In 2010, the Institute of Education Sciences commissioned a much-needed national evaluation of response to intervention (RTI). The evaluators defined their task very narrowly, asking "Does the use of universal screening, including a cut-point for designating students for more intensive Tier 2 and Tier 3 interventions, increase children's…

The effects of aggregation on the reliability of measures of academic performance were explored in two studies. In the first study, 30 elementary-age children were tested four times on the same forms of the Woodcock Reading Mastery Tests and the Ginn 720 Reading Passage measures. Group stability coefficients, within-subject reliability…

Thirty special education teachers were assigned to a dynamic-goal or static-goal curriculum-based measurement group, or a control group. Results with their 60 mildly/moderately handicapped students showed that dynamic goal teachers increased goals more frequently and employed more ambitious goals, and their students had better content mastery than…

Examined how well three measures, representing points on a traditional-alternative mathematics assessment continuum, discriminated fourth graders achieving above, at, and below grade level, and how cooperative testing affected performance assessment. Found strong discriminative validity for the more traditional measures but not for performance…

This paper presents a comprehensive review of special and remedial education practice in formative evaluation of goal attainment among mildly handicapped students. First, the relationship of formative evaluation to the range of special education assessment practice and its importance to the field are described. Then, four critical issues in…

While the aptitude treatment interaction (ATI) approach to educational measurement emphasizes establishing salient learner characteristics, systematic formative evaluation provides ongoing evaluation for instructional program modification. Systematic formative evaluation appears more tenable than ATI for developing individualized instructional…

The study assessed the efficiency of and teacher satisfaction with collection of student performance data by computers. The 20 special education teachers spent less time in measurement and evaluation and were more satisfied when data were collected by computers. However, students spent more time in measurement with computer data collection.…

The meta-analysis investigated the effects on achievement of type of graphing paper employed in displaying student performance data collected over time based on 15 controlled studies with 16 effect sizes. No significant differences in student achievement were found between studies using six-cycle and studies using equal interval paper graphing…

The study assessed the effects of reading mode (oral versus silent), production format (oral versus written), and structural importance of text on the reading comprehension of 44 learning-disabled males in grades three to eight. Analysis of variance on idea units recalled at four levels of thematic importance indicated a three-way interaction.…

This review of computer applications for curriculum-based measurement for students with disabilities looks at available software that provides automatic test administration, scoring, and feedback; automatic graphed analysis for teachers; and supplementary skills analysis. Such applications can save teacher time and provide accurate information…

Comparison of special education teacher (n=18) and computer-scored curriculum-based measurements (CBM) of spelling found that computer scoring accuracy was significantly higher and more stable. Additionally, high correlations were found between the CBM spelling scores and a standardized test of spelling achievement. (DB)

An evaluation of empirical evidence from three studies published in journal articles and a book chapter indicated insufficient cause to view the Adaptive Learning Environments Model as a successful, large-scale, full-time mainstreaming program for integrating handicapped pupils and remedial/compensatory education students into general education.…

This review examines the efficacy of curriculum-based measurement (CBM) as an assessment methodology for enhancing student achievement. We describe experimental-contrast studies in reading and mathematics in which teachers used CBM to monitor student progress and to make instructional decisions. Overall, teachers' use of CBM produced significant…

Test accommodations are changes in standardized test conditions to equalize opportunities between students with or without disabilities by achieving valid scores. The Individuals with Disabilities Act 1997 amendments require states and districts to include disabled students in accountability programs. Assumptions, practical implications,…

Twenty special education teachers of learning disabled or emotionally disturbed elementary students were assessed on teacher efficiency and satisfaction in using curriculum-based student performance monitoring procedures, either computer-assisted or paper and pencil. Computer assistance was associated with decreased efficiency but increased…