Curriculum-based Assessment/Curriculum-based Measurement
In the world of performance assessment a distinction is often made between two basic models. The term curriculum-based assessment (CBA) is often used to refer to customized assessment designed to assess regular education students in the regular education curriculum. Another term, Curriculum-based measurement (CBM) is used to describe a form of alternative assessment usually associated with special education. It involves direct or performance-based assessment typically using materials taken directly from instructional materials used with regular education students. Reading, mathematics, and written expression are the most common application areas. CBM is most commonly applied at the elementary level and often involves collection of normative data which makes it possible to determine from a normative perspective how far off the mark a student is in handling the local curriculum. The special education versus regular education emphasis of CBA versus CBM is a matter of degree and there is both overlap and inconsistency in the use of the terms in the literature.
The links below provide a summary of searchs using the terms for each measurement model, "curriculum-based assessment" and "curriculum-based measurement". For each model or term the first link includes the results of an Alta Vista search of Web sites using the term. The second link is to a web page containing links to ERIC system references where the term was used.
Alta Vista Search for "Curriculum-based Assessment"
ERIC System Search for "Curriculum-based Assessment"