Using CBM to Help Canadian Elementary Teachers Write Effective IEP Goals

Abstract

Knowing what students should be able to accomplish academically is the first step in knowing how to write accurate Individual Education Plan (IEP) goals. By giv-ing students short Curriculum-Based Measurements (CBM) in areas such as reading, writing, and mathematics, teachers are able to determine current level of performance, or baseline. Teachers then use empirically established performance standards to set year-end goals and monitor progress throughout the year to see if current instructional offerings are sufficient. Using CBM in this manner is more effective than the current method of writing IEPs because it takes less time, relies on normed data that is established in research, and provides a clear and concise picture of how well the school is doing in advancing students academically. The purpose of this paper is to introduce to Canadian educators the concept of using CBM to write IEP goals in the areas of mathematics, reading, and writing.