No abstract

No abstract

Curriculum-based measurement offers special and regular educators an alternative to traditional standardized achievement testing. As a viable alternative assessment system it has been developed as a technically adequate approach in which pupil progress may be monitored frequently in the curriculum. The studies presented in this article document the benefits of implementing CBM in both special and regular education settings. In Study I CBM is demonstrated to be a valid and reliable measurement system that aides teacher decisions regarding student placement, progress, and intervention effectiveness in an elementary school. A survey of teacher attitudes is also presented. Study II outlines the implementation of CBM in a large school-based resource program serving 1,100 mildly handicapped children. The data presented for this study indicate that CBM may be successfully utilized in making screening, identification, program planning, progress monitoring, and program evaluation decisions for children with learning difficulties.

The debate on how to best deliver educational services to students with disabilities continues without substantial research on model efficacy. This study compared the inclusion only, pull-out only, and combined services models for a sample of elementary students with mild disabilities. Results indicate that teacher satisfaction and student progress in reading were significantly greater for the combined services model. These data support renewed commitment to the continuum of services. Reasons for the success of the combined services model are discussed.

Curriculum-based measurement of academic performance is an alternative to traditional referral and assessment models in psychoeducational evaluation. This study contrasted a screening and referral procedure that used weekly measurement of performance in reading, spelling, and written expression with a traditional teacher-referral procedure. Students referred by the 2 methods were compared with respect to referral rate, cognitive functioning, achievement level, social behavior, sex differences, and identification as learning disabled. The number of students referred through curriculum-based measurement was similar to the number referred by teachers. In addition, the results indicated that academic achievement was almost the sole criterion used in teacher referral, although teacher-referred students were more likely to be rated as behavior problems. Finally, students referred through weekly achievement measurement were as likely to have an aptitude-achievement discrepancy as were students referred by teachers.The role of bias in referral and identification decisions in special education currently receives much attention. Significant factors that influence the referral process include student characteristics, placement-team decision-making practices, institutional constraints, and external pressures.