Effects of Curriculum-Based Measurement and Consultation on Teacher Planning and Student Achievement in Mathematics Operations

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of (a) ongoing, systematic assessment of student growth (i.e., curriculum-based measurement) and (b) expert system instructional consultation on teacher planning and student achievement in the area of mathematics operations. Thirty-three teachers were assigned randomly to treatment groups: curriculum-based measurement (CBM) with expert system instructional consultation (CBM-ExS), CBM with no expert system instructional consultation (CBM-NExS), and control (i.e., no CBM). Teachers implemented treatments for 20 weeks. Analyses indicated that, compared to the control group, both CBM groups appeared to revise students’ instructional programs more frequently. However, only the CBM-ExS group effected superior student achievement. Analysis of the nature of teachers’ instructional adjustments indicated that the teaching revisions of the CBM-ExS teachers incorporated a dual focus on what types of problems to teach and what strategies to employ for teaching. By contrast, the CBM-NExS teachers focused solely on what types of problems to reteach. Findings are discussed in terms of previous studies of teacher planning and implications for practice.