Implementing Curriculum-Based Measurement: 6 Reasons to Consider

Curriculum-based measurement is the process of recording or measuring progress made by students in acquiring skills across different subjects such as reading, writing, and mathematics. This method, commonly called Curriculum-Based Measurement (CBM), is great for teachers and parents to track their child’s progress and decipher strengths and weaknesses to help the child reflect and improve.

Advantages of Curriculum-Based Measurement

Curriculum-based measurement is a powerful yet simple method with several advantages as it:

• Is time-efficient, requiring minimal time to administer
• Effectively measures short-term student growth
• Motivates students to improve
• Measures multiple skills at a time
• Is a trustworthy alternative testing method
• Strengthens the involvement of parents behaviorally, cognitively, and personally

6 Reasons to Implement Curriculum-Based Measurement

There are a number of reasons why this form of research-based measurement is beneficial:

1. Timely Assessment

Due to its time-efficient nature, the assessments can take place frequently. Frequent tests mean student progress can be frequently adapted to which helps students reach a greater level of educational success. With the help of these assessments, even minor shortcomings in student performance can be brought to light. This advantage is not found within traditional assessment methods.

2. Right Level of Difficulty

Usually, traditional forms of testing are not at par with student skill development. As a result, outcomes can be misleading, preventing an accurate picture of student progress. Curriculum-based measurement ensures that the questions test the comprehensive abilities of the student.

3. Higher Rates of Student Learning

With the help of curriculum-based measurement data, teachers can get a better idea of how to develop improved teaching methods to meet each child’s needs.

Jim Wright, the author of Curriculum-Based Measurement: A Manual for Teachers, states that “Teachers who use CBM to monitor the effectiveness of measuremental interventions tend to achieve significantly higher rates of student learning than those instructors who rely on more traditional test measures.”

4. Quick Feedback

Students appreciate genuine and timely feedback as they will be able to map out a plan to improve specific skills. Students are motivated to work harder when they can see how much they have improved within a short timeframe. Visual graph points are great tools for reflection, as the points provide concrete evidence if there has been any improvement or not. With clear-cut goals, students have a sense of purpose as they seek further achievement.

5. Literal Curriculum Evaluation

Teachers can ask the same questions that have been previously taught in the classroom to see whether or not the learning process has improved. Every aspect of curriculum-based measurement is focused on assessing and modifying for improvement, which makes it an exemplary model for tracking and improving student growth and encouraging self-reflection.

6. Involvement of Parents

According to experts, the extent to which the parents are involved in the education of their child has different levels.

• Behaviorally Involved - Here, parents are physically present at their child’s functions and other activities at school. Parents also tend to serve as school volunteers.
• Cognitively Involved - In this situation, parents are actively engaged in encouraging activities that improve cognition, such as reading, visiting museums, and similar educational activities.
• Personally Involved - Parents in this category communicate positively with their children on school topics and events in their lives, building a constructive and positive outlook on education for their child’s benefit.

Teachers can share curriculum-based measurement with students’ parents to update them on their child’s progress. This way, parents are aware of their ward’s academic progress so they can find ways to be a part of the process themselves.

Interpreting the Inner Workings of CBM    

The process of curriculum-based measurement takes a short time to complete, each test takes anywhere from one minute to five minutes, depending on the assessed skills.

Here is an example of how the procedure can work:

• Teachers can allot five minutes to students to complete 10 math problems along with a one-minute reading test.
• Upon finishing the assessment, the teacher records the results on a graph, noting the student’s success based upon standards and identified learning targets.
• These points are then compared with set goals for each skill during the student goal setting conference.
• This information plotted on the graph allows the teacher and school administration to create a visual to better understand opportunities for student growth and assess trends across standards and learning targets..
• The teacher then uses the collected data to decide whether to continue with the same measurement techniques or make modifications to acquire better results.
• CBM is crucial to adapt teaching to each individual’s learning styles for optimum results.

Ways to personalize the assessment for students include::

• Increasing or decreasing frequency and number of items.
• Altering teaching techniques to accommodate more effective student understanding.
• Assigning one-on-one measurement to an individual outside of the typical group setting.

However, the process does not end here – it is necessary to consistently compare student performance in planning curriculum and instructional goals. If expectations are not met, you should adapt measurement until you have achieved them.

3 Examples of Curriculum-Based Measurement Tests

1. Reading Fluency

The goal here is to measure the reading fluency of the child. However, it should be done on an individual basis and not in a group. The teacher can assign the student a passage to read for 1 minute to assess their pronunciation, word flow, enunciation, acknowledgment of punctuation, and overall fluency.

The teacher will record any errors the student makes and assess overall verbal reading proficiency. Then, the instructor will tally how many words the child read properly to determine words per minute (WPM). The educator can then compare that to grade-level benchmarks to determine reading level. This allows for an evolving assessment of the student’s reading skills.

2. Writing

The teacher will provide a story starter and ask students to brainstorm a story for one minute. Thereafter, students will be given three minutes to write the story itself. Then, teachers highlight a specific skill or areas that will be assessed on the writing prompt. For instance, the teacher can highlight the word count, the number of words spelled correctly, assess content and grammar, or some combination of these elements.

3.Math

This test consists of two types:

• Single-skill - focuses on one single learning objective at a time, such as a specific aspect of multiplication.
• Multiple-skill - focuses on more than one method at a time, such as differentiating between rules for both multiplication and division.

Students should solve the maximum possible questions within a 3-5 minute period. In curriculum-based measurement, teachers assess the students based on correct answers and the process shown by the student.

Bottom Line

The method, curriculum-based measurement, is aligned to the curriculum and easily done. It is a great way to focus on a student’s basic, yet essential, skills while providing data on mastery of curriculum. CBM not only helps students, but also helps teachers construct more viable methods of measurement to assist in effectively planning high-quality, standards-based activities. Above all, this method will give students a clear idea of their performance so that they can work on it on the individual level as well.