Since the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act required classifications of students' performance levels, test scores have been used to measure students' achievement; in particular, test scores are used to determine whether students reach a proficiency level in the state assessment. Accordingly, school districts have started using benchmark assessments…

The study aims to explore the practice of continuous assessment (CA) and associated challenges of implementation in higher education institutions located in Amhara National Regional State, Ethiopia. Drawing on assessment for learning and institutional theory, the qualitative multi-case design includes informants from three public universities.…

A Comprehensive early literacy policy establishes support and intensive reading interventions for K-3 students to ensure they read on grade level by the end of 3rd grade. The policy also requires 3rd grade students to demonstrate sufficient reading skills for promotion to 4th grade. For students severely below grade level and who do not qualify…

Leading an individualized education program (IEP) meeting can be a daunting task for special education teachers, particularly if they want to make changes to the status quo when it comes to inclusive opportunities for students with higher support needs. This article explores how special educators can begin to advocate for that change within their…

This paper reflects on the practical integration of generative AI, specifically ChatGPT, in a middle school (grades 6-8) special education setting. Initially adopted by teachers to manage an overwhelming workload, the use of AI evolved into a collaborative tool that supported instructional planning, simplified complex texts, created lesson…

This article describes the journey of two teacher educators to reconstruct our knowledge about grading and shift justice from ornamental to fundamental in our teacher preparation methods courses. This work attempts to answer the call from scholars, who have been advocating for educators to be more prepared to meet the needs of a diverse student…

Education in the 21st century has become more technology integrated, and the shift from conventional modalities of teaching to technology-assisted teaching methodologies accelerated during the pandemic years. The current study employed a qualitative research design (n=12) to explore this shift and the expectations of these novel teaching…

A critical component of multi-tiered systems of support is the incorporation of formative assessment, which supports school personnel in making data-based decisions about students' responsiveness to interventions. Although a variety of assessments exist for monitoring the progress of students' academic and behavioral functioning, the literature…

In recent decades, a number of training environments have moved toward program approaches targeting the development of competencies. Because of their complexity, monitoring the development of those competencies is a considerable challenge. Our hypothesis is that a computerized system could help overcome this challenge if it is well accepted by its…

Utilizing effective data collection methods to track student progress on Individual Education Program (IEP) goals is essential to quality programming and meeting each student's specific needs. This study surveyed special education teachers in four midwestern states to understand IEP data collection methods and assessment training. Results…

Many children with developmental disabilities are not identified before age 3 years of age, preventing them from being able to fully benefit from early intervention services. Early childhood educators, particularly those in Early Head Start (EHS) programs, are important partners in the early identification of children with developmental delays.…

Curriculum-based measurement in reading (CBM-R) was developed in the 1980s and has been established as a valid means to measure students' progress towards acquiring reading skills in response to instruction (Ball & Christ, 2012). Efficiency of administration and cost-effectiveness add to the appeal of CBM-R. As a result, CBM-R is a popular…

In this second edition of "Improving Student Learning One Teacher at a Time," Jane E. Pollock and Laura J. Tolone combine updated research and real-world stories to demonstrate how it takes only one teacher to make a difference in student performance. Their approach expands the classic three-part curriculum-instruction-assessment…

Curriculum-based measurement of oral reading fluency (CBM-R) is widely used across the country as a quick measure of reading proficiency that also serves as a good predictor of comprehension and overall reading achievement, but has several practical and technical inadequacies, including a large standard error of measurement (SEM). Reducing the SEM…

Background: Progress monitoring is a vital strategy for evaluating skill development of young children receiving disability related services. Few effective progress monitoring tools exist for infants and toddlers, and research is needed to examine feasibility as they become available. Objective: The current study examined the implementation of an…