized assessment data from the…

Curriculum-based measurement in reading (CBM-R) and the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) are assessment tools widely employed for universal screening in schools. Although a large body of research supports the validity of CBM-R, limited empirical evidence exists supporting the technical adequacy of MAP or the acceptability of either measure for…

The purpose of this study is to contribute to efforts to improve methods for gathering and analyzing data from classroom observations in early literacy. The methodological approach addresses current problems of reliability and validity of classroom observations by taking into account differences in teachers' uses of instructional actions (e.g.,…

The technical adequacy of curriculum-based measures in the form of short and simple vocabulary-matching probes to predict students' performance and progress in science at the secondary level was investigated. Participants were 198 seventh-grade students from 10 science classrooms. Curriculum-based measurements (CBM) were 5-min vocabulary-matching…

English language learners (ELLs) constitute one of the fastest growing subpopulations of students in the United States. It is important to determine whether the assessments used by states in determining students' proficiencies are valid and fair for ELLs. This study focused on several standards-based assessments in mathematics and science…

This study investigated multiple models for assessing oral reading fluency, including 1-minute oral reading measures that produce scores reported as words correct per minute (wcpm). We compared a measure of wcpm with measures of the individual and combined indicators of oral reading fluency (rate, accuracy, prosody, and comprehension) to examine…

This study compared the validity of chronological age, a standardized algebra prognosis test, standardized verbal and quantitative scales derived from an achievement test battery, and an objective measure of formal or concrete stages of Piagetian cognitive development for predicting final examination scores and course grades in high school…

Correlations between the achievement test scores of 2,000 entering freshmen in 1977 and measures of college performance were similar to those reported for tests of the college entrance type. These results provide support for the predictive validity of the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills and the Iowa Tests of Educational Development achievement test…

The use of proper measurements of diffusion of information technology as an innovation are essential to determining if progress is being made in state, regional, and national level programs. This project provides a national level cross validation study of several instruments commonly used to assess the effectiveness of technology integration in…

Results of the Vocabulary, Reading Comprehension, and Mathematics Concepts subtests of the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills were analyzed for sex bias. On the whole, little evidence for sex bias was found for the four subtests and three grade levels examined. (Author)

Investigates the predictive and construct validity of the Developing Cognitive Abilities Test (DCAT) in a sample of sixth grade students (N=863). Level H of the DCAT was administered during the students' sixth grade year and selected subsets of the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills were administered eight months later during the seventh grade year.…