Fall, 2008

How does understanding the levels of assessment assist the LCMT with identification, development, implementation, and evaluation of strategies to help educators understand and use data to select targeted interventions and make appropriate educational decisions?

 Learn levels of assessment & the associated purposes at each level  Gain knowledge and skills in administering, scoring, interpreting, and utilizing assessment to better address student needs  Answer questions relating to the use of CBM assessment in your classroom  What is CBM?  Why should I do it?  When do I administer it?  How do I administer it?  Receive the Student Intervention Support System (SISS) – review it for Homework!

 The ultimate goal of assessment is to identify problems with instruction and to lead to instructional modifications. A good share of present-day assessment activities consist of little more than meddling…We must use assessment data to improve instruction…The only way to determine the effectiveness of instruction is to collect data. Ysseldyke and Algozzine (1995) Curriculum-Based Measurement: Introduction

 What are the levels of assessment & the associated purposes at each level?

 For benchmarking?  For survey level assessment?  For diagnostic purposes?  For progress monitoring?

 Benchmark materials? Benchmark materials?  Survey level assessment? Survey level assessment?  Diagnostic materials? Diagnostic materials?  Progress monitoring materials? Progress monitoring materials?

 How does curriculum-based assessment (CBA) differ from curriculum-based measurement (CBM)?

 CBA includes data from a variety of sources  CBA provides information regarding a student’s functioning based on various types of measures  Classroom assignments  Computer-supported programs (ILS, AR Reading)  Observations  Interviews  CBM is part of CBA

 What is CBM and why should I do it?

 An alternative to other assessment procedures commonly used – often replaces costly, time- consuming practices  A bargain – helps you improve student learning in less time with less cost  An analysis of specific skill on individual student  A simple set of procedures for frequent & repeated measurement of student performance  A process-it is not a specific test

 A tool that provides relevance to instruction by using the same materials used in the classroom –comparing student against common curriculum  A measure of student performance over time – working toward proficiency and/or fluency  An assessment that is administered frequently & repeatedly  Data that can be plotted/graphed to show rate of progress

 Has roots in…  applied behavior analysis,  precision teaching,  direct instruction, and  criterion-referenced instruction  CBM is one method of data-based decision making Curriculum-Based Measurement: Introduction

 What Are the Characteristics of CBM?

 Alignment  Content is the same  Stimulus materials look the same; responses are the same  Technically adequate – reliable and valid Technically adequate – reliable and valid  Uses criterion-referenced measures  Standard procedures for administration  Standard tasks – three 1-minute readings  Standard materials  Standard administration & scoring

 Performance sampling – producing behavioral or performance data (clearly defined student behaviors are counted in time interval)  Decision rules in place – performance criteria  Repeated measurement over time –progress monitoring  Effective – train others & measurement is easy  Data summarized efficiently – “user friendly”

 Looks very much like a teaching activity  Focuses on alignment – should test what you teach & make adjustments as needed  Composed of...  Set of standard directions  A timing device  Set of materials (passages, probes, sheets, lists)  Scoring rules  Standards for judging performance  Record forms or charts

 Focus on the curriculum – but also designed to function in problem-solving paradigm  What does this look like?  Using alterable variables – changed through instruction  What does this look like?  Employing low-inference measures  What does this look like?  Employing criterion-referenced measures – the “what” & “how” to teach  What does this look like?

 Allows teachers to...  Set goals,  Determine level of student’s prerequisite knowledge,  Align instruction with outcome,  Track progress toward  See when instruction is working and when it should be changed

 Screening decisions – Who needs help and who doesn’t?  Progress-monitoring decisions – Should student move on and or should there be a modification in the instruction?  Diagnostic decisions – What kind of help is needed?  Outcome decision – Should services be discontinued? Are the efforts effective?

 How do I administer CBM?

 Select appropriate material for probe  Place probe in front of and facing the student  Keep copy for the examiner (on clipboard)  Provide directions  Start timer  Have student perform task for allotted time (1 minute for reading tasks)  Score probe  Display data on graph/chart  Video Clips.... Examples Curriculum-Based Measurement: Introduction

 Partners work together  Administer reading fluency probe  Score probe – count number correct and number of errors  Record the score  Switch roles & repeat  Questions & answers – feedback Curriculum-Based Measurement: Introduction

Screening Survey Assessment Diagnostic Assessment Progress Monitoring One minute timed reading from grade level text. Given to determine instructional level of student. Ongoing assessment - 1- minute timed readings over time. Extensive oral reading samples and analysis of specific errors.

 How do I administer a survey level assessment?

 Purposes  To determine the appropriate instructional placement level for the student. The highest level of materials that the student can be expected to benefit from instruction.  To provide baseline data, or a starting point for progress monitoring  In order to monitor progress toward a future goal, you need to know how the student is currently performing.

1. Start with grade level passages/worksheets (probes) 2. Administer 3 separate probes (at same level of difficulty) using standard CBM procedures. 3. Calculate the median score (i.e. the middle). 4. Is the student’s score within instructional range?  Yes - This is the student’s instructional level.  No - If above level (too easy), administer 3 probes at next level of difficulty.  No - If below level (too hard), administer 3 probes at previous level of difficulty.

 Refer to Case Studies Provided...  Sample One – Whole Class w/ model  “Sallie P”  Sample Two –Partner  “Kirby”  Consider instructional levels for sample cases

 Two best reasons to conduct reading CBM...  1. it is easy and time efficient to administer and score  2. it provides educators with information that can be used to inform instruction  All scores are based on number correct in set amount of time  Reflects student’s accuracy & fluency  Data used for instruction decision-making

 CBM samples/materials - in “the Crate”  Kindergarten – Letter sound fluency (LSF)  Grade 1 – Oral reading fluency (ORF) and/or word identification fluency (WIF)  Grade 2 – Oral reading fluency (ORF)  Grade 3 – Oral reading fluency (ORF)  Grade 4+ - Oral reading fluency (ORF) & mazes

 How do I use the data in setting aim/goals?

 Determine median score of three probes (middle score) which is within the instructional range  Compute aim with following formula  Growth rate (Ambitious) x number of weeks = Total  Total + median score (baseline) = Aim/Goal  For 3 rd grade student with median score of 76  1.5 x 10 weeks = = 91 cwpm  Partner work – use “Jack Horner” & compute aim

 Norms  Compare student’s score to the performance of others in her grade or at her instructional level  Data collected on thousands of students – numbers are very similar  Growth Rates  Provide an indication of the average number of words per week we would expect students to improve  Not necessarily new words - students reading same words at a faster rate each week

 It is our obligation to fix the problem!  Build up prerequisite skills  Increase length of daily lesson  Alter way we respond when error is made  We do NOT lower expectations! “Learning is a result of instruction, so when the rate of learning is inadequate, it doesn’t always mean there is something wrong with the student. It does mean the instruction needs to be changed to better meet the student’s needs.” (ABCs of CBM, p. 47)

 How do I visually represent the data?

 What are the key elements????  Whole Group  Label the graph  Graphing vocabulary  Sample One – “Kirby”  Review & score with rubric – whole class  Sample Two – “Betty Boop”  Score with Rubric - partner

 How do data collection and the problem-solving model impact your roles and responsibilities in a multi- tiered model?

 Next Steps  Conduct a survey level assessment (SLA) on at least one child – one child/ team member  Prepare accompanying graph on same student Hand graph Jaclyn’s “5 clicks” On Target  Select intervention to use with student and chart progress on graph  Review rubric to ensure data is complete  Bring SLA, graph, and student probes to next session

 How Do I Locate the Tutorial on the Student Intervention Support System (SISS) Disk?

 Learn levels of assessment & the associated purposes at each level  Gain knowledge and skills in administering, scoring, interpreting, and utilizing assessment to better address student needs (more to come)  Answer questions relating to the use of CBM assessment in your classroom  Receive the Student Intervention Support System (SISS) – review it for Homework!  Have a GREAT Holiday Season!  Next Session – January 28, 2009