A special education teacher wants to recommend instructional strategies for a 5th grader with SLD in math. Which assessment would be the most appropriate?

The most appropriate assessment for identifying instructional strategies for a 5th grader with a specific learning disability (SLD) in math is a curriculum-based assessment. This type of assessment is closely aligned with the curriculum being taught and allows the teacher to evaluate a student's understanding and mastery of specific math skills and concepts.

Curriculum-based assessments provide regular feedback on student performance in real-time, enabling educators to monitor progress, adjust instruction, and tailor strategies to the individual student's needs. This ensures that the instructional strategies recommended are based on the student’s actual performance in the content areas that are being taught.

Performance-based assessments, while helpful in assessing students' abilities in real-world application, do not always directly align with the specific skills and knowledge being taught in the curriculum. Summative assessments typically measure what a student has learned at the end of an instructional period and may not provide the timely, actionable data needed for immediate instructional adjustments. Formative assessments focus on ongoing feedback to improve student learning, but they may not be as directly tied to the curriculum as curriculum-based assessments are.

Thus, using a curriculum-based assessment helps the special education teacher develop a well-informed instructional plan that addresses the individual learning needs of the student with SLD in math.