Teach Effectively!

In a previous blog, I referred to linking learning goals, instruction, and evaluation. Much has been written about curriculum-based measurement (CBM) and its use in evaluating student performance, particularly in reading. (Click here for a tutorial by Stan Deno).

CBM is useful for connecting learning and instruction and for measuring the progress of students that do not appear to be moving along on standardized achievement tests. Unfortunately, many teachers think CBM requires a tremendous amount of front-end time to develop. It takes no time to use and is a great way to communicate progress to both students and parents.

Fortunately, there are resources for teachers who want to use CBM in the areas of phonological awareness, alphabetic principle, and fluency but who don’t have the time to create their own measures. The Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy (or DIBELS) system is available on the web and, according to the site, “For the 2004-2005 school year, 7113 schools are actively using the DIBELS Data System, across 2234 districts in 49 states and Canada, totaling over 1.5 million students (K-3).” For more information and free downloads, check out the DIBELS website.