The CBAL® Initiative's research centers on the creation of new knowledge and capability in multiple areas. Some of those areas are listed below, followed by representative publications:
Domain theory describing what it means to be competent in a subject-matter area and how that competency develops
- A Concept-Based Learning Progression for Rational Numbers
- A CBAL™ Science Model of Cognition: Developing a Competency Model and Learning Progressions to Support Assessment Development
- Using Argumentation Learning Progressions to Support Teaching and Assessments of English Language Arts
Theory for summative and formative assessment
- Formative Assessment: A Critical Review
- Cognitively Based Assessment of, for, and as Learning (CBAL): A Preliminary Theory of Action for Summative and Formative Assessment
The design of innovative assessments to measure competency in the English language arts, mathematics and science
- A case study in principled assessment design: Designing assessments to measure and support the development of argumentative reading and writing skills
- The Case for Scenario-Based Assessments of Reading Competency
- Technology Enhanced Assessments in Mathematics and Beyond: Strengths, Challenges, and Future Directions
- Designing Accessible Technology-Enabled Reading Assessments: Recommendations from Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments
The analysis of innovative assessments based on learning theory
- Gamification in assessment: Do points affect test performance?
- Empirical recovery of argumentation learning progressions in scenario-based assessments of English Language Arts
- CBAL: Results From Piloting Innovative K–12 Assessments
New approaches to automated and human scoring of performance tasks
- A Ranking Method for Evaluating Constructed Responses
- Automated Scoring of Mathematics Tasks in the Common Core Era: Enhancements to M-rater in Support of CBAL Mathematics and the Common Core Assessments
- On the Relation Between Automated Essay Scoring and Modern Views of the Writing Construct
Reporting of results from innovative assessments
- Exploring Teachers' Understanding of Graphical Representations of Group Performance
- Applying Score Design Principles in the Design of Score Reports for CBAL™ Teachers
View a comprehensive list of publications related to the CBAL initiative.
Promotional Links
ETS Research Forum: Paul Deane
Learn about the CBAL Language Arts learning progressions and their relationship to the Common Core State Standards (Flash, 4:49).
The CBAL Research Program: Overview
Get an overview of the CBAL research program, including how the CBAL assessment prototypes are being used in the classroom (Flash, 8:02).