Using Curriculum‐Based Measurement to Improve Student Achievement: Review of Research

Abstract This review examines the efficacy of curriculum‐based measurement (CBM) as an assessment methodology for enhancing student achievement. We describe experimental‐contrast studies in reading and mathematics in which teachers used CBM to monitor student progress and to make instructional decisions. Overall, teachers' use of CBM produced significant gains in student achievement; however, several critical variables appeared to be associated with enhanced achievement for students with disabilities: teachers' use of systematic data‐based decision rules, skills analysis feedback, and instructional recommendations for making program modifications. In general education, positive effects for CBM were associated with use of class profiles and implementation of peer‐assisted learning strategies. Implications for instructional practice and future applications of CBM are described. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Psychol Schs 42: 795–819, 2005.