Curriculum-Based Measures of Writing for High School Students

The Journal of Special Education, 2005

Curriculum-based measurement (CBM) is a system of measurement that can be used by teachers to monitor student progress over time and to evaluate the effects of instructional programs (Deno, 1985). Research on CBM at the elementary school level has demonstrated that simple and efficient measures can be used as general indicators of student performance in an academic area (Deno, 1985). For example, in written expression, the number of words written, the number of words spelled correctly, and the number of correct word sequences (i.e., two adjacent correctly spelled words acceptable within the context to a native English speaker) written in 3 minutes all correlate at a moderate to moderately strong level with other measures of students' writing performance. These measures include scores on standardized achievement tests, holistic evaluations of writing, and teacher evaluations of writing ability (see Marston, 1989). Further, when CBM procedures are used by teachers to monitor student progress and evaluate the effects of instructional programs, students achieve more (Fuchs, 1998). Research on CBM has revealed that the measures used at the elementary level are not necessarily reliable and valid and at the secondary level (see Espin & Tindal, 1998). For example, in the area of written expression, simple scoring metrics such as the number of words written and the number of words spelled correctly in a limited time frame (e.g., 3-6 minutes) have not been shown to be valid and reliable indicators of general writing proficiency for secondary students. Instead, somewhat more complex scoring systems involving the use of correct word sequences (CWS) seem to be required (Espin,

BRILL eBooks, 2017

This volume highlights writing development and its relation to other cognitive domains, such as language and reading, for individuals who struggle to acquire writing proficiency, including those with specific learning disorders (sld; e.g., dyslexia, dysgraphia, and specific language impairment) which affect writing skills (e.g., handwriting, composition). Writing and writing development are presented from a trans-national perspective with an integrated focus on conceptualizing writing as a developmental process. This trans-national perspective from across six European nations, Australia and the United States seeks to capture those essentials of instruction and intervention in writing that seem to be cross-cutting rather than language or culture specific, in order to facilitate a cohesive and integrative discussion of issues relevant to the acquisition of writing skills. Focused primarily on struggling writers or individuals with sld, this volume seeks to complement existing resources, such as the Handbook of Writing Research 2nd edition (MacArthur, Graham, & Fitzgerald, 2016) or those focused on improving writing in typically developing students (e.g., Graham & Harris, 2005; Miller, McCardle, & Long, 2014), The authors in this volume primarily target professionals working with developing writers (e.g., educators, speechlanguage pathologists, occupational therapists) and writing researchers, with many of the contributing authors highlighting implementations of specific intervention programs. This volume systematically highlights and links to major writing research domains, with a thematic focus on the development of writing skills in individuals who struggle, complementing the foci of the other recent volumes of the "Studies in Writing" series. As part of the "Studies in Writing" series, this volume extends the focus to be encompassing of struggling writers, who are often overlooked in writing education and research.

International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 2021

Lower primary students in an international school have always been associated with writing difficulties. This pilot test is intended to assist in following the thread and specifically to assess the effectiveness of the instruments chosen and designed for the actual research, "Writing Skill Challenges Faced by Students in a Lower Primary, International School." Its aim is to assess the instrument's validity and reliability. Through the process of data analysis, two data collection tools, a questionnaire and face-to-face interview questions were statistically and thematically analysed. This pilot study included 15 lower primary students with similar characteristics to the actual samples. The data was then collected and analysed by using the Statistical Package Social Science (SPSS). After the data from the pilot study was entered into SPSS, the data's reliability was calculated and recorded using Cronbach's alpha formula. The findings revealed that all the items were positive, and the content was validated. It showed a very high degree of internal consistency between the given items based on reliability. As a result, no further changes were needed, and these instruments can be used in the actual study without hesitation.

The purpose of the two studies reported in this article was to examine technical features of curriculum-based measures for beginning writers. In Study 1, 50 first graders responded to word copying, sentence copying, and story prompts. In Study 2, 50 additional first graders responded to letter, picture-word, picture-theme, and photo prompts. In both studies, 3-to 5-minute prompts were administered in winter and spring and scored using a variety of quantitative procedures. Students were also administered the Test of Written Language-Third Edition, and teacher ratings and scores on a district rubric for writing were collected. Test-retest (Study 1 only) and alternate-form reliability, criterion validity, and winter-to-spring growth were examined for each measure. Sentence-copying, story, picture-word, and photo prompts emerged as promising beginning-writing measures. Findings have implications for monitoring student progress within a seamless and flexible system across ages and skill levels.

Íkala, Revista de Lenguaje y Cultura

This article discusses the design and validation of a writing assessment system. Two main processes are addressed: validation of the construct and the writing test prompts, and design and validation of scoring instruments. Construct validation included defining and aligning the construct, the standards, and the nature of the assessment tasks. The validation of tasks was determined by analyzing task content against a set of criteria to design appropriate writing tasks and by surveying students' understanding of the prompts. Finally, scoring rubrics were designed based on the standards and the construct. To validate the rubrics, their alignment with the construct and the standards was established, as well as the estimation of their inter-rater reliability (r = > 0,7). Received: 09-03-06 / Accepted: 19-07-06 How to reference this article: Muñoz, A. P.; Mueller, J.; Álvarez, M. E. & Gaviria, S. (2006). Developing a Coherent System for the Assessment of Writing Abilities: Tasks a...

Developed to evaluatesecondary school students' writing fluency skills, this studyis descriptive in nature and uses a mixed method approach. During the research, the researcher attempted to identify students' abilities to write in terms of quantity and complexity, on the one hand, and also attempted to identify findings on accuracy, the organization of ideas, and the obstacles to fluent writing using qualitative data collection tools. The research population consisted of 379 secondary school students in the city center of Hatay, Turkey.Students were given 5 minutes to write, with most texts reaching between 91 and 125 syllabes.

This report presents the findings of a research project funded by and carried out under the auspices of the Graduate Record Examinations Board. ERRATUM First three lines on page 35 should read:

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The purpose of this study was to examine technical features of new and existing curriculumbased measures of written expression (CBM-W) in terms of writing task, duration, and scoring procedures. Twenty-five 3 rd -, 43 5 th -, and 55 7 th -graders completed passage copying tasks in 1.5 min and picture, narrative, and expository writing prompts in 3 to 7 min. Samples were scored quantitatively. Measures that yielded sufficient alternate-form reliability were examined to determine which had sufficient criterion validity, and those with sufficient criterion validity were examined to determine which measures detected growth from fall to spring. Different types of measures yielded varying levels of technical adequacy at each grade, with longer durations and more complex scoring procedures generally having stronger technical adequacy for older students. Narrative writing appeared most promising in terms of its technical adequacy across grades. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.

Learning Disabilities Research & Practice, 2012

Early writing interventions can help students develop the writing skills they need to experience positive educational and postsecondary outcomes, but effective intervention requires instructionally relevant assessment data. Shapiro's curriculum-based assessment (CBA) model integrates related yet distinct CBA approaches into a model that informs intervention. Extending this model to early writing poses challenges only recently addressed by research. On the basis of a review of relevant early writing research, this article outlines an instructionally relevant assessment model for early writing. Within the proposed model, the instructional hierarchy is suggested to directly connect early writing assessment with intervention. A discussion of potential limitations as well as future directions for research is included. Students who successfully develop writing skills have a greater likelihood of experiencing positive outcomes throughout school and beyond. Writing is critical to overall literacy development and is associated with contentarea learning (Bangert-Drowns, Hurley, & Wilkinson, 2004). Writing is also crucial for postsecondary success because it is frequently used in making college entrance decisions as well as employment and promotion decisions (National Commission on Writing, 2004, 2005). Unfortunately, many students struggle with writing. In a recent national assessment, up to two-thirds of students did not acquire proficient writing skills (Salahu-Din, Persky, & Miller, 2008), and surveys show writing is the second most referred problem area in schools after reading (Bramlett, Murphy, Johnson, & Wallingsford, 2002). Moreover, students who are already struggling in school, such as those with learning disabilities, may be at greater risk for writing difficulties. Students with learning disabilities often create written products that contain fewer ideas, are more poorly organized, and are of lesser quality than their nondisabled peers (Graham & Harris, 2002). Early intervention can optimize writing development for young and at-risk writers, minimizing the number of students who would subsequently develop more severe writing difficulties (Graham, Harris, & Larsen, 2001; Leinemann, Graham, Leader-Janssen, & Reid, 2006). Early intervention could occur as early as kindergarten and first grade (Graham et al., 2001); however, successful early intervention requires instructionally relevant assessment. Shapiro's (2004) Requests for reprints should be sent to David C. Parker, University of Minnesota. Electronic inquiries should be sent to