Depending on the child's abilities and self-awareness, these could include avoidance of triggers, self-soothing strategies, and learning to process the feelings and choose more healthy alternative responses. Results of the A-B-C assessment can be shared with other educators and parents and can assist in the planning of the next set of goals in the student's education plan.
A second assessment strategy is monitoring achievement in the classroom. As shown in the short video available through the IRIS Center (http://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/gpm/challenge.htm), test scores alone do not give teachers enough information about why their students are struggling and what kind of interventions would be effective in helping them. Curriculum-based measurement (CBM) on student progress can be used to inform instruction, estimate and then document student progress, and share information about student progress with parents and other educators.
The CBM process requires that the teacher first select...
As the school year progresses, students are given similar items on probes and should get more of these items correct as learning takes place. Probes must be administered on a regular basis, whether that is weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly, and must be scored the same way each time. In the third step of the process, the teacher graphs the results, providing a visual that is easy and quick to use, both for students and teachers. The graphs can also help with goal-setting, which is the final step in the process.
CBM serves as both formative and summative assessments. The formative aspect allows the teacher to change instruction in response to a student's needs. It allows students, educators and parents to focus on current achievements and deficits. The summative aspect allows student, teacher and parent to see what the student has accomplished over the entire year. It is an important component in goal-setting for the next academic year.
