CBMmath Concepts & Applications (CAP)
CBMmath is a suite of three curriculum-based measures, each designed for distinct purposes: CBMmath Concepts and Applications (CAP), CBMmath Automaticity, and CBMmath Process. All assessments are research-based and items are based on the recommendations of either the National Math Panel (2008) and/or the National Common Core Standards (CCSS; 2010).
CBMmath CAP is a broad measure of a student’s overall mathematics skill, and it evaluates students’ skills for solving complex and multi-step math problems. It measures math concepts and applications, and assesses skills ranging from computation fact fluency to multi-step algebra problems.
All items were developed in accordance with the mathematics learning hierarchy in the Common Core State Standards, which includes:
- Counting and Cardinality
- Operations and Algebraic Thinking
- Number and Operations in Base 10
- Measurement and Data
- Geometry
The content of the measure matches the skills typically taught in kindergarten through grade 8 and can be used to assess all students in those grades.
Screening
When used for screening, CBMmath CAP is sensitive to student growth over longer periods of time and is therefore a great tool for screening students three times a year (i.e., fall, winter, spring).
Instruction can be made more or less resource-intensive and individualized for students requiring the most support. At the school level, student growth can be tracked and monitored, allowing administrators to look at improvements across grades and academic years.
Progress Monitoring
CBMmath CAP was also designed to be used as a progress monitoring measure. However, because it measures very broad math skill content, observed student growth is typically much smaller than when using CBMmath Process or CBMmath Automaticity. Therefore, when using CBMmath CAP for progress monitoring, it is most effective to focus the student intervention on a full range of math skills included rather than a very narrow set of skills.
For example, if the math intervention focuses on the student knowing what operations to use for a variety of problem types, or for diverse word problems, CBMmath CAP is the logical progress monitoring assessment to use.
Administration
Students log in to a computer or tablet device to complete the CBMmath CAP assessment. The student completes as many problems as possible in the allotted time. All CBMmath assessments use standardized administration and scoring procedures, which were designed and developed to optimize the consistency of data collected across students.
