On September 15, 2022, the Department of Educational Psychology hosted the Inaugural Stan Deno Lecture & Panel Discussion. The conference honored the work of the late Stan Deno, a pioneer in the field of special education and the founder of Curriculum-Based Measurement (CBM) and co-founder (with Phyllis Mirkin) of Decision-Based Individualization (DBI). Deno was an emeritus faculty member in the department until his passing in 2016.
Lynn Fuchs and Doug Fuchs, both professors of special education at Vanderbilt University and Institute Fellows at American Institutes of Research, delivered the keynote, “What We Know and Still Need to Learn about Curriculum-Based Measurement (CBM) and Data-Based Individualization (DBI).” (Watch a replay of their talk, and view the presentation slides.) CBM is a fast, easy way for teachers to measure student achievement as often as once a week and adjust teaching to help students progress.* Data-based individualization (DBI) is the systematic use of assessment data to monitor student progress and provide intensified interventions.* The researchers described CBM and DBI as two closely connected processes and—throughout their talk—demonstrated how the biggest improvements in student achievement occur when teachers engage both.
Later, a panel of researchers discussed the applications of data-based decision-making to current research, policy, and practice to meet the needs of diverse learners. While Dr. Lynn Fuchs and Dr. Doug Fuchs’ talk focused on students with disabilities, the panel extended the discussion around DBI into multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) and general education as well.
Panelists included:
- Kim Gibbons, PhD, director of the Center for Research and Educational Improvement (CAREI)
- Kristi Baker Patterson, PhD, director of curriculum and instruction for ALLMemphis
- David Parker, PhD, vice president of research and assessment at ServeMinnesota
The conference was sponsored by the National Center for Leadership in Intensive Intervention (NCLii), Renaissance Learning, and the University of Minnesota’s Stan Deno Fund. Donate to the Stan Deno Fund.
