Estimates of the standard error of measurement for curriculum-based measures of oral reading fluency

Curriculum-based measurement of oral reading fluency (CBM-R) procedures have been developed to screen and evaluate student performance in reference to local norms and/or benchmarks. Recent changes in federal law have set the stage to use CBM-R data within a response to intervention model to guide high-stakes educational decisions (e.g., eligibility and diagnosis). The purpose of this study was to derive estimates for the standard error of measurement (SEM) of CBM-R. A sample of 8,200 students was assessed across 8 years for a total of 63,207 CBM-R probes. The median level of SEM across grades was 10 words read correctly per minute (WRCM; range = 5-15). Estimates are provided within a variety of contexts (i.e., reliability, grade level, heterogeneity of sample) with the most likely estimates in the range of 5-9 WRCM. Potential applications are discussed along with implications for future research.