Teachers’ Attitudes About Using Curriculum-Based Measurement in Reading (CBM-R) for Universal Screening and Progress Monitoring

Abstract

Universal screening and progress monitoring are two essential components of the response-to-intervention (RTI) framework. Within RTI models, teachers are commonly expected to collect, score, and use much of the associated student performance data. One measure that is commonly used within RTI models is Curriculum-Based Measurement in Reading (CBM-R). Some teachers have questioned the acceptability of CBM-R and are concerned about whether it is appropriate, fair, and reasonable. The purpose of this study was to explore teacher acceptability of CBM-R for universal screening and progress monitoring. One hundred sixty-four teachers completed a survey, and 22 teachers participated in one of four focus groups. Through the survey, teachers reported CBM-R to be acceptable for both purposes, although they rated it to be slightly more appropriate for universal screening than for progress monitoring. In the focus groups, teachers reported more significant concerns about CBM-R for progress monitoring. Implications for educational practice and future research are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• curriculum-based measurement
• reading
• teachers
• assessment