Which assessment method is BEST for monitoring short-term academic progress?

• A. Norm-referenced testing
• B. Curriculum-based measurement
• C. Intelligence testing
• D. Diagnostic achievement testing

Answer: (B)

For tracking how a student is improving in the near term, you want something that can be given often, is tied directly to what they’re learning now, and yields numbers you can plot over time. Curriculum-based measurement does exactly that. It uses brief, consistent probes aligned with the current curriculum, which are quick to administer and easy to repeat. The data come in as a simple score (often percent correct) and can be graphed to show the student’s level and rate of improvement across weeks. This makes it possible to see small gains or drops quickly and to adjust instruction right away—perhaps by changing focus, pacing, or grouping.

Norm-referenced testing, while useful for comparing a student to peers, isn’t designed for frequent monitoring and can miss small, meaningful changes in short time frames. Intelligence testing measures cognitive abilities, not ongoing progress in academic skills. Diagnostic achievement testing identifies specific areas of weakness but is typically used to diagnose rather than to monitor day-to-day or week-to-week growth. So for ongoing progress monitoring in the classroom, curriculum-based measurement is the best choice.