Development of reading skills was examined in 4-year-old children from low-income homes attending a prekindergarten program. Fall to spring gains in letter identification were examined and compared with skills in phonological processing, rhyme detection, and environmental print, and with performance on a screening tool ("Get Ready to Read"). It…

This review examines the efficacy of curriculum-based measurement (CBM) as an assessment methodology for enhancing student achievement. We describe experimental-contrast studies in reading and mathematics in which teachers used CBM to monitor student progress and to make instructional decisions. Overall, teachers' use of CBM produced significant…

This study examined the utility of three categories of CBM written language indices including production-dependent indices (Total Words Written, Words Spelled Correctly, and Correct Writing Sequences), production-independent indices (Percentage of Words Spelled Correctly and Percentage of Correct Writing Sequences), and an accurate-production…

Five hundred thirty-eight elementary school students participated in a study designed to examine the technical characteristics of curriculum-based measures (CBMs) for the assessment of writing. In addition, the study investigated rating-based measures of writing using the Six Trait model, an assessment instrument and writing program in use in many…

Children who fail to become fluent readers by the end of the primary grades are likely to achieve below same-age peers throughout their school careers. With growing use of curriculum-based measures (CBMs), it is easier to identify those students who are achieving below same-age peers. Moreover, a process of conducting individualized assessment and…

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1997 (IDEA 1997) and Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA 2004) define specific learning disabilities in a similar manner. "The term "specific learning disability" means a disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in…

As students who have difficulty in acquiring the basic processes in reading are significantly disadvantaged in later schooling, there is a need for effective interventions for young at-risk students. Reading Recovery is the most widely known and extensively promoted intervention for young struggling readers. However, serious reservations have been…

Standards-based reform relies on the premise that every student can reach higher levels of achievement if certain criteria are met. This brief, for policymakers, provides a short history of educational standards, an explanation of how standards-based reform works, and ways to align standards with other key policies to create meaningful reform.…

A problem was addressed within the context of the action based research practicum model. The problem was junior high school special education students who read at or below the 10th percentile when compared to age appropriate peers on standardized achievement instruments; and who have had all manner of reading interventions and yet continue to fall…

The coordinated use of performance-based assessment and curriculum-based assessment is explored. Criteria are suggested for evaluating the advantages and disadvantages of each assessment method, and a framework for integrating the two methods is proposed. Specific recommendations are given for use with students having learning disabilities. (CR)

Describes the preparation for the implementation of a Mathematica-based calculus curriculum and the curriculum selection process at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Contains a summary of the problems encountered and the resulting modifications. Evaluation of the curriculum implementation, some reasons for its demise, and suggested future…

Summarizes a framework for conceptualizing and implementing a model to improve student behavior through individualized, assessment-based modifications of curricular activities. Includes a summary of research documenting the influence of curricular variables and presents a practical model of functional assessment and curricular revision. Concludes…

Design details, operation, and initial field test results are reported for DynaMath, a computer-based dynamic assessment system that provides individually tailored, instructionally useful assessment of students with disabilities. DynaMath organizes and outputs student performance data, graphically shows the "zone of proximal…

Discusses curriculum-based measurement as an alternative to both standardized and teacher-developed reading tests. Oral Reading Fluency, a curriculum-based measure of reading is presented as an accurate indicator of both general reading ability and reading comprehension, and as a means of monitoring reading progress towards functional literacy.…

Provides background information on how curriculum-based measurement (CBM) was developed, how CBM integrates traditional and classroom-based observational approaches to assessment, and how CBM has been used. Describes an alternative framework for incorporating CBM into an identification process that focuses on treatment validity and student growth.…