Creating Curriculum-Based Assessments in Spelling
The current focus on curriculum-based assessment (CBA) presents a number of problems for many special education teachers. Preparing and using CBAs may seem difficult for teachers who are accustomed to viewing academics from a skills-based perspective or a criterion-referenced perspective that focuses on generic hierarchies of skills in various academic areas to plan a student's individualized education program (IEP).
If teachers are to have access to the general education curriculum for inclusion classes in a specific grade-level classroom—and its modifications—they need to know the grade-level specific skills usually used by general education teachers.
We usually see some discrepancies in focus between general and special education teachers because the latter teachers are usually engaged in helping students with mild disabilities who function below grade level "catch up"—as fast as possible.