Atkinson and Geiser (2009) make a strong argument for moving to a new form of college admissions testing using curriculum-based achievement tests. In making their case, however, they exaggerate the weaknesses of current tests such as the ACT and SAT by minimizing these tests' predictive utility and claiming a stronger relationship to socioeconomic…

Uses the validity framework developed by S. Messick (1995, 1996) to outline six aspects of construct validation to guide the validation of performance-based assessments: (1) content;(2) substantive; (3) structural; (4) generalizability; (5) external; and (6) consequential. (SLD)

Using predictive validity studies of the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) and the undergraduate grade-point average (UGPA), this study examined the large variation in the magnitude of the validity coefficients across schools. LSAT standard deviation and correlation between LSAT and UGPA accounted for 58.5 percent of the variability. (Author/EGS)

Many states have adopted test-based accountability systems before the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001 became law. NCLB has added a new dimension to test-based educational accountability systems. Features of state and NCLB accountability are discussed with an emphasis on questions of the validity of inferences that are made about school…

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) must use sampling techniques that produce data which are representative on national, state, and local levels. The validity of findings is enhanced when state and district comparisons are made. Multiple measures will allow the diagnosis of strengths and weaknesses. The data should be…

When the precise basis of selection effect on correlation and regression equations is unknown but can be modeled by selection on a variable that is highly but not perfectly related to observed scores, the selection effects can lead to the commonly observed "overprediction" results in studies of predictive bias. (Author/PN)

The common approach to studies of predictive bias is analyzed within the context of a conceptual model in which predictors and criterion measures are viewed as fallible indicators of idealized qualifications. (Author/PN)

The validity of interpretations of National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) achievement levels is evaluated by focusing on evidence regarding three types of discrepancies: (1) between standards; (2) among descriptions of achievement levels; and (3) between assessments and content standards. All of these discrepancies raise serious…

Presents the drastic effects that selection on several variables can sometimes have on the validity of predictor variables. Discusses practical implications of correcting correlations for selection effects and reporting results of validity studies. (Author)

It is argued that consequential validity is a concept worth considering. The solution to defining "validity" is not to narrow the concept, but to allow for the differential prediction provided by tests in different circumstances. Consequences of the uses and interpretations of test scores are central to their evaluation. (SLD)

Three professional associations, the American Educational Research Association, the American Psychological Association, and the National Council on Measurement in Education, jointly adopted the new "Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing" in 1985. The relationship of these to earlier standards is reviewed, and implications…

Outlines four limitations inherent in using a minimum competency test to determine eligibility for a high school diploma and, in some jurisdictions, to determine advance to the next grade. Discusses the appropriate uses of testing in an overall program.(MP)

The contribution of item response theory to the validity of interpretations of achievement test results is reviewed in the context of four applications. The applications include construction of scales for achievement tests, test construction, development of customized tests, and investigation of the influence of instruction on achievement tests.…

Confusion in the terminology used in criterion-referenced measurement specifications and development and standard setting and the attendant role of cut-off scores are shown to need practical clarification through psychometric research on test applications and consequences. (CM)

The internal validity of the RMC models, especially Model A, is examined. Concern centers on limiting evaluation to cognitive outcomes, using constant percentile as the no-treatment expectation, and using norms for one test to establish the expected no-treatment performance level for another test. (MH)