Principles of skill acquisition dictate that raters should be provided with frequent feedback about their ratings. However, in current operational practice, raters rarely receive immediate feedback about their scores owing to the prohibitive effort required to generate such feedback. An approach for generating and administering feedback responses…

Various subscore estimation methods that use auxiliary information to improve subscore accuracy and stability have been developed. This report provides a review of various subscore estimation methods described in the literature. The methodology of each method is described, then research studies on these subscore estimation methods are summarized.…

This proof-of-concept study examined the feasibility of a new scoring procedure designed to reduce the time of scoring a video-based public speaking assessment task. Instead of scoring the video in its entirety, the performance was evaluated based on content-related (e.g., speech organization, word choice) and delivery-related (e.g., vocal…

Research has found that the "a"-stratified item selection strategy (STR) for computerized adaptive tests (CATs) may lead to insufficient use of high a items at later stages of the tests and thus to reduced measurement precision. A refined approach, unequal item selection across strata (USTR), effectively improves test precision over the…

Most existing software tools for online collaboration are designed to support the collaboration itself instead of the study of collaboration with a systematic team and task management system. In this report, we identify six important features for a platform to facilitate the study of online collaboration. We then introduce the Educational Testing…

Extracting information efficiently from game/simulation-based assessment (G/SBA) logs requires two things: a well-structured log file and a set of analysis methods. In this report, we propose a generic data model specified as an extensible markup language (XML) schema for the log files of G/SBAs. We also propose a set of analysis methods for…

While the vast majority of assessments designed to measure noncognitive skills rely heavily on self-report, concerns surrounding faking and response bias have led to an increased demand for the development of new and innovative methods by which to measure such traits, particularly in high stakes contexts.The focus of this report is to address one…

Teacher observations are being used for high-stakes purposes in states across the country, and administrators often serve as raters in teacher evaluation systems. This paper examines how the cognitive aspects of administrators' use of an observation instrument, a modified version of Charlotte Danielson's Framework for Teaching, interact with the…

Collaborative problem solving (CPS) is an important 21st-century skill for academic and career success, and as a result, there is increased interest among businesses and educational institutions in the assessment and development of CPS skills. CPS skills are difficult to measure using traditional forms of assessment, and that difficulty has led to…

In investigations of unusual testing behavior, a common question is whether a specific pattern of responses occurs unusually often within a group of examinees. In many current tests, modern communication techniques can permit quite large numbers of examinees to share keys, or common response patterns, to the entire test. To address this issue,…

Collaborative problem solving (CPS) is a critical competency in a variety of contexts, including the workplace, school, and home. However, only recently have assessment and curriculum reformers begun to focus to a greater extent on the acquisition and development of CPS skill. One of the major challenges in psychometric modeling of CPS is…

In this research report, we present an empirical argument for the use of a contributory scoring approach for the 2-essay writing assessment of the analytical writing section of the "GRE"® test in which human and machine scores are combined for score creation at the task and section levels. The approach was designed to replace a currently…

Over the past 8 years, U.S. kindergarten classrooms have been impacted by policies mandating or recommending the administration of a specific kindergarten entry assessment (KEA) in the initial months of school as well as the increasing reliance on digital technology in the form of mobile apps, touchscreen devices, and online data platforms. Using…

In this paper, we first examine the challenges of score comparability associated with the use of assessments that are exported. By exported assessments, we mean assessments that are developed for domestic use and are then administered in other countries in either the same or a different language. Second, we provide suggestions to better support…

This paper is the first in a series from Educational Testing Service (ETS) concerning English language proficiency (ELP) assessments for K-12 English learners (ELs). The goal of this paper, and the series, is to present research-based ideas, principles, and recommendations for consideration by those who are conceptualizing, developing, and…