What are curriculum-based measures (CBM) designed to assess?

Curriculum-based measures (CBM) are specifically designed to assess academic progress by evaluating student performance against established learning objectives and criteria within the curriculum. These assessments focus on how well students are doing in relation to the instructional goals set forth by educational standards, often allowing educators to track student progress over time.

By comparing a student's performance to local norms, CBMs offer a clear view of where a student stands academically within their specific educational context. This helps in identifying areas of strength and weakness, facilitating tailored instructional strategies to meet each student's needs. Additionally, CBMs are typically brief and can be administered frequently, making them a practical option for ongoing assessment and intervention planning in the classroom.

The other options, while important in educational assessment and psychological evaluation, do not capture the primary purpose of CBMs, which is centered on monitoring academic progress rather than emotional development, cognitive abilities across varied subjects, or social skills.