The discriminative validity of curriculum‐based measures for establishing reading groups

Abstract

The task of establishing reading groups for an elementary teacher is a critical educational decision. This study examines the basic literature on the various methods and then proposes a new method of establishing reading groups based on Curriculum‐Based Measurement (Deno, 1985). Reading groups established using currciulum‐based measures were compared to groups established over a seven month period by teachers in grades one through four. The curriculum‐base measurement technique required less than five minutes per student and resulted in the establishment of nearly identical groups to those composed by the teachers. The results suggest that the method described can be potentially effective and efficient in establishing reading groups.