Elementary Writing Assessment: The Predictive Validity of Writing Curriculum-Based Measurement

The adoption of Common Core State Standards by many states prompted the development of new standardized writing assessments. A limited number of studies investigated the predictive ability of curriculum-based measurements (CBMs) as related to state assessments in writing, and none have analyzed the Mississippi Assessment Program (MAP) for writing. This study calculated four writing CBM measures: total words written, words spelled correctly, correct word sequences, and incorrect word sequences based on 595 students in grades 3--5 in two Mississippi schools. All of the students in the sample took the MAP in reading, math, and writing. Correlations and multiple regression analyses were conducted to determine associations between writing CBM measures and MAP overall writing scores for all students in the study, students without learning disabilities, and students with learning disabilities. Correct word sequences and incorrect word sequences were significant predictors of overall MAP writing scores for students without learning disabilities and all students in the study, but not for students with learning disabilities. Adding other variables such the MAP English Language Arts overall score, seemed to be an even more significant predictor of MAP writing performance for all students, including students with learning disabilities.