Curriculum Based Measurement
Curriculum Based Measurement is a standardized and systematic method of
formative assessment
 Empirically validated method of progress monitoring
o Over 20 years of research on effectiveness of CBM
CBM has been linked to:
 Improved student academic outcomes ()
 More effective instruction
 Higher student achievement
 Increased student responsibility for learning
 Relationship between CBM and high stakes testing
 Better communication between parents and teachers
(Fuchs, Deno, Mirkin, 1984; Fuchs, Fuchs, & Hamlett, 1993, Good, Simmons, & Kameeuni, 2001)
Characteristics of CBM:
 Probes are brief and easy to administer
 Administered weekly or as benchmarks
 Each probe samples curriculum for an entire school year
 Each probe is different, but each form assesses the same types of skills at same level of
difficulty
 CBM can be used to:
o Monitor student learning outcomes
o Evaluate intervention effectiveness
o Guide instruction and cue instructional changes
o Measure AYP
o Monitor annual goals and objectives
(L. S. Fuchs & Fuchs, 2004; L. S. Fuchs, Fuchs, Hamlett, & Stecker, 1990; Hosp, 2003)
Types of CBM in Reading:
 Letter-sound fluency
o Students identify the sounds each letter makes when shown a list of letters
 Word Identification
o Students read a list of common words
 Nonsense-word fluency
o Students read nonsense words that follow regular phonemic patterns (e.g. naf,
zest)
 Passage-reading fluency

o Also known as Oral Reading Fluency; Students read passages and words read
correctly are counted
Maze fluency
o Students read a passage with blanks in place of words removed from the passage
and choose a word to fill in the blanks. Words replaced correctly are counted.
CBM Steps:
Step 1: Administer Probes
(3 probes - find the median score)
Step 2: Plot median score on the Graph
Step 3: Select appropriate growth rate for the student
Step 4: Calculate goal
Initial median score + (growth rate x number of weeks of instruction)
55(initial median score) + (.75 (weekly growth rate) x 30 weeks) = 77.5 (goal)
Step 5: Draw goal line
Making Decisions using CBM Data
Look at the last 3 data points.
If the data points are :
 Continue your instruction as implemented
Close to the goal line
If your student has an increasing slope with gains at or near
(all on the line, or some
your aimline, then he/she is responding to your instruction - so
above and some
keep doing what you are doing
below)
All below the goal line



All above the goal line

Change your instruction
If at least 3 consecutive scores have fallen below the aimline,
the student is not responding optimally to instruction. Try
something new.
Change your goal for the student and maintain you instruction
as implemented
If at least 3 consecutive scores are above the aimline, your
instruction is very effective for the student and you can
increase the goal for the student.
Resources:
National Center on Student Progress Monitoring
http://www.studentprogress.org/
Deno, S.L. (1985). Curriculum-based measurement: The emerging alternative. Exceptional
Children, 52, 219-232.
National Center on Response to Intervention
http://www.rti4success.org/
Fuchs, L. S., Fuchs, D., & Hamlett, C.L. (1989) Effects of instrumental use of Curriculum-Based
Measurement to enhance instructional programs. Remedial and Special Education, 10
(2), 43-52.
Fuchs, L. S., Fuchs, D., Hamlett, C. L., & Stecker, P. M. (1990). The role of skills analysis in
curriculum-based measurement in math. School Psychology Review, 19, 6–22.
Good, R. H.III, Simmons, D.C.& Kameenui, E. J. (2001) The importance and decisionmaking
utility of a continuum of fluency-based indicators of foundational reading skills for thirdgrade high stakes outcomes. Scientific Studies of Reading, 5(3), 257-288.
Hosp, M., & Hosp, J. (2003). Curriculum-based measurement for reading, spelling, and math:
How to do it and why. Preventing School Failure, 48(1), 10–17.
Hosp, M.K, Hosp, J. L., & Howell, K. W. (2007). The ABCs of CBM. New York: Guilford.
The IRIS Center for Training Enhancements - http://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu
http://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/gpm/chalcycle.htm
http://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/rpm/chalcycle.htm
Shinn, M.R. Ed. (1989) Curriculum-based measurement: Assessing Special Children 1-17). NY:
Guilford Press.
Sources of CBM Reading Probes:
AIMSweb
http://www.aimsweb.com/
Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS)
https://dibels.uoregon.edu/
Vanderbilt Kennedy Center
http://kc.vanderbilt.edu/site/services/education/page.aspx?id=445