easyCBM^®

easyCBM, The University of Oregon, and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Brief History of easyCBM^®

easyCBM was first developed at the University of Oregon in 2006 with a federal grant for a Model Demonstration Project on Progress Monitoring in Early Literacy in a Response to Intervention Framework. Since then, easyCBM has grown to encompass both Reading and Mathematics for Grades K–8, delivering instructionally relevant data for students, educators, and administrators. Many districts have adopted easyCBM due to the testimonials and excitement initially generated by their own local educators.

The University of Oregon and its College of Education are nationally respected institutions dedicated to instruction and research that meet the needs of children and families across the country.

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt is a global leader in education. Chosen as the exclusive distributor of the easyCBM platform, HMH is dedicated to bringing this product to schools and districts around the world.

easyCBM was developed and continues to be developed through a number of federal grants. Those grants are listed below:

• Reliability and Validity Evidence for Progress Measures in Reading. U.S. Department of Education, Institute for Educational Sciences, Budget $1,596,638 from June 2010 – June 2014.
• Developing Middle School Mathematics Progress Monitoring Measures. U.S. Department of Education, Institute for Educational Sciences, Budget $1,631,401 from June 2010 – June 2014.
• Response to Intervention with Reading Curriculum-Based Measures. U.S. Office of Special Education Programs, Steppingstones of Technology Innovation for Children with Disabilities. Budget $396,736 from May 2009 – April 2011.
• Assessments Aligned with Grade Level Content Standards and Scaled to Reflect Growth for Students with Disabilities (SWD) and Persistent Learning Problems (PLP). U.S. Department of Education, Institute for Educational Sciences. Budget $1,525,552 from May 2007 – April 2011.
• Model Demonstration Centers on Progress Monitoring (CFDA 84.326M). U.S. Department of Education. Budget: $1,189,790 from January 2006 – December 2008.

Video answer - to view click on question:
What is easyCBM?
How did easyCBM come about?

easyCBM® is a registered trademark of the University of Oregon licensed for use by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Progress Made Easy for RTI

The flexibility and technical excellence built into easyCBM^® allow students to benefit from research-based decision-making regardless of RTI tier. The universal screening, benchmarking, and progress monitoring measures were developed to provide continuity in data and reporting—giving you the tools to inform instruction and plan intervention for individuals or groups of students.

easyCBM’s assessment and reporting features provide all the key components of systematic and data-based assessment necessary for each tier of RTI.

Tier I

In Tier I of RTI, universal screening is conducted three times a year to determine the current level of performance for all students. While focusing on the core curriculum, you use this assessment data to determine who would benefit from differentiated instruction to address individual needs.

easyCBM provides benchmark and progress monitoring assessments for all students.

• Provides a benchmark system that allows you to screen students up to three times a year— fall, winter and spring.
• Includes alternate forms that enable you to track growth (AYP accountability) and make instructional decisions with confidence.
• Provides a snapshot of an entire school, grade, or classroom.
• Provides progress-monitoring assessments that effectively facilitate differentiated instruction.
• Delivers item-level data to pinpoint student strengths and weaknesses within a content area.

Tier 2

In Tier 2 of RTI, progress monitoring provides the evidence base required for you to make instructional decisions for more specific and intensive intervention to improve student achievement.

easyCBM provides real-time data to efficiently and effectively connect each student with valid interventions.

• Features progress-monitoring measures and item analysis reports ensuring you can pinpoint instructional areas of concern for each student or group.
• Eases the task of assigning small-group instruction and focuses instructional interventions with more accuracy.
• Provides instant access to results, eliminating the need for data entry.
• Includes rate-of-growth information needed to determine instructional progress.

Tier 3

In the most intensive level of the RTI framework, progress-monitoring evidence is even more essential. More frequent measures quantify the impact of a specifically designed intervention program for the struggling student by evaluating the rate of improvement over time.

easyCBM provides focused, reliable data at an item level to help customize interventions and enhance the rate of student learning.

• Allows you to strategize a program of frequent progress monitoring.
• Provides the detailed data required to target an individual student’s needs.
• Provides data that directs the process of intensive intervention needed for students at this

As students move through the RTI tiers, easyCBM delivers assessment and reporting features to drive data-based decision making. The benchmark measures provide valid and reliable universal screening of all students up to three times a year. Progress monitoring measures include alternate forms that give you the confidence to make informed instructional decisions.

Detailed, easy-to-read reports provide key levels of reporting for all educators, from the classroom teacher to the district administrator. All team members can view student or group data in real-time to foster development and implementation of intervention plans.

Video answer: easyCBM and interventions

easyCBM® is a registered trademark of the University of Oregon licensed for use by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

For optimum viewing, please click on this icon in the lower right hand corner to expand the screen.

What is easyCBM^®?

How did easyCBM come about?

How are easyCBM items developed?

easyCBM® is a registered trademark of the University of Oregon licensed for use by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

easyCBM^® is a proven online benchmark and progress monitoring assessment and learning management system. It is designed for district implementation of a research-based Response to Intervention (RTI) model. The measures are developed using Item Response Theory (IRT), making easyCBM the next generation Curriculum Based Measures (CBMs).

READING CURRICULUM BASED MEASURES

These reading areas are based on the ‘Big Five’ constructs of reading reported in the 2000 National Reading Panel report.
READING
Grade	Phonemic Awareness	Letter Sounds	Letter Names	Word Fluency	Passage Fluency	Vocabulary	Reading Comprehension
K	X	X	X	X
1	X	X	X	X	X
2				X	X	X	X
3				X	X	X	X
4					X	X	X
5					X	X	X
6					X	X	X
7					X	X	X
8					X	X	X

These reading areas are based on Common Core State Standards (CCSS).
READING
Common Core (Read to Perform a Task, Informational Text, Short Literacy Text)
3	X
4	X
5	X
6	X
7	X
8	X

MATH CURRICULUM BASED MEASURES

These mathematics areas are currently based on the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) Curriculum Focal Point Standards in Mathematics.
MATHEMATICS
Grade	Numbers and Operations	Geometry	Measurement	Algebra	Data Analysis	Ratios
K	X	X	X	*	*
1	X	X	*	X	*
2	X	*	X	X	*
3	X	X	*	X	*
4	X	*	X	X	*
5	X	X	X	X	*
6	X	*	*	X	*	X
7	X	X	X	X	*	*
8	X	X	X	X	X	*

*Connections to Focal Points as identified by NCTM. Within the constructs of mathematics, elements are woven in to build the foundation and progress a student to the next level of mathematics and/or topic. For example, as a kindergarten student identifies, duplicates, and extends simple number patterns and sequential and growing patterns, they are receiving foundational preparation for creating rules that describe relationships in algebra (adapted from NCTM Focal Points).

These mathematics areas are based on CCSS.
MATHEMATICS
Common Core
K	X
1	X
2	X
3	X
4	X
5	X
6	X
7	X
8	X

SPANISH CURRICULUM BASED MEASURES

SPANISH
Grade	Syllable Segmenting	Syllable Sounds	Word Reading Fluency	Sentence Reading Fluency
K	X	X
1	X	X	X	X
2			X	X

easyCBM® is a registered trademark of the University of Oregon licensed for use by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

1. What sort of technical adequacy do the CBM measures in this system have?

   The progress monitoring measures offered through easyCBM^® have been designed using the most modern approaches to designing, testing, and revising student assessments. Detailed information about the design considerations and technical adequacy of each of the measures can be found in the individual Technical Reports related to each type of measure. Please click on the link below to access our library of Technical Reports. We will continue to add additional reports as we complete further studies. BRT website - Publications / Technical Reports

2. What are your assessments based on?

   The math assessments now available on easyCBM are based on the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) Curriculum Focal Point Standards in Mathematics. Alignment to Common Core Standards for grades 6-8 was launched in September 2012. The new content includes 25 multiple-choice math problems optimized for computer administration in a group setting.

   The reading assessments available on the system are based on the 'Big Five' constructs of reading reported in the 2000 National Reading Panel report and the CCSS. The CCSS content for grades 3-8 was added in September of 2012. These questions report out to a main reading skill and reflect the changes in the Common Core. The new contact includes 5 sections followed by 5 multiple choice questions.

   Video answer: How are easyCBM items developed?

3. What Spanish Content is available?

   Spanish content is available for grades K-2. There are 3 Benchmarks and 10 PM measures. These include, Syllable Segmenting: Grades K & 1, Syllable Sounds: Grades K & 1, Word Reading Fluency: Grades 1 & 2, and Sentence Reading Fluency: Grades 1 & 2.

4. Can easyCBM be utilized at the High School level?

   The Benchmarking (Universal Screening) and Progress Monitoring found in easyCBM are developed for Grades K–8. Nevertheless, high school educators may benefit from data provided by easyCBM for the intensive progress monitoring of Tier 3 at-risk students.

Technical questions related to the use of the website

1. What web browser should I use for the best performance?

   The easyCBM system has been engineered to provide high-quality student progress monitoring while at the same time reducing teacher workload. Because there are many small differences between Web browsers, we have carefully selected the ones that best accomplish our goals—delivering consistent high quality and ease of use. In some cases, users might have to download a new browser. We feel this inconvenience will be well rewarded: We can provide better support with a known browser. Although the easyCBM Website will open with many browsers, it will only work properly using one of the recommended browsers

2. Why can't I simply get a booklet containing all the possible tests my students might be taking this year?

   Although on the surface it might sound like a good idea to have a single booklet with all possible test forms in it, the sheer number of tests makes this unworkable. To print out a single copy of each of the measures available on easyCBM would take over 2800 pages of paper.

   Another important reason for not printing out entire paper versions of the assessments available on easyCBM is that we make revisions to the measures periodically, to ensure accurate measurement of student skills.

3. How do I "Group" my students?

   Sometimes it is helpful to have sub-sets of your students grouped together so you can see how the whole group is doing when looking at the Group reports. When teachers work with multiple classes throughout the day or have students assigned to different levels of tiered instruction, this feature is particularly relevant.

   Students can be put into groups using the "Students" section of easyCBM. Create a new group by clicking the Add Group button, then assign students to that group by marking their corresponding checkboxes.

   Ideally, you should only put students into the same group if you want all of them to take the same measures. This means that if you have a particular student who is the only one to whom you want to assign certain measures, then he or she should be alone in a unique group. You can create as many groups as you'd like, and a single student can be in multiple groups at the same time. The grouping feature affects how the data are clustered in the Groups screen of the Reports page.

4. How can I provide feedback about this system?

   Send all feedback to the RPC_Customer_Service@hmhco.com We are especially interested in hearing about the features on the system you like (so we don't change them on you!) and the features on the system you find problematic (so we can change them for you).

easyCBM® is a registered trademark of the University of Oregon licensed for use by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.