A Breadth of Perspectives on CBM

This book review is the first in a planned series for the American Annals of the Deaf. One goal of the Annals is to publish articles that draw from a broad range of epistemologies and have the potential to positively affect the lives of individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing. These articles frequently reflect interdisciplinary perspectives, creating exciting bridges between scholarship and practice and across diverse fields of study. Yet there is much to be gained not only from stand-alone research pieces, but also from books that present a “bird’s-eye” view and tie together issues in the field. It is an honor to contribute to the Annals as the book review editor, and I hope that these summaries are useful to you, our readers.

The first book in our series focuses on Curriculum-Based Measurement (CBM), an assessment approach that is largely used in special education but also has a significant presence in recent large-scale standardized assessments. A Measure of Success: The Influence of Curriculum-Based Measurement on Education is an edited volume that consists of 29 chapters covering a breadth of perspectives on CBM. The chapter authors are, without exception, leaders in their fields and well situated to offer thoughtful reflections on 40 years of CBM in educational policy and practice. The impact of CBM is often mentioned in the same breath as the name of Dr. Stanley Dano; A Measure of Success thus serves not only as a primer on the context, history, research, and application of CBM, but also as a testament to Dano and his (continuing) contribution to the field. Many of the chapter authors are connected in some way to the University of Minnesota, whose press is the publisher of this book, either as Dano’s colleagues or as his students (and now grand-students). The chapters are highly personal in that way, giving a glimpse not only into the why and how and what of CBM, but also insight into the person behind the movement and its principles. While Deno does not directly contribute a chapter or commentary, he is a welcome guest within the narrative throughout this volume.

In its most straightforward form, CBM is a process by which student progress in a domain (such as reading fluency) is measured in a systematic way so as to both (a) screen for potential difficulties in achieving learning goals and (b) identify the effectiveness (or lack thereof) of instructional strategies and interventions. The goal is to give educators simple, sound measurement frameworks to work with in making evidence-based decisions about student learning, and then, ideally, adjust the educational context to improve outcomes when the expected progress does not occur. Each chapter of A Measure of Success ties to this basic framework in some way, either through a case study, summary of research, explication of method, or application of theory to practice. CBM is inherently principled in its ontology, and the terms “big ideas” and “main points” clearly anchor many of the discussions in the volume. One of the driving concepts behind CBM is the critical role of accurate and valid measurement that is both timely and accessible to teachers and parents. In essence, A Measure of Success ties together the evidence for the evidence-based practice that is CBM. For professionals working with individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing, this principle is valued, but highly challenging to achieve. In a field where evidence-based practice can be fleeting or at least controversial, it was refreshing to see how some simple approaches of CBM can help crystalize what is working for an individual student and show how to identify potential pathways to future success.

One of the achievements of CBM is to normalize, or make available to all students, quality assessment practices that lead to purposeful instruction, regardless of the basis of an individual student’s eligibility...