Eight direct scoring indices of written expression were intercorrelated, factor analyzed, and used to predict holistic judgments of writing samples of 172 middle-school students in compensatory/specialized education programs. Strongest predictors of holistic ratings were percentage of words correctly sequenced and percentage of correctly spelled…

A system is presented for advancing writing assessment beyond simple summative statements into a procedure for planning and evaluating instruction for all students, particularly those with learning disabilities. Case studies are presented in which writing samples are analyzed both quantitatively and qualitatively for story idea,…

This study of curriculum-based assessment of the reading ability of four elementary-level students with learning disabilities found that individual-referenced tests are powerful for understanding instructional effects, whereas norm-referenced tests are best suited for determining deployment and allocation of resources. (DB)

A curriculum-based measurement approach to evaluating and improving oral reading fluency (ORF) in grades 2-5 is presented. A table of norms (medians) in ORF is provided, based on approximately 9,000 students. Specific classroom uses of the norms are suggested, such as use in developing individualized objectives for students with disabilities. (DB)

Seventh-grade science students (n=22) wrote prompted essays, compare-contrast essays, and traditional end-of-chapter criterion-referenced tests. Results indicated that essay tests may be highly sensitive to instructional content and prompt design, and the validity of essays as measures of content learning relates more to goals of instruction than…