Data-based decision-making (DBDM) using curriculum-based measurement (CBM) data has demonstrated effectiveness in improving academic achievement for students with or at risk for learning disability. Despite substantial evidence supporting DBDM, its use is not common practice for many educators, even those who regularly collect CBM data. One…

Experts laud the potential of educational technology (edtech) to promote reading among students with disabilities, but supporting evidence is lacking. This study evaluated the effectiveness of the Lexia® Core5® Reading edtech program (Core5) on the Measures of Academic Progress® (MAP) Growth Reading™ and easyCBM oral reading fluency performance of…

This 20-year follow-up study examined elementary special educators' use of curriculum-based measurement. Elementary special educators (N = 1,077) in four Midwest states participated in the survey. Results indicated that the overall use of CBM was much higher than 20 years ago with reading CBM as the most prevalent area of monitoring with data used…

Academic progress monitoring is essential when implementing Individualized Education Programs for students with learning disabilities and more generally in a multi-tiered system of supports framework. Although students' progress is monitored frequently in schools today, these students often are not actively involved in this practice. Research has…

The review of "Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District" case revealed that an Individualized Education Program (IEP) requires inclusion of specific measurable goals to ensure educational benefit. The purpose of this article is to provide a systematic approach to progress monitoring IEP goals in mathematics, which monitors whether a…

Although different authors define the SMART acronym differently, an IEP-related interpretation of the acronym is as follows: specific, measurable, action verbs, realistic, and time limited. In addition to these features, well-written IEP goals reflect students' unique strengths and needs. This article discusses how educators can produce specific,…

The purpose of this review was to synthesize research on the effect of professional development (PD) targeting data-based decision-making processes on teachers' knowledge, skills, and self-efficacy related to curriculum-based measurement (CBM) and data-based decision-making (DBDM). To be eligible for this review, studies had to: (1) be published…

Over the last four decades, legislative mandates have increased both educational opportunities and accountability measures for students with identified disabilities in the public school setting. The intertwined relationship between those mandates and the processes used to monitor the progress of a student's individualized goals is complex. This…

There is increasing evidence that a significant number of children in America are not learning important basic reading skills. Response to intervention (RTI) for support in reading is appropriate, but what does a school district do about students who are in Tier 3 and not making progress? Teachers and psychologists at the Special School District…

Setting meaningful individualized education program (IEP) goals and objectives is one of the challenges that special education teachers face. In written expression, this task is even more difficult. Not only is assessing writing a subjective and difficult endeavor, but writing itself is a complicated task. Because many students with disabilities…

This study addressed three basic questions involving the amount of measurement needed to obtain valid estimates of reading growth. Participants were 41 students with learning disabilities from Grades 3 to 8, monitored across 10 weeks using curriculum-based measurement (CBM) of words read correctly (WRC). We compared growth slopes based on…

The most salient difficulty in assessing English language learner (ELL) students who exhibit academic difficulties is identifying whether the problem is one of English proficiency or of a learning disability. In many cases, the symptoms are shared and difficult to disentangle, but obtaining a comprehensive picture of the child is vital for…

"Data collected from eligibility assessments need to be useful and connected across all areas of service delivery." The content and flow of information have enormous implications for practice. Professionals are challenged because they lack functional information needed to create useful goals and objectives, implement effective…

The journey toward 100% proficiency is most successful when a whole school works as a team. School leaders must focus their school's energy and effort on schoolwide initiatives that will make the changes needed to increase student learning and improve students' scores on state tests. The structure of the school and the collaboration of the faculty…

This article first examines problems in developing individualized education programs (IEPs) for students with disabilities by focusing on violations of the IEP process. It then discusses the three major components of the IEP, assessment, program development, and monitoring student progress. A case study illustrates use of curriculum-based…