Moving Beyond Total Words Written: The Reliability, Criterion Validity, and Time Cost of Alternate Measures for Curriculum-Based Measurement in Writing

Abstract Curriculum-based measures of written expression have traditionally used total words written or correct word sequences as indices of students' skill levels. Although there are validity data to support these measures, anecdotal evidence indicates that these measures may be unacceptable to some teachers and psychologists. This investigation attempted to determine whether additional hand-scored and computer-scored measures might share more variance with the criterion measures than total words written or correct word sequences. Third and fourth grade students (n = 179) completed 3-min CBM writing probes on two consecutive days, which were scored for nineteen variables. Correlations and regressions of these with criterion variables were calculated. The new measure, correct punctuation marks, shows the most promise for serving as an additional index for writing skill. In addition, this study investigated the time costs associated with scoring these variables. Implications of the analyses, limitations of the study, and directions for future research are discussed.

[1]  F. Gresham,et al.  Functional Outcome Analysis: Do the Benefits of Consultation and Prereferral Intervention Justify the Costs?. , 1993 .

[2]  Alan E. Kazdin,et al.  Research Design in Clinical Psychology , 2021 .

[3]  E. Fry,et al.  Reading Formulas--Maligned but Valid. , 1989 .

[4]  K. Maich,et al.  Applied Behavior Analysis , 2018, Reference Module in Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Psychology.

[5]  Mark R. Shinn,et al.  Curriculum-Based Measurement: Assessing Special Children , 1989 .

[6]  Phyllis K. Mirkin,et al.  Valid Measurement Procedures for Continuous Evaluation of Written Expression , 1982 .

[7]  Steven W. Lee,et al.  Curriculum-Based Measures of Written Expression for Learning-Disabled and Nondisabled Students. , 1992 .

[8]  E. Pedhazur.  Multiple Regression in Behavioral Research: Explanation and Prediction , 1982 .

[9]  D. Marston,et al.  A curriculum-based measurement approach to assessing academic performance: What it is and why do it. , 1989 .

[10]  Gerald Tindal,et al.  Assessment of Written Expression for Students in Compensatory and Special Education Programs , 1989 .

[11]  C. Espin,et al.  Identifying Indicators of Written Expression Proficiency for Middle School Students , 2000 .

[12]  S. Mohamed,et al.  Research Design in Clinical Psychology, 3rd ed. , 1998 .

[13]  Dean Memering,et al.  Brief handbook for writers , 1986 .

[14]  L. Fuchs,et al.  The Validity of Informal Reading Comprehension Measures , 1988 .

[15]  Measuring Pupil Progress Toward the Least Restrictive Environment. , 1979 .

[16]  Christine A. Espin,et al.  CRITERION-RELATED VALIDITY OF CURRICULUM-BASED MEASURES IN WRITING FOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS , 1999 .

[17]  V. Clark,et al.  Computer-aided multivariate analysis , 1991 .

[18]  Victor Nolet,et al.  Curriculum-Based Evaluation: Teaching and Decision Making , 2000 .