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Using AIMSweb Math Screening Measures to Identify Students’ Learning Needs at the Elementary Level

Rachel Brown, Ph.D., NCSP rachelb@mtaonline.net 27 January 2013

Math Screening

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Overview

u Role of screening in RTI u Math skills hierarchy u AIMSweb math measures u Understanding the scores u Matching students to

instruction 

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Role of Screening in RTI

u  Screening all students is an essential step

u  Shows which students are doing okay and who needs extra help

u  Based on a public health model of education

u  Primary prevention: All students u  Secondary prevention: Some students u  Tertiary prevention: Few students

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Screening and Prevention

u  Other examples include height, weight, vision, hearing, blood pressure, and blood sugar

u  Done universally to achieve the greatest possible benefits

u  Done regularly to catch unexpected changes

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Math Skills Hierarchy u  Every complex skill has subskills u  There is a hierarchy of math skills that build

on each other u  Quantification u  Numeration u  Number identification u  Patterns u  Addition u  Subtraction u  Multiplication u  Division

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Knowing What to Measure u  Accurate screening depends on

measuring the right thing u  All assessments are estimates u  Screening assessments should

measure expected general outcomes

u  Skills to be taught u  Example: addition to 18

u  Ideal screening measures are general outcome measures (GOM)

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General Outcome Measures u  GOM’s are measures of important basic

academic skills u  These skills are (should be) covered in any

math program or curriculum u  They are foundation skills necessary in

order to do more complex math such as algebra

u  Measure fluency, which is essential for complex mathematical thinking

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Why is Fluency Important? u  Fluency is a measure of accuracy and

speed u  Accuracy must come first, but speed is

important because it controls automaticity u  Automaticity is the extent to which the

brain can retrieve and use information stored in long-term memory

u  If automaticity is slow, it is difficult or impossible to complete multi-step math problems

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Automaticity Math Screening

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Slower Processing

Faster Processing = Automaticity

Math Fact Fluency Matters!

AIMSweb Math Measures u  Created to be GOM’s u  Also known as curriculum-based

measures (CBM) u  But they are actually curriculum neutral u  Can be used with any math instruction

u  Include measures for students in grades K-8 (with norms through 12)

u  All timed fluency measures that tap into automaticity

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Math Measures by Grade u  Tests of Early Numeracy (TEN)

u  K-1

u  Mathematics Computation (M-COMP)

u  1-8

u  Mathematics Concepts and Applications (M-CAP)

u  2-8

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When to Use What Grade Fall Winter Spring

K TEN-OC, NI, QD, MN

TEN-OC, NI, QD, MN

TEN-OC, NI, QD, MN

1 TEN-OC, NI, QD, MN

TEN-OC, NI, QD, MN

TEN-OC, NI, QD, MN

2 M-COMP M-COMP M-COMP

3 M-COMP M-COMP M-COMP

4 M-COMP M-COMP M-COMP

5 M-COMP M-COMP M-COMP

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AIMSweb recommends giving all 4 subtests at each screening; Users may prefer to use less subtests by omitting items in orange

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Tests of Early Numeracy u  Measures BASIC quantity and

number skills u  4 subtests:

u  Oral Counting u  Number Identification u  Quantity Discrimination u  Missing Number

u  Used for screening students in grades K and 1

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Oral Counting u  Student is asked to count out loud to

100 u  Timed for 1 minute u  No visual materials for student u  Teacher marks any numbers from

1-100 that are errors u  Tests if the student understands that

numbers have an order

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Number Identification u  Student is asked to give the names

for Arabic numerals + 10 u  Timed for 1 minute u  Numbers in random order u  Starts with practice items u  Teacher marks any numbers that the

student says incorrectly or skips u  Tests if student knows number names

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Number Identification

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Quantity Discrimination u  Student asked to indicate which of

two numbers is bigger u  Timed for 1 minute u  Starts with practice items u  Teacher marks errors u  Tests if student understands that

numbers represent quantities that vary in size

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Quantity Discrimination

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Missing Number u  Student is asked to say the number

that is missing from an array of 3 numbers

u  Timed for 1 minute u  Teacher marks errors u  Tests whether student can generate

numbers in relation to their order and value in a series

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Missing Number

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Mathematics Computation u  Includes two pages of computation

problems of increasing difficulty by grade

u  Students have 8 minutes u  Number of items varies by grade

level u  Each item scored O, 1, or 2 points u  Measures math fact fluency u  Scores compared to norms

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3rd Grade Example

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Scoring Key

Concepts and Applications u  Includes multiple pages of applied

math problems with numbers, words, and pictures

u  Students have 8 – 10 minutes u  Number of items varies by grade

level u  Each item scored O, 1, or 2 points u  Measures math application fluency u  Scores compared to norms

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4th Grade Example

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Scoring Key

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Understanding the scores u All AIMSweb measures have

national norms u  Local norms can be used too u  Three step process to interpret

scores: 1.  Identify students who scored

below the goal 2.  Conduct error analysis 3.  Identify needed instruction

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Important Reminder u  For RTI to work, at least 80% of

students should be successful with Tier 1 instruction

u  That means about 20% of students in each class should be below the goal

u  If less than 80% of students met the goal, work on Tier 1 core instruction first

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General Academic Instruction

& Assessment

Intensified Instruction

& Assessment

DATA

D A T A

S  P  E  C  I    A  L    E  D  U  C  A  T  I    O  N    

15%   15%  

80%   80%  

5%  

Positive Behavioral

Interventions & Supports

Cont

inuu

m o

f Aca

dem

ic In

terv

entio

ns Continuum

of Behavior Interventions

100%   100%  

D A T A

DATA

20%   20%  

AIMSweb Norms u Every AIMsweb measure has a

norms chart u  This can be used to identify

which students need help u  There are norms for each

screening time period u Also shows the average weekly

rate of improvement

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M-COMP Norms

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Identifying Students u Each teacher can get a report

showing all students’ scores ranked by level of risk or concern

u  “rainbow report”

u  Shows the students whose math skills need to be looked at more closely

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Sample classroom report

Students of concern

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Targets u  Instead of using the AIMSweb

norms, your district could also u  Set targets- Example: district could

select the score at the 40th percentile

u  These scores are entered by the district AIMSweb manager and used as the goal scores for all students

u  Use the AIMSweb Default Targets

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Check the Data u  Screening scores must be

compared to other sources of information such as:

u  Classroom performance u  Student records u  Other assessments (MAP, SBA)

u  If screening scores do not make sense, re-screen

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Error Analysis u After checking scores, go over

the student’s screening answers and identify any patterns in the responses, such as:

u  Skipped items u  Repeated errors u  Copying errors u  Transpositions (digits reversed)

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Interpretation? u What kind of mistakes did this

student make? u What hypotheses could explain

the errors? u What instruction would you try? u  Reteach signs for + and x u  Reteach multiplication facts

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Matching students to instruction u  The specific instruction that a student

needs will vary u  Only after looking carefully at the students’

work samples can we know what to try u  Interventions should be based on

hypotheses about why a student is struggling

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Example from TEN u  Student scores above goal on Oral

Counting and Number Identification u  Gets about half of Quantity Discrimination

items wrong u  Gives the same number every time for

Missing Number u  Hypothesis?

u  Student does not understand that numbers represent specific quantities

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Possible Interventions u  Use manipulatives to show and count

items using 1:1 correspondence u  Set up groups of items with different

quantities and teach how to know which is bigger

u  Teach how to write the numbers for different quantities

u  Show groups of items in series then remove a set and ask how many of what items are missing

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Example from M-CAP u  M-CAP is not as well suited to screening as

M-COMP u  Can be used in cases where one or more

students have shown problems with applied math skills

u  The error analysis can show what type(s) of problem(s) need re-teaching

u  Start by asking the student how s/he did the missed item(s) from the M-CAP

u  This can show fact vs. process errors

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Hypotheses? u  This student does not know how to read

graphs and tables u  The student needs instruction in graphs

and tables

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Intervention Resources u  There are many free math intervention

resources on the internet u  For fact fluency, flashcard drills work best u  Intervention Central has many additional

resources

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Summary u  Universal screening is an essential part of

tiered supports (RTI) u  AIMSweb offers three types of math screening

measures u  After screening, students’ scores must be

compared with other data u  Students who score below the goal need

extra help u  Error analysis and hypothesis testing lead

teachers to figure out what help students need

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Resources Brown-Chidsey, R., Bronaugh, L, & McGraw, K.

(2009). RTI in the classroom: Guidelines and recipes for success. New York: Guilford.

Brown-Chidsey, R., & Steege, M. W. (2010). Response to Intervention: Principles and Strategies for Success (2nd Ed.). New York: Guilford.

Intervention Central: www.interventioncentral.org National Association of State Directors of Special

Education. (2005). Response to intervention: Policy Considerations. Retrieved from: http://www.nasdse.org/publications.cfm

National Center on Response to Intervention: www.rti4success.org

RTI Action Network: www.rtinetwork.org

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