Curriculum-based measurement and progress monitoring

There are two basic aspects to teaching: imparting skills and knowledge to students, and gauging how successfully students are acquiring and applying the skills and knowledge they’ve acquired. For the latter, curriculum-based measurement (CBM) is one of the more effective techniques used for assessment and evaluation in education.

CBM is not the only progress monitoring method available to teachers, but it is one of the best-known.¹ It represents a transparent measure of student progress and teaching effectiveness that can help both teachers and parents evaluate student progress and whether particular educational techniques and methods are working as desired in the classroom.²

This post will examine the concepts and techniques integral to CBM, illustrating its utility and significance as a tool for progress monitoring in special education.

What is CBM?

Curriculum-based measurement can be defined as a method for discovering “how students are progressing in basic areas, such as math, reading, writing, and spelling,” per the national literacy initiative Reading Rockets.³

This is typically achieved with quick assessments of core skills. An example of this is a one-minute reading test to assess fluency and accuracy, followed by comprehension questions.³

How CBM supports effective teaching

CBM is a tool for evaluating student progress, but it’s also an important method for understanding whether teaching is effective.³ Progress monitoring in special education, for example, is concerned with how well the student is coping and how effectively teaching methods are assisting students with their particular special educational needs. In the latter case, CBM provides a source of clear data for tracking student progress with curriculum goals, thereby providing some indication of the relative effectiveness of teaching methods.⁴

Aligning assessments with curriculum goals allows for quick feedback on teaching effectiveness that can inform future instruction. Over time, this gives teachers a better sense of what methods are best aligned with students’ needs.

Progress monitoring: Tracking student performance

One of the most effective CBM progress monitoring techniques is to plot CBM assessment scores in a graph, providing a clear visual record of performance.³ The graph is a powerful tool, as it makes progress very easy to understand and can be used as a tool to engage parents and motivate students.⁴

In programs such as the online Master’s in High Incidence Disabilities from the University of Kansas (KU) School of Education and Human Sciences, candidates learn how to use CBM data as part of multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) to identify students with special needs in the classroom, and to drive improved academic and behavioral outcomes for those students.

Types of progress monitoring tools

There are a wide variety of progress monitoring tools available for use in special education and other educational settings.⁵

Broadly speaking, though CBM may often make use of standardized assessments, it is ultimately a form of individualized progress monitoring.

Each student in a class might be tested weekly on particular skills in set subject areas, ranging from math to reading, writing, and beyond. Skill probes are among the more commonly used progress-monitoring tools. These test for specific skills like reading fluency, addition, or vocabulary. Standardized tool sets like the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) provide a framework for individualized assessment and monitoring.⁶

Such testing might be supplemented by observational assessments in which teachers watch children engage in routine tasks and interactions to gauge behavioral development. For some educators—for example, those working toward KU’s online master’s or graduate certificate in autism—observational assessments are an important diagnostic and progress-monitoring tool.

Benefits of curriculum-based measurement and monitoring

One of the key features of curriculum-based measurement is its potential to facilitate data-driven decision-making in instruction. Over time, a record of assessments provides a clear indication of a student’s progress in a given subject area, and this can be a vital source of information for early identification of learning gaps.

It can also be significant in identifying issues in transitional situations. For example, KU’s online Master’s in Secondary Special Education and Transition, and the complementary graduate certificate in the same field prepare you to specialize in helping students with special educational needs transition from school to adult life. The use of evidence-based planning and assessments is as critical to this field as it is in identifying the need for early childhood interventions.

Implementing CBM and progress monitoring in the classroom

Implementing CBM in your classroom can be described as a six-step process:⁷

1. Select assessments: Pick the skills you want to test and how you will test them
2. Conduct assessments: Regular, consistent testing is critical
3. Chart results: Graph results to illustrate progress
4. Set goals: Contextualize results by establishing performance goals
5. Adjust instructional methods: Make changes to teaching methods based on needs identified by CBM assessment
6. Communicate progress: Share relevant data and decisions with students, parents, and other teachers

Interpreting and using data for instructional adjustments

CBM data can be an invaluable resource for guiding instructional strategies.⁸ At the individual level, you can use CBM assessments to evaluate how effective teaching methods are for a particular student based on progress monitoring. Over time, grouped CBM data can provide insight into the overall effectiveness of particular methods across a cohort of students.

Take the next step toward a career in special education with KU

CBM aims to influence instructional effectiveness in ways that positively impact student achievement. This is one of the reasons why CBM is such a significant tool in special education, where the needs of students should be constantly measured against outcomes to ensure that students are benefiting from the instruction they receive.

If you’re considering working in special education or seeking to bolster your qualifications in the field, explore the courses offered by the KU School of Education and Human Sciences. Take a look at our admissions criteria online, and when you’re ready to discuss your next steps, schedule an appointment with one of our admissions outreach advisors.