Curriculum-based assessment

Curriculum-based assessment (CBA) measures have become a frequently used assessment tool of school psychologists to assess the academic performance functioning of students in the basic skill areas of reading, mathematics, spelling, and written expression. The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of the different approaches to CBA, with a particular focus on the defining measurement characteristics of each technique. Following this, an illustrative case example is presented that demonstrates how different CBA procedures can be used for (a) making screening and problem-identification/ certification decisions, (b) formulating instructional intervention plans, and (c) monitoring progress toward goal attainment and response to instruction.