1. Educational Consultation Services, LLC
CBM, Charting, Progress Monitoring, and Data Based Instructional Decision Making in a RTI Model
Tom Jenkins, Ed.D.
Educational Consultation Services, LLC
Wilmington, NC

2. What you can expect today
CBM, CBA, CBE
Instruction on progress monitoring
Examples and hands-on activity
Final thoughts and conclusions

3. What is CBM? Curriculum-based measurement
Data collection tools derived directly from the curriculum that student is expected to learn

4. CBM
CBM is believed to reduce the gap between assessment and instruction
Aides teachers in generating superior student achievement
Improved communication
Higher level of sensitivity
Enhancement of the database
Administration time is shorter
More cost effective

5. CBM The simplicity of CBM allows for quick and easy peer referencing
Normative data can be collected
This allows for comparison of a student’s performance to his/her actual peer group
More representative geographically, culturally, ethnically, and has been exposed to similar instructional environment

6. CBM CBM has been shown to posses high levels of reliability
42 one-minute CBM type assessments in reading, math, and written expression for grade K-5 were found to have reliability coefficients between with just three one-minute administrations (Jenkins, 2002)

7. CBM Discriminant Validity
Several studies have demonstrated the ability of CBM to differentiate between students receiving special education services, students receiving Chapter 1 services, and students not receiving any of those services (Deno, Marston, Shinn, and Tindal, 1983; Marston and Deno, 1982; Shinn and Marston, 1985; and Shinn, Tindal, Spira, and Marston, 1987).

8. CBM Procedures Remember different modalities
Given the nature of reading probes they must be administered individually
Math and written expression may be administered in a group setting

9. CBM Procedures Scoring
One minute administration time except for written expression
Number ID is scored corrects for minute; however, math computations are scored digits correct per minute
Written expression is scored according to correct sequences

10. Example Administration example Work in pairs
Each person gets a chance to adminster

11. CBM Procedures
Written expression examples

12. Progress Monitoring Basic Principle #8 of PSM
Progress monitoring an essential aspect of the intervention phase
Basic Principle #9 of PSM
Decision making in regards to the effectiveness of an intervention is based on analysis of progress monitoring data in relation of goal

13. Progress Monitoring Essential for four reasons
There is no guarantee that interventions will be successful, thus the intervention must be “tested” to evaluate effectiveness
Increased emphasis of specific outcomes for students, data base must be generated to guide intervention decision making
Pre/post testing has be shown to be unreliable (small amount of data) and provides too little data to allow for instructional decision making – progress monitoring allows for evaluation of level of performance and rate of learning
Research has shown that progress monitoring is associated with improved educational outcomes

14. Progress Monitoring Definition
Frequent and repeated data collection (no less than 2-3 times a week) and analysis of student performance
Data is collected during intervention and provides basis for intervention effectiveness

15. Progress Monitoring
Essential components that must be in place for successful progress monitoring
A well-defined behavior
A measurement strategy
Identification of student’s current level of performance (baseline)
Intervention
Goal
Graph
Decision-making plan

16. Well Defined Behavior
Target behavior, observable, measurable, and specific
Focus on enabling skills
Skills that are prerequisite skills for more complex skills
Deficiencies in enabling skills often adversely affects performance on global assessments

17. Well Defined Behavior Enabling skills for reading Phonemic awareness
Alphabetic understanding
Fluency
Sight words
Comprehension

18. Well Defined Behavior Enabling skills for math
Number sense
Facts
Computation
Applications
Problem solving
Enabling skills for written expression
Mechanics
Expression

19. Well Defined Behavior Enabling skills for behavior Social skills
Work completion
Compliance
Problem solving skills

20. Measurement Strategy Frequent and repeated collection of data
Time and cost efficient
Sensitive to changes over short periods of time

21. Current Level of Performance (Baseline)
Gathered prior to intervention
Repeatable
Provides comparison for progress data
Helps set goal
Median score – why?

22. Intervention Match intervention to problem
Humans tend to employ interventions with which they are comfortable instead of intervention that the student needs
Intervention should be developed with the expectation that it will be altered in some way as a result of the progress monitoring data
No intervention works all of the time for every student

23. Goal Standard against which progress can be compared
Allows for aimline to be established
Possible goals
Norms
Percentile cutoff
Realistic growth rates
Ambitious growth rates
Minimum celeration
Local growth rates

24. Computing Growth Rates
Winter Norm minus Fall Norm, divided by number of weeks between norming projects
Gives you a growth expectancy for each week of school year
Allows for obtaining student’s baseline then monitoring progress while comparing to growth expectancy

25. Computing Growth Rates
Example – first grade, ID words in sentences
Winter Norm minus Fall Norm, divided by number of weeks between norming projects
/ 10 = words per week

26. Growth Rates based on research by Doug and Lynn Fuchs
Realistic Growth Rates
Gr words/week
Gr wrds/week
Gr words/week
Gr words/week
Gr words/week
Ambitious Growth Rates
Gr words/week
Gr words/week
Gr wrds/week
Gr wrds/week
Gr words/week

27. Goal
1.25 minimum celeration, Precision Teaching

28. Graph Provides a visual representation of a large amount of data
A visual representation of student’s acquisition of skills and allows for easier analysis of progress
Semi-log chart
Equal interval charts can misrepresent data, depending on how axis is quantified
Equal interval charts assumes equal amounts of progress between all data points
Precision Teaching

29. Decision Making Plan Facilitates interpretation of data Should include
Rule for raising performance goal – 6/4 consecutive data points above the aimline
Rule for altering the intervention due to lack of progress – 3/4 consecutive data points below the aimline
Deno/Allison

30. Decision Making Plan
If the decision is to adjust an intervention, small changes or refinements are recommended before major changes
However, changes should be substantial enough that it has a possibility to result in improved student performance
If making an adjustment, do not make two at the same time. It may result in the team being unable to determine what caused increased student performance

31. Decision Making Plan
As student performance approaches goal, team must decide
Raise the goal
Begin work on another target behavior
Discontinue PSM process
If in level four consider
Discontinuation of EC services

32. Charting Activity A means of interpreting large amounts of data
Allows for relating performance trends to desired performance
Research has shown the charting also facilitates positive student outcomes (Fuchs, 1989)

33. Charting Activity Definition
Visual depiction of the student’s performance data, relative to the goal and aimline
Includes baseline data, goal, aimline, and progress monitoring data

34. Charting Activity Procedures Write the prediction/goal statement
Depict baseline data collection phase on the chart, indicate the median score, identify with a heavy dark line
Depict the goal at the end of the anticipated intervention phase
Depict the aimline by connecting the baseline median with the goal, this gives you expected rate of progress

35. Charting Activity Activity Plot the baseline data
Monday – 14
Tuesday – 10
Wednesday – 6
Thursday – 5
Friday – 10
Plot the median and signify with a heavy dark line

36. Charting Activity Plot the goal at the end of eight weeks40
Indicate the aimline

37. Charting Activity Performance trends should be analyzed periodically
Trend above aimline – raise the goal
Trend below aimline – adjust intervention
If changes are made to the intervention, indicate change on the graph with a squiggle line
Describe the changes on the back of the chart
This allows for understanding of specific instructional adjustments that were successful/unsuccessful

38. Charting Activity Plot the first two weeks progress monitoring data
Week One
Tuesday – 16
Thursday – 14
Week Two
Monday – 10
Wednesday – 18
Friday – 16
Make an informed decision regarding the effectiveness of the intervention

39. Charting Activity Remember
Rule for raising performance goal – 6/4 consecutive data points above the aimline
Rule for altering the intervention due to lack of progress – 3/4 consecutive data points below the aimline
Deno/Allison

40. Charting Activity Plot progress monitoring data for next two weeks
Week Three
Tuesday – 14
Thursday - 10
Week Four
Monday – 15
Wednesday – 16
Friday – 16
Make an informed decision regarding the effectiveness of the intervention

41. Charting Activity Phase two or three of the intervention?
Plot the progress monitoring of the next two weeks
Week Five
Tuesday – 24
Thursday - 26
Week Six
Monday – 26
Wednesday – 24
Friday – 26
Make an informed decision regarding the effectiveness of the intervention

42. Charting Activity Phase two or three of the intervention?
Plot the progress monitoring of the next two weeks
Week Seven
Tuesday – 28
Thursday - 30
Week Eight
Monday – 32
Wednesday – 36
Friday – 38
Make an informed decision regarding the effectiveness of the intervention
Final decision?

43. Charting Activity More information than you wanted to know Trend lines
Line that you draw through a series of data points that represents the student’s actual rate of progress
If trend line slope is flatter than aimline slope, then adjust intervention
If trend line slope is steeper than aimline slope, then adjust goal
If slopes are the same, make no change

44. Charting Activity Trend line procedures
Draw vertical line in middle of graph, half data points on one side, half on the other – if odd number of data points, put line through middle point
Draw a vertical line in first half of data to separate data half and half
Draw a vertical line in second half of data to separate data half and half

45. Charting Activity Trend line procedures
Draw a horizontal line through median of first half of data – form an intersection with vertical line
Draw a horizontal line through median of second half of data – form an intersection with vertical line
Connect the two intersections
Make your decision, is it the same decision?

46. Thoughts and Conclusions
What if we took it a step further?
What if we used the intervention/progress monitoring/charting process to move students towards a CBM reading fluency score that we knew predicted success on EOG’s and EOC’s?

47. Thoughts and Conclusions
Espin et al, 2002 found correlation between CBM reading fluency scores and Minnesota grade 8 state standards test scores to be .78
Grade 5 correlation between CBM reading fluency scores and Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments - .77

49. Thoughts and Conclusions
Similar results were found in Minnesota for grades 3 and 5
Similar results have been found in different states

51. Thoughts and Conclusions
Similar results have been found in Oregon and Washington

52. Thoughts and Conclusions
What does all this mean?
Implement a school-wide model of progress monitoring
Screen all students in the fall
Identify students with CBM fluency scores that make them “at risk” on the standards based testing
Intervene and monitor progress of the students “at risk” – move them towards a CBM reading fluency score that predicts a higher likelihood of success on the standards based testing

53. Thoughts and Conclusions
Goals can be set based on local norming data – find CBM reading fluency for those that did meet standard
Growth rates – realistic or ambitious
Fluency benchmarks set by research (Deno)
1st grade – 60 wpm
2nd grade – 90 wpm
3rd grade – 120 wpm
4th grade – 130 wpm
5th grade – 140 wpm
6th grade – 150 wpm

54. Thoughts and Conclusions
How can I progress monitor with all the other things that I have to do?
School improvement occurs when focus is placed on student improvement outcomes, priorities are going to have to be changed so that progress monitoring is seen as just as important as instruction

55. Thoughts and Conclusions
We have standards based tests to measure student progress, why do more?
These tests are usually administered once a year and show student success in meeting a criterion. Progress monitoring enables learning, shows if a student is making progress towards success on standards based tests, and allows for informed instructional decision making that helps the student reach the goal of success on standards based tests.

56. Questions? Dr. Tom Jenkins, Director
Educational Consultation Services, LLC
Wilmington, NC
(910)