Curriculum-based assessment (Ruelle and others?)

In answer to your questions…….

1. We use the WISC-III and the Woodcock-Johnson. We also use the
Vineland Social Maturity Scales(correct title?) if pupil appraisal deems it is
necessary.

2. None are created for our district..

3. Interviews are done with the parent and teacher to help assess what the
student *can* do as opposed to what the student *is* doing. Hopefully,
the WISC-III will also give us clues to this. Based on these interviews and
assessments, the student may be referred to a neurologist to determine if
there are other issues impeding the child from fullfilling his potential.

4. No we do not.

5. The way an LD student is identified in our state is by the use of standard
deviations. The student has to have a significant weakness and a significant
strength. One area has to be 2 standard deviations above, and the other has
to be 2 s.d.’s below. If this does not occur, then, according to state
guidelines, the child is not LD. He/she could possibly be some other
exceptionality(usually not), but not LD. This is frustrating for me as a teacher,
because I will refer some students who are clearly LD as evidenced in their
work samples and observations, but if the 2 standard deviations above and
below are not there, he will not qualify.

I’m hoping that folks will also post from states using CBA to identify student’s in need of sped services.

I know that Ruelle’s state of Iowa does use CBA. I know she’ll post when she has time for home email.

I will post my answer in the next week or so. I am in the middle of a MAJOR project at home and need to stay focused. Daughter back to college in a week and the rest of the family back to school (husband also teacher, son in middle school).

Curriculm based assessments utilize the curriculum of the district and are not standardized or normed. They can be used as information for placement but do not provide the type of data to determine a descrepancy leading for qualification for LD services. It tends to be used for diagnostic purposes and to then prescribe levels of performance for teaching purposes. You take samples of work from the different grade levels, develop a test and then have the students take them. Your local university education department should be able to provide you with additional information. It requires work on the part of the teacher, it does not come in a neat little box. However, I will pit my CBA results against any standardized and normed test for giving real information that is truely helpful for kids learning and instructional level.

What does your state plan say about deeming students eligible for and in need of sped services using CBA?

I know what it is…I am interested in specifics in how it serves children.

I hope you’ll read all the questions at the top of the thread and answer each one that you can answer.

I know I asked some questions that require some time to post. I have several staffings in the next week and have been transferred at the last minute to a new school…so, I’ll not be checking in as often either.

Looking forward to your answers :-)

Kansas - we can not use it as far as the descrepancy is concerned because it doesn’t provide standard scores which could be compared to an IQ - not standardized. However, it can be part of the input - and is - when determining if the student should receive services. There is/or should be two parts to placement. Does he/she qualify and would they benefit from services. The second part is where the CBA can be used. Unfortunately, the descrepancy has to be made with a comparision to IQ.

I will be happy to - as I was preparing for this school year I came across my original training on CBA’s. The author of this program, at the time, was Idol-Maestas and at that time he/she was with the University of Illinois Special Education Department. This is a very old idea but is the best I have used for diagnostic and instructional purposes. I will answer the questions later. sorry!