In 2006-2007, California revised its English language proficiency (ELP) assessment, the California English Language Development Test (CELDT), which resulted in more stringent criteria and higher cut scores for meeting proficiency. Using regression discontinuity designs and a difference-in-differences approach, this study examines the effects of…

Students may not fully demonstrate their knowledge and skills on accountability tests if there are no stakes attached to individual performance. In that case, assessment results may not accurately reflect student achievement, so the validity of score interpretations and uses suffers. For this study, matched samples of students taking state…

The purpose of this study is to utilize Score Equity Assessment (SEA) to examine measurement comparability and equity in reported scores on a statewide fifth-grade science assessment with respect to groups of students defined by disability status, English Language Learner status and use of test accommodations. Benefits of SEA include a focus on…

With the concurrent emphasis on accountability, prevention, and early intervention, curriculum-based measurement of reading (R-CBM) is playing an increasingly important role in the educational process. This study investigated the differences in diagnostic accuracy and utility between commercial norms and local norms when making high-stakes, local…

This study examined the predictive validity of curriculum-based measures in reading for Spanish-speaking English learners (ELs) at various levels of English proficiency. Third-grade Spanish-speaking EL students were screened during the fall using DIBELS Oral Reading Fluency (DORF) and Daze. Predictive validity was examined in relation to spring…

Many U.S. students must pass a standards-based exit exam to earn a high school diploma. The degree to which exit exams and state standards properly signal to students their preparedness for postsecondary schooling has been questioned. The alignment of test scores with college grades for students at the University of Arizona (n = 2,667) who took…

Two studies examined methods for arriving at cutscores in school districts, including the Angoff (W. Angoff, 1971), borderline, and contrasting groups methods and two new methods, one based on course enrollment and the other based on expert expectations. Results from a 10th grade algebra test and a test of third grade reading show the viability of…

Applied the analytical judgment standard setting method to 90 papers from the 1996 Grade 8 National Assessment of Educational Progress science assessment. Compared sorting versus direct classification, long and short versions of the classification scale, and effects of discussion on cutscores. Results from 17 Georgia teachers and 8 Michigan…