With the advent of big data and advances in technology, psychological assessments have become increasingly sophisticated and complex. Nevertheless, traditional psychometric issues concerning the validity, reliability, and measurement bias of such assessments remain fundamental in determining whether score inferences of human attributes are…

One of the areas subsumed under the data-based decision making and accountability practice identified in the National Association of School Psychologists' (NASP) "Model for Integrated School Psychological Services" is to collect information on psychological and educational variables to make decisions at a number of levels of service…

Reliability is a measure of consistency. It is the degree to which student results are the same when they take the same test on different occasions, when different scorers score the same item or task, and when different but equivalent tests are taken at the same time or at different times. Reliability is about making sure that different test forms…

In 2017, the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE) in the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) funded Mathematica to conduct the Infant and Toddler Teacher and Caregiver Competencies (ITTCC) project. The project aims to examine existing efforts across states, institutions of higher education, professional organizations, and…

For children age birth to five, physical, cognitive, linguistic, and social-emotional growth and development occur at a rapid pace. While all children in this age range may not reach developmental milestones (e.g., smiling, saying first words, taking first steps) at the same time, development that does not happen within an expected timeframe can…

No one has a bigger stake in teaching effectiveness than students. Nor are there any better experts on how teaching is experienced by its intended beneficiaries. Only recently have many policymakers and practitioners come to recognize that--when asked the right questions, in the right ways--students can be an important source of information on the…

Purpose: To provide educationalists with an understanding of the key quality issues relating to multiple-choice tests, and a set of guidelines for the quality assurance of such tests. Design/methodology/approach: The discussion of quality issues is structured to reflect the order in which those issues naturally arise. It covers the design of…

One of the best methods of formative assessment in academic areas and a method that exemplifies the characteristics of good measures is Curriculum-Based Measurement (CBM; Deno, 1985). Developed at the University of Minnesota in the early 1970's, CBM has been researched in academic areas including mathematics computation, concepts, and…

Reviews 12 studies to determine whether coaching improves student performance on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT). While results are mixed, evidence suggests that coaching does not appreciably improve students' verbal or math scores. Factors such as test reliability and weighting SAT scores with high school records should be considered. Includes…

Describes a practical approach that teachers can use to check for test-item validity in test construction. The Kuder-Richardson Reliability Formula is used. Detailed instructions describe the procedure for evaluating items for difficulty and using statistical methods to determine test validity. (AM)

This study describes the development of the Active Treatment Client Rights checklist (ATCR), which was designed to facilitate the assessment, monitoring, and implementation of readily observable client active treatment services for adults with developmental disabilities. The ATCR was found to be highly reliable, valid, and useful in enhancing…

The paper describes the "Early Social Communication Scales" designed to assess social and communication skills typically acquired in the first 30 months of life. Stressed is the role of the tester as an interactive partner for the infant. Reliability data suggesting reliability over time with the same partner are presented. (Author/DB)

A study was commissioned to develop and validate a test to assess the attitudes of Alberta students towards the world of work. A revised instrument was created that used 75 items grouped into 15 scales, of five items each, measuring perceptions about available opportunities. During the validation field trial the instrument was administered to 467…

Describes the Examination for Certification of Educators in Texas (ExCET) required of all Texans seeking certification as principals, supervisors, or superintendents. Discusses certain test controversies (including test development by an out-of-state firm), the quality of administraor training in Texas, test objectives, and the future of ExCET.…

Examines reasons for using essay tests in the direct assessment of writing ability. Reviews the steps in developing a large-scale testing program; e.g., creating a pool of topics or prompts; developing scoring procedures; training raters; field-testing the system; scoring writing samples; assessing reliability; and assessing validity. (DMM)