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We present two types of validity evidence to support inferences and decisions about use of easyCBMs in relation to state testing programs. The first type involves the use of Benchmarks in reading to use in making predictions of performance on the Smarter Balanced (SB) test. These predictions can be made both well in advance (several months) or nearly concurrent with administration of the SB test. The second type of validity evidence supports the use of Benchmarks in screening students for risk of problems in learning to read. With data from two states and four school districts, we analyzed well over 8,000 anonymized records, with students reflecting a broad range of demographics. In the first section of the report, we present both the grade level demographics of this sample and their performances on the following easyCBMs in the Fall, Winter, and Spring: Proficient Reading, Vocabulary, Oral (Passage) Reading Fluency, and Math. Criterion validity data (both predictive and concurrent) are first presented for grade level easyCBM raw scores for each measure correlated with the SB test. However, because different CBMs were used within and across grades, we also computed a composite that reflected a standard score (with z-scores computed for each grade level in reading and math). This score transformation allowed both correlations and regression analyses to be presented between easyCBMs and SB using this composite. In the second section of the paper, we present the results of a classification analysis and report a range of statistics: cut points for the 20th percentile rank (PR), classification data (true and false positives and negatives, area under the curve (with 95% confidence intervals for the lower and upper bounds), base rates, overall classification rates, sensitivity and specificity, false positive and negative rates, and finally positive and negative predictive power. The results from these classification analyses support the use easyCBMs as screeners with high AUCs, high values of sensitivity and specificity, and across the board high values of positive predictive power. [This technical report was supported in part by Riverside Insight.]

WriteRightNow (https://writerightnow.com) is an innovative digital platform meticulously crafted to enhance writing instruction across various curricula. Central to its design is the customization of instructional content, allowing for a multi-faceted approach that caters to diverse student needs, including those with special educational requirements and English learners. This technical report presents the methodology and findings of research focused on the development of an essay scoring algorithm for the WriteRightNow (WRN) platform. The purpose is to explore the feasibility and utility of automating the essay grading process, thereby enhancing efficiency and reducing the workload of educators. Through rigorous analysis, the report seeks to offer insights into the potential benefits and practical implementation of this technological advancement within WRN, emphasizing its capacity to streamline educational processes and improve the overall teaching and learning experience.

This technical report describes the development of oral reading fluency passages for use in the CBMSkills assessment system. Seventeen passages were created for each of Grades 1 through 5. Passages were designed to target the fluency component of a developmental model of reading. All passages were written with the specification to use language and structure common for the grade level with similar cultural sensitivity and lack of bias to modern classroom materials. Each fictional passage was between 100 to 110 words in length. All passages were reviewed and edited by two experts in reading assessment for errors (e.g., format and grammatical), and bias (e.g., gender, cultural, religious, and geographical).

In this technical report, we present the results of a 2020-2021 study of the alignment between the easyCBM© mathematics and literacy assessments and the content standards adopted in the fifty U.S. states. The study used a three-wave process. First, a team of researchers gathered the status of state standard information for mathematics and English language arts (ELA) standards across grades K-8 for all 50 U.S. states. Three main groups were identified: CCSS Adopted (20 -- ELA & Math), CCSS Revised (24 -- ELA, 28 -- Math) and State Unique (6 -- ELA, 2 Math). Next, the team analyzed the alignment between the standards and the easyCBM© literacy measures. Finally, the team analyzed the alignment between the standards and the easyCBM© mathematics measures. This technical report describes the process used in the alignment study and provides the results of the analysis.

In this technical report we document the development and piloting of the Learning Receptiveness Assessment (LRA) Greenhouse for Prekindergarten. This technological tool was designed to prevent reading disabilities by supporting effective "assessment-guided instructional decision-making" by Preschool teachers. The LRA Greenhouse comprises a tablet-based formative assessment and app-enabled research-based intentional teaching activity plans, monitoring checklist, and reports; it also includes a support website containing printable curriculum materials, online training modules, and teacher resources. The LRA measures emergent prereading skill levels, classroom behavior regulation, and working memory processing capacity in the fall, winter, and spring to provide teachers with multi-dimensional information for addressing children's "high priority needs" in time for Kindergarten. Activity plans focus on building children's literacy and behavior regulation for managing social-emotional and task engagement experiences, which are crucial to adequately develop during the Prekindergarten-Kindergarten transition as children adjust to classroom-based learning. We share our development process, descriptions and screenshots of wrap-around supports and features, as well as findings from two pilot studies conducted across 12 classrooms. Our goal is to present lessons learned from developing a technological tool intended to feasibly and sustainably "bridge a gap" in reading disabilities prevention between early childhood and K-12 schools, and preliminary evidence of positive impact for both Prekindergarten children "and" their teachers.

This technical brief describes the easyCBM® Spanish language Vocabulary assessments added to the easyCBM® system in the fall of 2018 and provides the initial norms for the fall and winter assessments. These norms should be interpreted with caution, as the sample was smaller than ideal, particularly for the Winter norms.

In response to a request for additional analyses, in particular reporting confidence intervals around the results, we re-analyzed the data from prior studies. This supplementary report presents the results of the additional analyses addressing classification accuracy, reliability, and criterion-related validity evidence. For ease of reference, we organize this technical report into sections based on the type of evidence being presented. [This technical report is an addendum to previous technical reports.]

This in-brief technical report documents the results from two different analytic approaches for examining the reliability of the slope for easyCBM® reading measures in Grades K-8. Results varied by grade, assessment measure, and the analytic approach. Results patterns are discussed.

This technical report is an addendum to a study we initially reported on in 2014 (Wray, Lai, Saez, Alonzo, & Tindal, 2014). In response to a request for additional analyses, in particular reporting confidence intervals around the results, we re-analyzed the data from the Wray et al study. This supplementary report presents the results of the additional analyses. Results varied by measure and grade but were generally within "good" or "acceptable" ranges for all measures and grade levels analyzed. [For Technical Report #1403, "easyCBM Beginning Reading Measures: Grades K-1 Alternate Form Reliability and Criterion Validity with the SAT-10," see ED545249.]

This in-brief technical report documents the results from two different analytic approaches for examining the reliability of the slope for easyCBM® math measures in Grades K-8. Results varied by grade, assessment measure, and the analytic approach. Results patterns are discussed.

In response to a request for additional analyses, in particular reporting confidence intervals around the results, we re-analyzed the data from prior studies. This supplementary report presents the results of the additional analyses addressing classification accuracy, reliability, and criterion-related validity evidence. For ease of reference, we organize this technical report into sections based on the type of evidence being presented. [This technical report is an addendum to previous technical reports.]

In this technical report, implementation strategies from the first two years of Project ICEBERG exploration are described. Over this period of time, a new preschool assessment, curricular activity, and teacher training tool called the Learning Receptiveness Assessment-Greenhouse application, was iteratively developed, refined, and piloted to better support preschool children's literacy, behavioral, and working memory processing skills and facilitate improved learning as they approach the transition to kindergarten and beyond. During the exploration phase of tool implementation, we gathered experts from the field of assessment and early learning to determine and evaluate areas of need and contextual fit such as the availability and allocation of tool-appropriate support resources, the readiness of the tool for use across diverse classroom contexts, and its fit and alignment with relevant state and community initiatives and support systems. We highlight associated lessons learned that can influence effective and sustained tool implementation, namely the importance of observing and studying variations in tool use in actual preschool classrooms over protracted periods of time and identifying gaps in stakeholder alignment, with the goal of helping researchers build on our experience in their own work.

In this technical report, we present results of classification accuracy analyses to identify cut scores to optimize sensitivity and specificity for the easyCBM literacy assessments in Kindergarten through Grade 2. In conducting these analyses, we used the following approach: We kept sensitivity above 0.80 and maximized specificity from there. If specificity crossed 0.90, we kept sensitivity above 0.90 and maximized specificity from there. If there were multiple cut scores with the same specificity maximum while keeping sensitivity above 0.80 or 0.90, respectively, we selected the cut score that maximized sensitivity. For the Kindergarten measures, we used the raw score associated with the 50th percentile on the Spring Letter Sounds measure as the outcome. For the Grade 1 measures, we used the raw score associated with the 50th percentile on the Spring Word Reading Fluency measure as the outcome. For the Grade 2 measures, we used the raw score associated with the 50th percentile on the Spring Passage Reading Fluency measure as the outcome. With the exception of the Phoneme Segmenting measure when administered in the Fall of Kindergarten, all measures demonstrated strong classification accuracy.

This study was premised on the importance of vocabulary in comprehending text. Critical findings from both the National Reading Plan (NRP) and the National Reading Technical Assistance Center (NRTAC) frame this study, both in the intervention that was implemented and in the manner in which outcomes were measured. Using expository passages developed by ReadWorks, teachers implemented an 'Article-A-Day' with students reading brief expository passages. In this particular study, the passages focused on endangered plants and their survival, though the full domain of passages available in ReadWorks is extensive and addresses many other topics. The primary question was whether this strategy was more effective in supporting reading comprehension than when students did not consistently read passages on a daily basis. For five days, students read successive passages and, within two days of reading the last passage, completed an assessment that was based on a similar (but unfamiliar) passage with key targeted words omitted (using a maze format). Significant differences were found in the performances of these two groups, with students in the Article-A-Day treatment group performing higher than students in the control group. The most important implications of this study include the systematic focus on building background knowledge, including vocabulary, in reading comprehension instruction in which the active ingredients reflect findings from previous research. [This report was written in collaboration with ReadWorks.]

This paper describes the origins of the widely used curriculum-based measure of oral reading fluency (ORF) and how the creation and use of ORF norms has evolved over time. Norms for ORF can be used to help educators make decisions about which students might need intervention in reading and to help monitor students' progress once instruction has begun. ORF norms were originally developed at the school or district levels using only local data obtained from specific curriculum materials or assessments. Two previous compilations of norms not linked to any specific school, district, curriculum, or assessment have been published in the professional literature. Using data from three widely-used commercially available ORF assessments (DIBELS 6th Edition©, DIBELS Next©, and easyCBM©), a new set of compiled ORF norms for grades 1-6 are presented here along with an analysis of how they differ from the norms created in 2006.

This paper is about oral reading fluency, how it has been measured, the students who have been measured, and the outcomes that have been reported for both performance and progress. This measurement system has almost become ubiquitous with documentation of response to intervention in reading and become a focal point of research on reading. Fluency is one of the 'Big Five' skill areas identified by the National Reading Panel and provides an accessible target for both researchers and practitioners. In the course of 30 years, oral reading fluency has been administered in the field in a relatively standard manner, though the reading passages and populations associated with its use, as well as the manner for analyzing results, have varied. In the end, the results are remarkably consistent, both in levels of performance and rates of progress.

Identifying and measuring indicators of learning difficulties among young children and implementing effective instructional approaches are complicated, particularly during the transition to kindergarten. Purposeful school-based transition policies and practices support teacher and school decision-making and, thus, can ease the preschool-to-kindergarten transition and improve student reading and mathematics outcomes early in children's schooling. In this technical report, the authors present results from a survey of educators, specialists, administrators, and coordinators, designed to learn more about the field's readiness to implement a tablet-based screening tool to support and improve teacher data-based decision making in preschool and kindergarten learning contexts. In particular, they sought professional opinions from Oregon stakeholders to help identify implementation strategies, including those related to obstacles to sustainable integration, as part of Project ICEBERG (Intensifying Cognition, Early literacy and Behavior for Exceptional Reading Growth), a project funded by the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). The primary purpose of Project ICEBERG is to develop strategies and resources to guide preschool and kindergarten teachers' instructional decisions and reduce children's risk for reading disabilities through the implementation of a newly developed web-based assessment tool and associated teacher support system. The authors targeted Oregon early learning and kindergarten stakeholders--preschool and kindergarten educators, specialists, administrators, coordinators, and parents--as respondents to the Innovation Need (IN) Survey developed and administered for this study. Findings included: (1) Early screening viewed as critical to identifying and meeting the learning needs of struggling preschool and kindergarten children; (2) 6 primary practice shortcomings (a) Gaps in screening and eligibility processes/policy; (b) Insufficient funding and resources; (c) Deficiencies in teacher assessment and instructional pedagogy; (d) Lack of parental awareness of screening and associated follow-up services and concerns about stigma attached to disability identification; (e) Poor alignment between preschool and kindergarten systems; and (f) Inequitable access to high-quality pre-schooling for at-risk populations; (3) Kindergarten teachers generally perceived as having greater knowledge and skills for identifying risk for early learning difficulties than early learning providers; and (4) Additional funding and ongoing professional development needs identified: (a) Improving teachers' early screening and instructional knowledge and skills; (b) Supporting integration of a tablet assessment for instruction tool into teaching practices to strengthen learning outcomes; and (c) Overcoming contextual obstacles unique to preschool and kindergarten settings. The Innovation Need Survey--Project ICEBERG--Fall 2015 is appended.

There is strong theoretical support for oral reading fluency (ORF) as an essential building block of reading proficiency. The current and standard ORF assessment procedure requires that students read aloud a grade-level passage (˜ 250 words) in a one-to-one administration, with the number of words read correctly in 60 seconds constituting their ORF performance. The current study was part of a larger project to develop and validate a computerized ORF assessment system--Computerized Oral Reading Evaluation (CORE)--to reduce limitations in current ORF measures and procedures. The purposes of this technical report are to: (a) document whether the CORE system was accessible and useful for teachers, (b) explore potential differences between CORE and traditional ORF (i.e., easyCBM) passages, and (c) identify potential deficits in the three CORE lengths (˜ 25, 50, or 85 words). This information contributes to the response-process evidence for the CORE system's validity. Our results suggest that delivering, scoring, and storing ORF assessments online may be feasible, and desirable, for classroom teachers across Grades 2 through 4. In addition, although there were no distinct differences between CORE and traditional ORF passages, teacher reports suggest that the CORE short passages are most appropriate for Grade 2 students while CORE long and medium passages are preferred by teachers for students in Grades 3 and 4. Appendix A contains the teacher questionnaire.

Since the easyCBM© learning system was first published in 2006, over $8 million of federal funding (both from the Office of Special Education Programs and more recently from the Institute of Education Sciences) has been used to develop, study, and refine the assessments available on the system. This Technical Manual summarizes the ongoing research that is the foundation of the easyCBM© assessments in reading, mathematics, and Spanish literacy. It addresses the need for a single document that summarizes the results of all previously published technical reports, highlighting the key findings from each. For ease of access, the Technical Manual is organized by chapter, with Chapter 2 providing information on the analytic procedures referenced in subsequent chapters, and each measure discussed in its own chapter, beginning with the Reading measures, then moving on to the Mathematics measures, and finally ending with the Spanish literacy measures. (Individual chapters contain references.)

Schools and districts across the United States have adopted response to intervention (RTI) as a means for both identifying and intervening with students at risk for low achievement. The validity of RTI rests largely upon teachers making appropriate instructional decisions based on students' responses to a given practice. This study was designed to explore how teachers' instructional practices relate to progress monitoring data in math in Grades 6 and 7. A total of eight teachers participated (five in Grade 6, three in Grade 7). They administered an easyCBM Common Core State Standards (CCSS) Math measure to their students monthly and provided information on their instructional practices for each student at least three times (fall, winter, and spring). Analyses included: (a) textual analyses of teachers' self-reported instructional practices, (b) multilevel growth analyses of students' math data, and (c) ordinal regression analyses of students' intercept and slope predicting the number of interventions the student received. Results indicate that self-report methods may not be sufficient to adequately address the relation between teacher practices and students' growth. Nonetheless, in Grade 6, a relation was found between students' average growth in math performance and the likelihood that they would be administered multiple interventions.

This technical report documents findings from a study of the internal consistency and split-half reliability of the easyCBM© CCSS Reading measures, grades 3-8. Data, drawn from an extant data set gathered in school year 2013-2014, include scores from over 150,000 students' fall and winter benchmark assessments. Findings suggest that the easyCBM© CCSS Reading measures are internally consistent, with a median Cronbach's alpha of 0.87, and a median split-half reliability of 0.76 (first half) and 0.82 (second half) across all 12 measures analyzed.

Conceptually, learning progressions hold promise for improving assessment and instruction by precisely outlining what students know and don't know at particular stages of knowledge and skill development. Based upon a synthesis of the literature, a rationale for the use of learning progressions maps to clarify how learning progresses in English language arts and mathematics is provided. How these maps can characterize learning for students, including those with significant disabilities and intellectual gifts, is discussed. In addition, large-scale learning progressions projects undertaken in Australia, New Zealand, and the United States are described. We conclude the paper with a discussion about specific ways in which the application of learning progression maps can enhance current assessment and instruction practices for supporting the learning of "all" students.

In this technical report, we present the results of a study to gather criterion-related evidence for Grade K-1 easyCBM® reading measures. We used correlations to examine the relation between the easyCBM® measures and other published measures with known reliability and validity evidence, including the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS), the Test of Word Reading Efficiency (TOWRE), and the Comprehensive Test of Phonological Processing (CTOPP). The correlation between easyCBM® and comparator measures ranged from a low of rs = 0.39 to a high of rs = 0.86 for Grade K and a low of rs = 0.04 to a high of rs = 0.95 for Grade 1 The easyCBM® fluencybased measures had high correlations with comparator measures (r =0.79-0.95).

Five hundred and seventeen words from the easyCBM Word Reading assessment (n = 57 kindergarten, 117 first grade, 172 second grade, and 171 third grade) were examined by 15 teachers for their correspondence with the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts. In particular, the degree of correspondence between Standard 3 ("Phonics and Word Recognition") expectations for word reading skill and test word types was analyzed within each grade level. Both the frequency of items matching word type characteristics outlined in Standard 3 and percent of reviewer correct agreement were examined. In general, test items were best aligned with the types of words students should know how to read in kindergarten. Nearly 60% of kindergarten words were identified as containing a long-­ or short-vowel sound, and approximately 74% were among the 500 most frequent words in print. Results found for the other grades were more mixed. First grade items were most strongly aligned with the expectation that students read regularly spelled one-­ syllable words, comprising 59.8% of the words reviewed. Second grade items were most strongly aligned with the expectation that students read regularly spelled two syllable words containing long vowels, comprising 55.5% of the words reviewed. Third grade items were weakly aligned with Standard 3 expectations. In general, correct agreement among reviewers varied depending upon the word part characteristic reviewed. The findings highlight the need to examine the extent to which items on student assessments reflect expectations for learning, as outlined by the Common Core State Standards.

Alternate assessments based on alternate achievement standards are designed to measure the academic achievement of students with the most significant cognitive disabilities. Because this population has not previously been included in large-scale testing programs, these assessments present unique measurement challenges. Probably the most significant issue is the inherent need for individualization in item presentation and response while maintaining rigorous levels of standardization. Additional measurement challenges are presented as states move toward implementation of growth models for accountability. In this report, we discuss four approaches to modeling the growth of students with significant cognitive disabilities. We apply several variations of transition matrix growth modeling for one state's alternate assessments and discuss the measurement challenges and policy considerations related to our findings.

In this study, we describe two studies used to select appropriate assessments to measure phonemic awareness, alphabetic principle, and fluency in the Spanish language for students receiving literacy instruction in Spanish. We first describe two studies in which we use linear regression and correlations to examine the appropriateness of different types of phonological awareness and early reading measures for first- and second-grade students receiving literacy instruction in Spanish. We report our findings from two studies carried out with two distinct populations: native English speakers enrolled in a Spanish language immersion program at a small suburban school and native Spanish speakers enrolled in a dual language immersion program at a large urban school (reported in the section identified as Initial Item Development Study). In both studies, performance on a measure of Syllable Sounds reading was the most significant predictor of oral reading fluency. We then provide alternate form reliability information for each of the easyCBM Spanish literacy measures (reported in the section identified as Reliability Study).

In this technical report, we describe a study examining the internal structures of the easyCBM reading measures, Grades K-5. Data were gathered from a convenience sample of 114 Kindergarten students, 43 first graders, 82 second graders, 100 third graders, 109 fourth graders, and 71 fifth graders attending schools in Oregon, Georgia, South Carolina, Idaho, Florida, California, Pennsylvania, and Kentucky. Students were administered a variety of easyCBM reading measures (Phonemic Segmentation, Letter Names, Letter Sounds, Word Reading Fluency, Passage Reading Fluency, and Comprehension in Grades K-2; Word Reading Fluency, Passage Reading Fluency, and Comprehension in Grades 3-5) in a three-week period in November of 2011. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to test the factor structure at different grade bands. For students in the Grade K-2 sample, a three-factor model of reading (where Phoneme Segmentation, Letter Names, and Letter Sounds loaded on "early literacy," Word and Passage Reading Fluency loaded on "Fluency," and both types of comprehension measures loaded on "Comprehension") produced the best fit. For students in the Grade 3-5 sample, a two-factor model (where Word and Passage Reading Fluency loaded on "Fluency" and the different kinds of comprehension measures loaded on "Comprehension"), with testlet effect produced the best fit. Appendices are as follows: (1) One-Page Recruitment Flier; (2) Teacher Instructions: Grade K-2 Sample; (3) Teacher Instructions: Grade 3-5 Sample; (4) Individually-Administered Measures, K-2 Sample, Assessor Copies; (5) Individually-Administered Measures, K-2 Sample, Student Copies; (6) Group-Administered Measures, K-2 Sample; (7) Individually-Administered Measures, Grade 3 Sample, Assessor Copies; (8) Individually-Administered Measures, Grade 3 Sample, Student Copies; (9) Group-Administered Measures, Grade 3 Sample; (10) Individually-Administered Measures, Grade 4 Sample, Assessor Copies; (11) Individually-Administered Measures, Grade 4 Sample, Student Copies; (12) Group-Administered Measures, Grade 4 Sample; (13) Individually-Administered Measures, Grade 5 Sample, Assessor Copies; (14) Individually-Administered Measures, Grade 5 Sample, Student Copies; and (15) Group-Administered Measures, Grade 5 Sample.

In this technical report, we present the results of a study to gather criterion-related evidence for Grade 2-5 easyCBM® reading measures. We used correlations to examine the relation between the easyCBM® measures and other published measures with known reliability and validity evidence, including the Gates-MacGinitie Reading Tests and the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS). Across grades, the correlation between easyCBM® vocabulary and comprehension-based measures and comparator measures ranged from low to moderate (rs = 0.39-0.76), and the correlation between the easyCBM® fluency-based measures and DIBELS ORF was consistently strong (r > 0.80).

Longitudinal data analysis in education is the study growth over time. A longitudinal study is one in which repeated observations of the same variables are recorded for the same individuals over a period of time. This type of research is known by many names (e.g., time series analysis or repeated measures design), each of which can imply subtle differences in the data or analysis, but generally follows the same definition. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of longitudinal data analysis in education for practitioners, administrators, and other consumers of educational research, focusing on: the purposes of longitudinal data analysis in education, some of its benefits and limitations, and the various analyses used to model student growth trajectories.

We report the results of an alternate form reliability and criterion validity study of kindergarten and grade 1 (N = 84-199) reading measures from the easyCBM© assessment system and Stanford Early School Achievement Test/Stanford Achievement Test, 10th edition (SESAT/SAT-­10) across 5 time points. The alternate form reliabilities ranged from 0.31-0.94 for the kindergarten measures and from 0.27-0.96 for the grade 1 measures. Multiple regression analyses were used to examine the overall variance explained by the combined measures when predicting end-of-­year reading achievement. In kindergarten, the easyCBM© measures accounted for 35-58% of the variance in SAT-10 performance. In grade 1 easyCBM© measures accounted for 14-32% of the variance in SAT-10 performance and 49-­56% of the variance in performance on the easyCBM© word reading fluency measure administered at time 5.

Error analysis is a method commonly used to identify the cause of student errors when they make consistent mistakes. It is a process of reviewing a student's work and then looking for patterns of misunderstanding. Errors in mathematics can be factual, procedural, or conceptual, and may occur for a number of reasons. Reasons why students make errors include lack of knowledge, poor attention and carelessness, The author provides seven steps describing the error analysis process, applied to mathematics.

In this technical report, we describe the development and piloting of a series of vocabulary assessments intended for use with students in grades two through eight. These measures, available as part of easyCBM[TM], an online progress monitoring and benchmark/screening assessment system, were developed in 2010 and administered to approximately 1200 students per grade from schools across the United States in the spring of 2011 using a common item design to allow all items to be estimated on the same scale within each grade level. We analyzed the results of the piloting using a one parameter logistic (1PL) Rasch analysis. Because the results of these analyses are quite lengthy, we present the results for each grade's analysis in its own technical report, all sharing a common abstract and introduction but unique methods, results, and discussion sections.

In this technical report, we describe the results of a study of mathematics items written to align with the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in grades 6-8. In each grade, CCSS items were organized into forms, and the reliability of these forms was evaluated along with an experimental form including items aligned with the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) Focal Point Standards. The purpose of the experimental measure was to evaluate how previously existing math items functioned empirically relative to the CCSS items. All included NCTM items were previously rated as linked with the CCSS. Analyses included Rasch modeling to explore the difficulty and functioning of both sets of items, classical reliability statistics (Cronbach's alpha, testretest, and alternate form reliability) and two sets of Generalizability Theory analyses. Overall, results suggest the CCSS items are more difficult than the NCTM items, and test forms made up exclusively of CCSS items operate at less than ideal reliability levels. The ways in which the results of this study have informed revisions to the easyCBM CCSS Math test forms to enhance the reliability while increasing accessibility are discussed. The following are appended: (1) Teacher Instructions; and (2) Complete Generalizability and Decision Study Results.

In this technical report, we describe the development and piloting of a series of vocabulary assessments intended for use with students in grades two through eight. These measures, available as part of easyCBM[TM], an online progress monitoring and benchmark/screening assessment system, were developed in 2010 and administered to approximately 1200 students per grade from schools across the United States in the spring of 2011 using a common item design to allow all items to be estimated on the same scale within each grade level. We analyzed the results of the piloting using a one parameter logistic (1PL) Rasch analysis. Because the results of these analyses are quite lengthy, we present the results for each grade's analysis in its own technical report, all sharing a common abstract and introduction but unique methods, results, and discussion sections.

In this technical report, we describe the development and piloting of a series of vocabulary assessments intended for use with students in grades two through eight. These measures, available as part of easyCBM[TM], an online progress monitoring and benchmark/screening assessment system, were developed in 2010 and administered to approximately 1200 students per grade from schools across the United States in the spring of 2011 using a common item design to allow all items to be estimated on the same scale within each grade level. We analyzed the results of the piloting using a one parameter logistic (1PL) Rasch analysis. Because the results of these analyses are quite lengthy, we present the results for each grade's analysis in its own technical report, all sharing a common abstract and introduction but unique methods, results, and discussion sections.

In this technical report, we describe the development and piloting of a series of vocabulary assessments intended for use with students in grades two through eight. These measures, available as part of easyCBM[TM], an online progress monitoring and benchmark/screening assessment system, were developed in 2010 and administered to approximately 1200 students per grade from schools across the United States in the spring of 2011 using a common item design to allow all items to be estimated on the same scale within each grade level. We analyzed the results of the piloting using a one parameter logistic (1PL) Rasch analysis. Because the results of these analyses are quite lengthy, we present the results for each grade's analysis in its own technical report, all sharing a common abstract and introduction but unique methods, results, and discussion sections.

In this technical report, we describe the development and piloting of a series of vocabulary assessments intended for use with students in grades two through eight. These measures, available as part of easyCBM[TM], an online progress monitoring and benchmark/screening assessment system, were developed in 2010 and administered to approximately 1200 students per grade from schools across the United States in the spring of 2011 using a common item design to allow all items to be estimated on the same scale within each grade level. We analyzed the results of the piloting using a one parameter logistic (1PL) Rasch analysis. Because the results of these analyses are quite lengthy, we present the results for each grade's analysis in its own technical report, all sharing a common abstract and introduction but unique methods, results, and discussion sections.

In this technical report, we describe the development and piloting of a series of vocabulary assessments intended for use with students in grades two through eight. These measures, available as part of easyCBM[TM], an online progress monitoring and benchmark/screening assessment system, were developed in 2010 and administered to approximately 1200 students per grade from schools across the United States in the spring of 2011 using a common item design to allow all items to be estimated on the same scale within each grade level. We analyzed the results of the piloting using a one parameter logistic (1PL) Rasch analysis. Because the results of these analyses are quite lengthy, we present the results for each grade's analysis in its own technical report, all sharing a common abstract and introduction but unique methods, results, and discussion sections.

In the following technical report, we describe the development and scaling of the easyCBM CCSS middle school mathematics measures, designed for use within a response to intervention framework. All items were developed in collaboration with experienced middle school mathematics teachers and were written to align with the Common Core State Standards. Items were calibrated to a common, vertical scale spanning grades 6-8. The results of the scaling analysis were then used to assemble items into 13 comparable alternate test forms in each grade, with 10 designated for progress monitoring and 3 designated for seasonal benchmarking. Evidence of alternate form equivalence is provided through both test characteristic curves (TCCs) and test information functions (TIFs). Individual item functioning is reported in appendices by both the total pool of items piloted and by test form. The following are appended: (1) Training Materials; (2) Item Statistics; (3) Item Statistics by Test Form; (4) Distractor Statistics; and (5) Distractor Statistics by Form.

In this technical report, we describe the development and piloting of a series of vocabulary assessments intended for use with students in grades two through eight. These measures, available as part of easyCBM[TM], an online progress monitoring and benchmark/screening assessment system, were developed in 2010 and administered to approximately 1200 students per grade from schools across the United States in the spring of 2011 using a common item design to allow all items to be estimated on the same scale within each grade level. We analyzed the results of the piloting using a one parameter logistic (1PL) Rasch analysis. Because the results of these analyses are quite lengthy, we present the results for each grade's analysis in its own technical report, all sharing a common abstract and introduction but unique methods, results, and discussion sections.

Within a response to intervention framework, teachers regularly base important instructional decisions on the results of formative assessments. The validity of these decisions depends, in part, upon the validity of the inference of students' skills drawn from the formative assessment. If formative assessment items do not genuinely measure the skills they purport to measure--that is, if they are misaligned with their content standards--then the resulting inferences may be threatened. Alignment is thus critical, given the potential practical repercussions of misalignment (e.g., students denied needed interventions). In the following technical report, we report on the alignment of a randomly selected sample of roughly half the easyCBM CCSS middle school math items with the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). Results suggest a high degree of alignment, with 87% of all items aligning to their corresponding standard after controlling for rater effects, and 99.6% of items aligning either to a standard or a requisite skill to the standard. Appendix A presents a PowerPoint presentation from a webinar training session. Appendix B displays the results, by item, of the primary analysis used to examine the degree to which the formative middle school math items aligned with the CCSS (while controlling for rater effects). The raw observed results are displayed by item and standard in Appendix C.

Within a response to intervention system of teaching and learning, important instructional decision-making (e.g., implementation of targeted intervention) is regularly tied to the results of formative assessments administered to students throughout the academic year. The validity of these instructional decisions depends to an extent on the alignment between formative measures and the content standards on which classroom instruction is based. Specifically, formative assessments must be aligned to adopted content standards in order for teachers to make valid instructional decisions around individual student learning needs. In this technical report, we report on the alignment between easyCBM® grades K-2 seasonal mathematics benchmark items and the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). Results suggest reasonable alignment to the standards overall, with areas of relatively stronger and weaker alignment across grade level domains and standards. These results serve as the basis for assessment development in school year 2012-2013 to address gaps in alignment between easyCBM® and the CCSS. The following are appended: (1) Participants; (2) Alignment by Item; and (3) Alignment by Standard.

Within a response to intervention system of teaching and learning, important instructional decision-making (e.g., implementation of targeted intervention) is regularly tied to the results of formative assessments administered to students throughout the academic year. The validity of these instructional decisions depends to an extent on the alignment between formative measures and the content standards on which classroom instruction is based. Specifically, formative assessments must be aligned to adopted content standards in order for teachers to make valid instructional decisions around individual student learning needs. In this technical report, we report on the alignment between easyCBM® grades 6-8 seasonal mathematics benchmark items and the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). Results suggest reasonable alignment to the standards overall, with areas of relatively stronger and weaker alignment across grade level domains and standards. These results serve as the basis for assessment development plan in school year 2012-2013 to address gaps in alignment between easyCBM® and the CCSS. The following are appended: (1) Participants; (2) Alignment by Item; and (3) Alignment by Standard.

This manuscript provides an overview of hierarchical linear modeling (HLM), as part of a series of papers covering topics relevant to consumers of educational research. HLM is tremendously flexible, allowing researchers to specify relations across multiple "levels" of the educational system (e.g., students, classrooms, schools, etc.). The manuscript contains three chapters. In Chapter 1, the concept of HLM is introduced, as well as topics that will be covered in the paper. Chapter 2 provides a basic overview of cross-sectional HLM models, complete with an illustrated example contrasting results of an HLM model with a standard single-level regression model. The bulk of the manuscript is reserved for Chapter 3, which covers the application of HLM to modeling growth. Chapter 3, again, concludes with illustrated examples. The manuscript is concluded with an overall discussion of HLM and what was and was not covered within the manuscript.

The results of formative assessments are regularly used to inform important instructional decisions (e.g., targeted intervention) within a response to intervention (RTI) system of teaching and learning. The validity of such instructional decision-making depends, in part, on the alignment between formative measures and the academic content standards on which classroom instruction is based, as well as the technical adequacy of the measures used in RTI applications. In the following technical report, we describe the development and scaling of the easyCBM Common Core State Standards elementary school mathematics measures for use within an RTI framework. Within a given grade, math items from two distinct item pools were calibrated to a common horizontal scale using a 1-parameter Rasch analysis. The results of the scaling were then used to construct 13 alternate forms designed to be of comparable difficulty--3 forms designated for seasonal benchmark screening and 10 designated for progress monitoring. Prior and subsequent grade-level math items were added to the benchmark test forms as a basis for constructing a common vertical scale in the future. Evidence of technical adequacy is reported in appendices by both test form and by the full bank of CCSS items piloted and scaled. The following are appended: (1) Training Materials; (2) Item Statistics by Test Form; (3) Distractor Statistics by Test Form; (4) Item Statistics for Full CCSS Item Bank; and (5) Distractor Statistics for Full CCSS Item Bank.

In 2006, the easyCBM reading assessment system was developed to support the progress monitoring of phoneme segmenting, letter names and sounds recognition, word reading, passage reading fluency, and comprehension skill development in elementary schools. More recently, the Common Core Standards in English Language Arts have been introduced as a framework for outlining grade-level achievement expectations, to guide reading instruction and assessment across the United States. The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which the easyCBM Phoneme Segmenting assessment contains items aligned with the Common Core Standards. Alignment analyses focused on expectations stated in Standard Two, Foundational Skills, for kindergarten and first grade. One hundred and sixty-nine words from the Phoneme Segmenting assessment were reviewed, comprising 98.2% of the unique words on the kindergarten assessment, and 100% of the unique words on the first grade assessment. Study results indicated that kindergarten Phoneme Segmenting items were weakly or not aligned with any of the Standard Two expectations. First grade Phoneme Segmenting items were strongly aligned with one Standard Two expectation (i.e., segmenting single-syllable words), but weakly or not aligned with the others. Reviewer errors and specific test item issues found were also discussed.

Within a response to intervention system of teaching and learning, important instructional decision-making (e.g., implementation of targeted intervention) is regularly tied to the results of formative assessments administered to students throughout the academic year. The validity of these instructional decisions depends to an extent on the alignment between formative measures and the content standards on which classroom instruction is based. Specifically, formative assessments must be aligned to adopted content standards in order for teachers to make valid instructional decisions around individual student learning needs. In this technical report, we report on the alignment between easyCBM® grades 3-5 seasonal mathematics benchmark items and the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). Results suggest reasonable alignment to the standards overall, with areas of relatively stronger and weaker alignment across grade level domains and standards. These results serve as the basis for assessment development in school year 2012-2013 to address gaps in alignment between easyCBM® and the CCSS. The following are appended: (1) Participants; (2) Alignment by Item; and (3) Alignment by Standard.