2.4: Creating Curriculum Based Measures in the Content Area

Last updated
Save as PDF

Page ID: 74285

Mickey Losinski
Kansas State University via New Prairie Press/Kansas State University Libraries

\( \newcommand{\vecs}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}} } \) \( \newcommand{\vecd}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash {#1}}} \)\(\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \(\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\)\(\newcommand{\AA}{\unicode[.8,0]{x212B}}\)

Developing CBM probes for the content areas is a slowly evolving field due to the heterogeneous nature of the different content areas. For example, science, particularly physics, may require more math knowledge than world history, which may require more reading skills. Thus, determining an approach to measuring student growth over time is a difficult task. However, researchers have, in the last 15 or so years, begun investigating this issue. Specifically, researchers have investigated three different types of CBM to be used in the content areas: reading aloud from text, maze completion, and vocabulary matching (Espin, Busch, Shin, & Kruschwitz, 2001). The more robust of these measures is vocabulary matching, which has been shown to predict performance on criterion measures within the classrooms in social studies, sociology, psychology, and geography (Espin et al., 2001; Espin, Shin & Busch, 2005). However, maze comprehension passages may also be a viable alternative (see above).

One of the major deterrents of utilizing CBM in the content areas may be the time it takes to create measures for each of the subject areas. However, in many cases this would be akin to prepping for a class, where much of the labor is conducted once for each course. In the following we will describe how to create CBM measures based on a vocabulary matching framework as described by Espin and colleagues (2001).

First, terms should be collected from the text, teacher lectures and notes, resulting in over 100 to be used in the generation of probes.
Next, randomly select 20 to 22 terms from the list. Two additional terms are used as distractors.
Once you have created 20 alternate forms, alphabetize the terms vertically on the left side of the page, the definitions will then go down the right side of the page in random order.
To deliver the probes in a group:
- a. Place a copy of the student’s form in front of each student facedown
- Say: ‘When I say ‘begin,’ turn the paper over and begin working. Match the words on the left with their definition on the right. When you’re satisfied that you know the correct answer, write the number that corresponds with a word on the blank next to its definition. Remember, there are more words then there are definitions. If you finish the page, turn the page over and remain quiet until I say ‘stop.’ Do you have any questions? Begin.( trigger stopwatch or timer for five minutes).
- At the end of five minutes say ‘thank you’ and have the students put their pencils down and stop working. Walk around the room to monitor that students are matching words to their definition by writing the number of the word next to the definition.