Improving Teachers’ Comprehension of Curriculum-Based Measurement Progress-Monitoring Graphs

Abstract

The authors examined three instructional approaches for improving teachers’ curriculum-based measurement (CBM) graph comprehension, each differing in the extent to which reading the data, interpreting the data, and linking the data to instruction were emphasized. Participants were 164 elementary school teachers who were randomly assigned to one of three CBM instructional approaches or a control condition. Instruction was delivered via videos. Prior to and after receiving instruction, teachers completed a CBM graph-comprehension task. They also evaluated the instructional videos. Teachers in the three instructional groups improved more in CBM graph comprehension than control teachers. Improvements were seen primarily in interpreting and linking the data to instruction, two important but difficult aspects of CBM graph comprehension. Differences between the instructional groups were found for interpreting the data. Teachers evaluated the videos positively. Results indicate that teachers’ CBM graph comprehension can be improved via video instruction. Implications for teaching teachers to implement CBM are discussed.

Factors Related to Data-Based Decision-Making: Examining Experience, Professional Development, and the Mediating Effect of Confidence on Teacher Graph Literacy

“…As Gotch and McLean (2019) found, PD increased teacher confidence, but had no impact on their assessment knowledge, which we also found. In addition, our finding that training had no effect on teacher knowledge was supported by prior research (Coburn & Turner, 2011; Newell & Christ, 2017) and, again, is contradicted by others (van den Bosch et al, 2019). One key issue for researchers to examine further is what format and dosage of PD is most beneficial for teachers.…”

“…It is reasonable to assume that teachers with more PD will become more knowledgeable and, indeed, studies have found the positive influence that PD has on assessment and data-use knowledge (Coburn & Turner, 2011; Lukin et al, 2004; van den Bosch et al, 2019). Unfortunately, increased knowledge resulting from PD does not necessarily ensure an increase in data use (Randel et al, 2016).…”

A Meta-Analysis of the Impact of Professional Development on Teachers’ Knowledge, Skill, and Self-Efficacy in Data-Based Decision-Making

“…Most treatment conditions included opportunities for applied practice across days ( n = 38; 80.85%); CBM software that automatically graphed data, applied decision rules, and provided reports of student progress ( n = 27; 57.45%); and individual student CBM reports ( n = 40; 85.10%). Researchers in two studies (four conditions) included technology to train teachers (i.e., content acquisition podcasts in Kennedy et al, 2016; digital modules in van den Bosch et al, 2019). For each treatment condition, researchers used one or more additional report component or support.…”

“…For each QI, authors needed to report information required by the QI to receive credit. The 28 included studies met an average of 88.77% ( SD = 7.09; range: 66.67%–100%) of the applicable QIs, with two studies (McMaster et al, 2020; van den Bosch et al, 2019) meeting 100% of the indicators. All 28 studies met 10 of the QIs, if the QI was applicable (QI 1.1, 4.2, 6.1, 6.3, 6.8, 7.1, 7.2, 7.4, 7.6, 8.1).…”

A Systematic Review of CBM Professional Development Materials: Are Teachers Receiving Sufficient Instruction in Data-Based Decision-Making?

“…Supporting this argument, van Kuijk et al (2016) demonstrated that professional development that targeted teachers’ goal-setting, data use, and instruction led to improvements in their students’ reading comprehension. Specific to CBM, van den Bosch et al (2019) found that directed, guided instruction in CBM graph comprehension led to improvements in teachers’ ability to interpret CBM data and link it to instruction; however, the authors questioned the extent to which such instruction was typically included in CBM professional development training.…”