The present paper questions the content validity of the eight creativity-related self-report scales available in PISA 2022's context questionnaire and provides a set of considerations for researchers interested in using these indexes. Specifically, we point out some threats to the content validity of these scales (e.g., "creative thinking…

The purpose of this National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Achievement Levels Validity Argument Report is to synthesize evidence currently available to address the validity of the interpretations and uses of the NAEP Achievement Levels. Validity is the extent to which theory and evidence supports or refutes proposed and enacted test…

The authors describe challenges of following professional standards for educational achievement testing due to the complexity of gathering appropriate evidence to support demanding test interpretation and use. Validity evidence has been found to be low for some individual testing standards, leading to the possibility of faulty or impoverished test…

In the service of educational accountability, student achievement tests are being used to measure constructs quite unlike those envisioned by test developers. Scores are compared to cut points to create classifications like "proficient"; scores are combined over time to measure growth; student scores are aggregated to measure the…

International large-scale assessments (ILSAs) have had an increasing influence on the discourse surrounding education systems around the world. However, the results of these studies tend to have less impact on pedagogy in the classroom than would be expected. For example, a recent review of 114 published peer-reviewed articles on the IEA's…

Variation in test performance among examinees from different regions or national jurisdictions is often partially attributed to differences in the degree of content correspondence between local school or training program curricula, and the test of interest. This posited relationship between test-curriculum correspondence, or "alignment,"…

Universal screening in elementary schools often includes administering curriculum-based measurement in reading (CBM-R); but in first grade, nonsense word fluency (NWF) and, to a lesser extent, word identification fluency (WIF) are used because of concerns that CBM-R is too difficult for emerging readers. This study used Kane's argument-based…

Validation research for educational achievement tests is often limited to an examination of intended test score interpretations. This article calls for an expansion of validation research in three dimensions. First, validation must attend to actual test use and its consequences, not just score meaning. Second, validation must attend to unintended…

This evaluation examined school and parent reports of the national student achievement testing system (SIMCE) in Chile regarding three dimensions: access, comprehension, and use. We conducted phone surveys with a representative sample of directors (N = 375), teachers (N = 1145) and parents (N = 625), and we collected more in-depth data through…

This fastback provides information about what tests can and cannot do, how they are constructed, and how they are used and misused. It offers suggestions about how best to interpret test results. The chapters are: (1) "A Test on Testing"; (2) "Basic Considerations"; (3) "Standardized Tests"; (4) "Performance Tests"; (5) "Interpreting Test Scores";…

Examines limitations of standard scores of achievement tests used in diagnosing learning disabilities. Consideration of these limitations is important in deciding whether a marked discrepancy exists between ability and achievement. Recommends use of developmental standard scores over status standard scores. (Author/ABB)

Explanations of and guidelines for using the Stanford Achievement Test for Hearing Impaired (SAT-HI) children are given. Types of scores from the test (raw scores, grade equivalent scores, scaled scores, and percentile rankings) are described. Limitations on test interpretations are suggested as well as reminders on using achievement test scores…

Identifies eight factors that should be considered carefully by those who use and interpret achievement test data for individual children: base score, guessing factor, time factor, content validity, test reliability, instructional-level placement, diagnostic analysis, and individual pupil progress data. (RL)

Six anomalies in achievement test scores encountered by the Austin Independent School District are described. These include crossing gaps with uninterpolated medians; total group median declines while all subgroups' medians rise; outlying total percentiles; percentile and grade equivalent growth antithesis; same grade equivalent earning a…

The factorial structure of the California Achievement Test subtests appears to consist of only one common factor in each grade. This study indicates that there is considerable overlap among the subtests and that there is minimal support for the use of subtest scores as measures of independent constructs. (Author/PN)