Short-term estimates of growth using curriculum-based measurement of oral reading fluency: Estimating standard error of the slope to construct confidence intervals

Curriculum-based measurement of oral reading fluency (CBM-R) is an established procedure used to index the level and trend of student growth. A substantial literature base exists regarding best practices in the administration and interpretation of CBM-R; however, research has yet to adequately address the potential influence of measurement error. This study extends results of Hintze and Christ (2004) by incorporating research-based estimates of the standard error of the estimate (SEE) to generate likely magnitudes for the standard error of the slope (SEb) across a variety of progress monitoring durations and measurement conditions. Fourteen progress monitoring durations (2-15 weeks) and nine levels of SEE (2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18) were used to derive SEb. The outcomes are discussed in relation to assessment practices, such as selecting optimal progress monitoring durations to reduce measurement error. Implications and limitations are discussed.