The Basics of CBM: What BCBAs Need to Know

Curriculum-based measurement (CBM) is an approach to measuring student academic growth and evaluating the effectiveness of instruction (Deno, Exceptional Children, 52, 219-232, 1985) that was developed, in part, based on characteristics of applied behavior analysis. Learning to administer and use CBM data is commonly part of teacher preparation programs, but less common in behavior analysis graduate programs (Schreck et al. Behavioral Interventions, 31, 355-376, 2016; Schreck & Mazur, Behavioral Interventions, 23, 201-212, 2008). This article describes a sequence of steps that educational teams can follow to use CBM within the multi-tiered system of support (MTSS) framework. These steps include (1) selecting a CBM publisher and gathering materials; (2) practicing administering and scoring CBM; (3) administering, scoring, and comparing student scores to grade-level benchmarks; (4) using CBM data to write ambitious and realistic IEP goals; and (5) using data-based individualization. Each step is described and includes a description of a case study that is based on our experiences working with pre-service teacher candidates, and special education and behavior analysis graduate students in K-12 and after-school instructional programs.