Expert Connection
What growth should kids make on CBM measures?
Given today's emphasis on real progress on real learning tasks, your question is a very good one, Beth. Research has been conducted to determine typical rates of growth using curriculum-based measurement (CBM). Two of the studies we have conducted on this are listed at the end (see Deno, Fuchs, Marston, & Shin, 2001; Fuchs, Fuchs, Hamlett, Walz, Germann 1993). These studies involved many students--both with and without disabilities—across schools, because we wanted to learn about kids' progress in general.
In these and other studies, we measured the performance of the children on a frequent basis using CBM. Some of the assessments were in reading and some in mathematics. Sometimes the students' reading performance was measured with CBM passage reading fluency (see TeachingLD.org Teaching Tutorials by Busch & Lembke, 2005; Lembke & Busch, 2005) and at first grade, with CBM word identification fluency (contact flora.murray@vanderbilt.edu). In math, we used probes from the Monitoring Basic Skills Progress package (Fuchs, Hamlett, & Fuchs, 1999). We then were able to determine slopes of improvement using a statistical method called "ordinary least squares regression," which means we could calculate a straight line that represented the same increase in score each week. Using these slopes, we could deduce how many words (or digits or points) children need to read (or write) per minute to match the weekly rate of increase on the straight line.
Based on these studies, we developed recommendations at each of the primary-elementary grades in reading and mathematics. The accompanying table gives minimum weekly increases by grade level for different tasks. (CBM refers to "Curriculum-based Measurement" and MBSP refers to "Monitoring Basic Skills Progress.")
| Grade Level | Task | Weekly Increase per Minute Needed |
| Reading fluency | ||
| K | Letter-sound fluency | 1.0 letter |
| 1 | CBM word reading fluency | 1.8 words |
| 2 | CBM passage reading fluency | 1.0 word |
| 3 | CBM passage reading fluency | 0.75 words |
| 4 | CBM passage reading fluency | 0.3 words |
| 5 | CBM maze passage fluency | 0.25 words |
| Computation operations | ||
| 1 | MBSP computation probes | 0.4 digits |
| 2 | MBSP computation probes | 0.3 digits |
| 3 | MBSP computation probes | 0.3 digits |
| 4 | MBSP computation probes | 0.3 digits |
| 5 | MBSP computation probes | 0.5 digits |
| 6 | MBSP computation probes | 0.3 digits |
| Math concepts and applications | ||
| 2 | MBSP concepts/application probes | 0.4 digits |
| 3 | MBSP concepts/application probes | 0.4 digits |
| 4 | MBSP concepts/application probes | 0.5 digits |
| 5 | MBSP concepts/application probes | 0.5 digits |
Deno, S. L., Fuchs, L. S., Marston, D., & Shin, J. (2001). Using curriculum-based measurement to establish growth standards for students with learning disabilities. School Psychology Review, 30, 507-526.
Fuchs, L. S., Fuchs, D., Hamlett, C. L., Walz, L., & Germann, G. (1993). Formative evaluation of academic progress: How much growth can we expect? School Psychology Review, 22, 27-48.
Fuchs, L. S., Hamlett, B., & Fuchs, D. (1999). Monitoring basic skills progress (2nd ed.) [Computer software]. Austin, TX: Pro-Ed.