A SYSTEMATIC REIVEW [sic] AND META-ANALYSIS OF CRITERION-RELATED VALIDITY IN EARLY MATHEMATICS CURRICULUM-BASED MEASUREMENT

ECU Author/Contributor (non-ECU co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)

Leigh M. McCulloch (Creator)

Institution

East Carolina University (ECU )

Web Site: http://www.ecu.edu/lib/

Abstract: Research interest in early mathematics curriculum-based measurement (EM-CBM) has increased substantially throughout the course of the past decade. There has been a significant increase in the number of published studies regarding the validation of EM-CBM. Currently, however, there is no quantification or summarization of the multitude of research studies.  Curriculum-based measurement can be used in various ways in a school: (a) screening students, (b) monitoring progress, (c) identifying student strengths and weaknesses, and (d) predicting student performance on standardized assessments. Mathematics criterion measures are standardized, norm-referenced, individually administered tests. The purpose of administering mathematics criterion measures in the studies that will be synthesized in the proposed meta-analysis was to establish validity of early mathematics curriculum-based measurement. Mathematics criterion measures are also administered in order to measure an individual's math achievement level, as compared with same aged peers in a norm-referenced group. Finally, math criterion tests are necessary in order to define the construct that early mathematics CBM is purportedly measuring. A meta-analysis technique was used to quantify the predictor-criterion relationship between EM-CBM and standardized norm-referenced math achievement tests. Research databases were searched to collect all relevant publications. The articles included reported correlation coefficients between EM-CBM and norm referenced standardized achievement tests, used a clear, standardized administration and scoring criteria, administered standardized math criterion assessments concurrently with, or after, the administration of the EM-CBM, and included a sample of participants in the grades between Pre-K and 2. Correlation coefficients were obtained for each predictor-criterion relationship of interest and used as the primary units of analyses. The first hypothesis was that there would be a strong, positive correlation between the predictor and criterion measures. The results support this hypothesis and indicate that the mean correlation between early numeracy and math achievement is .49. This correlation coefficient signifies a moderate-to-strong relationship between the two variables. The second objective of this study was to examine the variables which influence the relationship between early numeracy and math achievement and determine which variables are moderators. There were six variables that were identified as moderators: correlation type, predictor skill, criterion skill, grade level, procedural integrity, and predictor category. Specifically, these six variables were qualitative variables found to influence the strength of the relationship between the predictor and criterion variables.

Additional Information

Publication

Thesis

Language: English

Date: 2010

Keywords

Mathematics, Education, Educational Psychology

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