The purpose of the study was to determine the technical adequacy of the Core Skills Algebra curriculum-based measure for students enrolled in algebra I courses at the high school level. Due to the dearth of curriculum-based measures available to educators at the secondary school level, the Core Skills Algebra curriculum-based measure was developed to provide educators with a tool for monitoring student progress in algebra I courses. This study focused on the technical adequacy of the Core Skills Algebra curriculum-based measure examining reliability, validity and its sensitivity to student growth. Scores were collected from four forms of the Core Skills Algebra curriculum-based measure for a sample of 353 freshmen from two high schools enrolled in algebra I courses during the fall and spring semesters. Alternate-form and test-retest reliability were examined and strong correlations were found. To assess concurrent validity, data were collected from four criterion measures including scores from the EXPLORE achievement test, algebra course grades and overall grade point average (GPA). Concurrent validity was moderate for EXPLORE composite and math subtest scores and weak to moderate for algebra course grades and overall GPA. The extent to which the Core Skills Algebra measure reflects student growth was also examined. The results suggest that the measure is able to distinguish between student scores by classroom type (i.e., accelerated algebra, algebra I, low achieving, and special education). Weekly growth rates for each high school were lower than the desired .5 indicating a growth of one problem every two weeks. High School 1 had a weekly growth rate of .25 and High School 2 had a weekly growth rate of .19.

The role of gender, handwriting automaticity, reading proficiency, and verbal working memory in grade 4 and 5 students‟ (N = 42; 23 boys) performance on a curriculum-based measure of narrative writing was examined. Three outcomes were measured: total words written, correct minus incorrect word sequences (accurate production of spelling and grammar in-text), and composition quality. Gender (girls > boys) and handwriting automaticity were significant predictors of total words written, and gender (girls > boys), reading proficiency, and grade (5 > 4) significantly predicted correct minus incorrect word sequences scores. Total words written was the only significant predictor of composition quality. The results suggest that reading proficiency and handwriting automaticity should be assessed alongside written expression in order to identify children at risk for writing difficulties and to inform instructional recommendations for these individuals.

The role of gender, handwriting automaticity, reading proficiency, and verbal working memory in grade 4 and 5 students‟ (N = 42; 23 boys) performance on a curriculum-based measure of narrative writing was examined. Three outcomes were measured: total words written, correct minus incorrect word sequences (accurate production of spelling and grammar in-text), and composition quality. Gender (girls > boys) and handwriting automaticity were significant predictors of total words written, and gender (girls > boys), reading proficiency, and grade (5 > 4) significantly predicted correct minus incorrect word sequences scores. Total words written was the only significant predictor of composition quality. The results suggest that reading proficiency and handwriting automaticity should be assessed alongside written expression in order to identify children at risk for writing difficulties and to inform instructional recommendations for these individuals.

Curriculum-Based Measures in writing (CBM-W) assesses a variety of fluency-based components of writing. While support exists for the use of CBM measures in the area of writing, there is a need to conduct further validation studies to investigate the utility of these measures within elementary and secondary classrooms. Since only countable indices are used in CBM-W, this study explored the possibility of using an assessment that measured writing quality in conjunction with the CBM metric. To accomplish this, three pieces of data were used in this study. The CBM metrics of total words written, words spelled correctly, correct word sequences, percentage of words spelled correctly, and percentage of correct word sequences were scored from a timed writing passage that second grade students completed. Scores from the district writing assessment that classroom teachers rated using an analytic rubric that focused on quality were also analyzed. Last, a validated writing assessment, the TOWL-3, was used as the criterion measure. Using correlation and regression methods, results indicated that correct word sequences was the best predictor performance on the TOWL-3. Even though the teacher writing assessment correlated with the TOWL-3 at the significant level, adding it to the scores from the CBM-W measures did not significantly increase the validity.

The purpose of this study was to clarify and extend previous research on the comparibility of curriculum-based measurement oral reading fluency results using reading materials from outside of the students’ curriculum for repeated measurement over time. Specifically, this study evaluated the use of generic measurement materials for monitoring student reading growth and expected gains in words read correctly per minute over time at different grade levels. Sixty-four first through third grade students were assessed twice weekly using both AimsWeb and Open Court reading probes. The dependent variables in this study were the level, which is defined as the mean of the data points for each type of probe, and the slopes derived from the number of words read correctly across all of the data collection days. A 3 (grade) x 2 (probe type) repeated measures ANOVA using the three grade levels as a between group variable and the two probe types as a within group variable was conducted with slopes as the dependent measure as well as with level as the dependent measure. Analysis of levels revealed a significant (p<.05) main effect for probe type with significantly higher levels found in AimsWeb probes when compared to Open Court probes. There was also a significant (p<.05) main effect for grade with WRCPM increasing with increasing grade level. However post hoc analysis revealed that the level difference was significant between first and third grade only. The slope analysis revealed a significant main effect for grade with students in first and second grades making more progress than students in third grade. The slopes were higher for first and third graders in AimsWeb, but higher for second graders in Open Court probes. Slopes were not significantly different based on the type of probe was used to monitor progress. Both AimsWeb Open Court probes displayed sensitivity in the measurement of reading growth over time. This study provided support for the use of measurement materials from outside the curriculum for CBM progress monitoring. Specifically, generic, noncurriculum-based probes were equally as sensitive to growth over time as curriculum specific materials.

Curriculum-Based Measurement (CBM) has many effective uses in the school system and its use is increasing. Most CBM research focuses on the area of reading and little on writing. Only one study was found that examined the effects of choice in story starters on students’ writing performance, and a few studies examined the effects of interest level of writing topics, although none using CBM as a measure. Past research has indicated girls score significantly higher on CBM measures of writing than boys. This study investigated if choice and interest level in a story starter topic have an effect on students’ writing performance. This study investigated the differences between third grade boys and girls on two different CBM-Written Expression probes using production-dependent, productionindependent, and accuracy scores. The results indicate that when no choice is given, girls do score higher than boys. However, when given a choice of story starter topics, boys’ performance on the CBM measures is comparable to girls’ performance. Furthermore, higher interest in story starter topics lead to higher scores as well.

The purpose of this study was to empirically evaluate the effects of the Math to Mastery intervention package versus the effects of immediate corrective feedback with elementary school students who were performing at least one year below grade level in mathematics. Students were participants in a one-month summer academic clinic for remediation of reading, writing, and mathematics deficits held at a university in the southeastern United States. A combined-series multiple baseline design across participants was used to evaluate the effects of both interventions for gains in fluency as measured by digits correct per minute on one minute curriculum-based measurement probes. Implications for implementation in applied settings and future research are provided.

Reciprocal teaching comprehension-monitoring is a reading comprehension instructional procedure that combines four instructional strategies: predicting, summarizing, questioning, and clarifying to enhance students' comprehension of text. The procedure is a dialogue between the teacher and the students. During reciprocal teaching instruction, the teacher and students take turns leading the dialogue in order to enhance the students' comprehension-monitoring skills. The research on reciprocal teaching has included meta-analyses, group designs, qualitative designs, and single-subject research designs. These studies have identified gaps in the literature to include the measurement of treatment fidelity and treatment acceptability, as well as the psychometric properties of the instruments used to measure daily reading comprehension growth. These gaps were investigated in this study. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of reciprocal teaching comprehension-monitoring with a group of fifteen 3rd grade students reading at grade level. Specifically, this study investigated the use of curriculum-based measurement maze probes (CBM-maze probes) to formatively assess the reading comprehension growth of the students. Additionally, this study implemented treatment integrity procedures and investigated the acceptability of reciprocal teaching and the CBM-maze probes through a treatment acceptability rating scale. A multiple baseline across groups with three phases (baseline, intervention, follow-up) was employed. Overall, visual analysis of the data suggested reciprocal teaching was an effective intervention in increasing reading comprehension abilities in students as measured by the CBM-maze probes. All three groups exhibited continual growth on the daily comprehension measures across all three phases. Implications for practice, cautions in interpreting the results, and future directions are discussed.

The study investigated the psychometric properties of a newly developed math curriculum-based measure, the Monitoring Academic Progress: Mathematics (MAP:M), through examination of its internal consistency, alternate-form, slope, and test-retest reliability and validity. Participants included 1688 first through third-grade students from a school district in Northeast Tennessee. Application of Generalizability Theory produced reliability coefficients, score variances, and standard-error-of-measures (SEM) for both absolute and relative decisions based on a particular number of probes. MAP:M reliability coefficients for relative decisions ranged from .67 to .97 across eleven probes. The highest percentage of score variance at all three grades was attributed to the Person facet (academic growth), 58% to 66%, while variation in the Item facet (test difficulty) contributed the least score variance (11% to 16%). The SEMs for relative decisions ranged from 7.06 after one probe to 1.70 after eleven probes. SEMs were higher for absolute decisions. Results indicate that one MAP:M probe provides adequate reliability, although two probes provide good reliability estimates, exceeding .80. Alternate-form reliabilities’ ranged from .65 to .83 at first grade, .51 to .79 at second grade, and .59 to .80 at third grade. Lower reliabilities are best explained by increased time between administrations. Test-retest reliabilities were .81, .79, and .76 for first, second, and third grades, respectively. Correlation coefficients between the MAP:M and Monitoring Basic Skills Progress: Computation (MBSP) show adequate concurrent validity estimates ranging from .58 to .75 for first and third grades. Second-grade concurrent validity estimates were somewhat lower and ranged from .37 to .52. A stepwise multiple regression indicates that the MAP:M provides stronger relative predictive power than does the MBSP when predicting end-of-year STAR Math scores, , R2 =.33, F(28) = 13.11, p < .01. Results support adequate to strong reliability and validity of the MAP:M, in addition to successful implementation in a school environment.

Curriculum-based measurement in writing (CBM-W) has been proposed as a means of screening general education and special education students for writing difficulties and as a tool for monitoring the progress of struggling writers. CBM-W involves the administration of multiple probes of equivalent difficulty over time to monitor student progress toward academic standards (McMaster & Espin, 2007). The purpose of this study was to determine the technical adequacy of multiple CBM-W measures and how well the measures predicted writing performance. Additionally, this study examined how well CBM-W measures predicted student growth in writing over time. This study also extended the work of previous research by including a sample of 5th grade Hispanic students (n = 167), including English language learners (ELLs), former ELLs who were being monitored, ELLs with disabilities, and non-ELLs. Students were given story starters and completed narrative writing samples that were scored using words written (WW), words spelled correctly (WSC), correct word sequences (CWS), and correct minus incorrect word sequences (CIWS). The criterion measure was the Test of Written Language, Fourth Edition (TOWL-4). Results indicated inconsistent alternate-forms reliability for WW and WSC, and high alternate-forms reliability for CWS and CIWS. CWS and CIWS were the best predictors of one-time writing performance on the TOWL-4 for the overall sample, ELLs, former ELLs on first year monitor status, and ELLs with disabilities. CBM-W was not a significant predictor of student growth over time for most scoring procedures. However, a promising finding is that the scoring procedure of CWS was a significant predictor of student growth for the overall sample and for former ELLs on first year monitor status. Limitations, practical implications and future research will be discussed. / text