Validity is a fundamental consideration of test development and test evaluation. The purpose of this study is to define and reify three key aspects of validity and validation, namely test-score interpretation, test-score use, and the claims supporting interpretation and use. This study employed a Delphi methodology to explore how experts in…

Subscore added value analyses assume invariance across test taking populations; however, this assumption may be untenable in practice as differential subdomain relationships may be present among subgroups. The purpose of this simulation study was to understand the conditions associated with subscore added value noninvariance when manipulating: (1)…

Researchers have documented the impact of rater effects, or raters' tendencies to give different ratings than would be expected given examinee achievement levels, in performance assessments. However, the degree to which rater effects influence person fit, or the reasonableness of test-takers' achievement estimates given their response patterns,…

Technical documentation for educational tests focuses primarily on properties of individual scores at single points in time. Reliability, standard errors of measurement, item parameter estimates, fit statistics, and linking constants are standard technical features that external stakeholders use to evaluate items and individual scale scores.…

Studied the validity of interpretations derived from school-level assessment scores for different content areas using school-level data from 14 large-scale assessment programs. Results raise suspicions about the value and validity of interpretations based on school-level subject area scores. (SLD)

Means of interpreting norm-referenced tests to lead to more accurate reporting results are discussed, with particular emphasis on state-level and district-level data. Suggestions fall into the categories of documentation, frequency norming, and multiple form use. (TJH)

Content areas that should be included in testing and measurement courses, subsidiary skills, and means of rationalizing the content and skills are outlined. Areas include basic concepts, assessment uses, assessment planning and development, interpretation of assessments, description of results, evaluation and improvement of assessments, feedback…

A sample (N=37) of currently published achievement tests was surveyed as to the availability of five types of technical data: (1) item selection techniques; (2) standardization; (3) types of norms; (4) types of validating data; and (5) types of reliability data. Recommendations for publishers and cautions for test users are given. (BS)

Results of a 1987 report indicating that elementary students of all states were above the national average are assessed. Issues addressed include teaching for standardized tests, the effect of teaching on national norms, and alternatives available to protect the integrity of instruction and the validity of normed test scores. (TJH)

Practices identified by experts as critical variables in eliciting writing samples were checked against 12 randomly selected studies using holistic ratings to derive descriptions of inferential statistical results for described samples. The studies often lacked precise information about these variables, limiting understanding of writing evaluation…

Effects of standardized testing on teaching and learning were studied in a survey of 341 elementary school teachers in 9 states, focusing on the meaning of test scores and test-score gains. Results indicate that standardized testing has considerable effects, and that teachers feel considerable pressure to improve student scores. (SLD)

Results of a 1987 report--indicating that elementary students of all 50 states were above the national average--were assessed via 2 national mail and telephone surveys. Although results of data for 35 states support the general findings of the 1987 report, it appears that more specific results are less sensational. (TJH)

Approximately 900 teachers in Virginia were surveyed to assess teachers' competencies in the 7 basic assessment areas identified in the "Standards for Teacher Competence in Educational Assessment of Students." Results will be used in designing training material in assessment for inservice teacher education. (SLD)

The effects of test performance of differentially written multiple-choice tests and test takers' cognitive style were studied for 47 graduate students and 35 public school and college teachers. Adhering to test-writing item guidelines resulted in mean scores basically the same for two groups of differing cognitive style. (SLD)