Presents conclusions of an independent measurement expert that the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS) was constructed according to acceptable professional standards and tests curricular material considered by the Texas Board of Education important for graduates to have mastered. Also supports the validity and reliability of the TAAS and…

Calculated year-1 to year-2 stability of assessment data from 21 states and 2 Canadian provinces. The median stability coefficient was 0.78 in mathematics and reading, and lower in writing. A stability coefficient of 0.80 is recommended as the standard for large-scale assessments of student performance. (SLD)

This study provides empirical evidence about the sampling variability and generalizability (reliability) of a statewide performance assessment for grade six. Results for 600 students at individual and school levels indicate that task-sampling variability was the major source of measurement error. Rater-sampling variability was negligible. (SLD)