Assessing Student Reading Progress: A Comparison of Generic and Basal Curriculum-Based Reading Probes

The purpose of this study was to clarify and extend previous research on the comparibility of curriculum-based measurement oral reading fluency results using reading materials from outside of the students’ curriculum for repeated measurement over time. Specifically, this study evaluated the use of generic measurement materials for monitoring student reading growth and expected gains in words read correctly per minute over time at different grade levels. Sixty-four first through third grade students were assessed twice weekly using both AimsWeb and Open Court reading probes. The dependent variables in this study were the level, which is defined as the mean of the data points for each type of probe, and the slopes derived from the number of words read correctly across all of the data collection days. A 3 (grade) x 2 (probe type) repeated measures ANOVA using the three grade levels as a between group variable and the two probe types as a within group variable was conducted with slopes as the dependent measure as well as with level as the dependent measure. Analysis of levels revealed a significant (p\u3c.05) main effect for probe type with significantly higher levels found in AimsWeb probes when compared to Open Court probes. There was also a significant (p\u3c.05) main effect for grade with WRCPM increasing with increasing grade level. However post hoc analysis revealed that the level difference was significant between first and third grade only. The slope analysis revealed a significant main effect for grade with students in first and second grades making more progress than students in third grade. The slopes were higher for first and third graders in AimsWeb, but higher for second graders in Open Court probes. Slopes were not significantly different based on the type of probe was used to monitor progress. Both AimsWeb Open Court probes displayed sensitivity in the measurement of reading growth over time. This study provided support for the use of measurement materials from outside the curriculum for CBM progress monitoring. Specifically, generic, noncurriculum-based probes were equally as sensitive to growth over time as curriculum specific materials