This article is a written version of the Presidential Address I gave at the annual meeting of the National Council on Measurement in Education (NCME) in April 2017. It is a call to NCME members (and others who read this, of course) to rebalance their focus so that classroom assessments are seen as being at least as important as large-scale…

In large-scale assessments, such as state-wide testing programs, national sample-based assessments, and international comparative studies, there are many steps involved in the measurement and reporting of student achievement. There are always sources of inaccuracies in each of the steps. It is of interest to identify the source and magnitude of…

Multistage tests are those in which sets of items are administered adaptively and are scored as a unit. These tests have all of the advantages of adaptive testing, with more efficient and precise measurement across the proficiency scale as well as time savings, without many of the disadvantages of an item-level adaptive test. As a seemingly…

The author takes the position that many of the fundamental measurement concepts and relationships often are used in our written communications in ways that demonstrate misunderstanding and lead to confusion. Illustrations of the misuses are provided, anecdotes and speculation about the implications are offered, and suggestions for addressing the…

Systematic empirical research is used to investigate the feasibility of using socioeconomic status (SES) ratings by school principals as an alternative to more costly SES measures. Studies with 85 principals and 19 central office administrators support the approach as a credible proxy measure of SES. (SLD)

Discusses the tension between setting high goals and setting attainable goals for adequate yearly progress. Presents some strategies that can be used to evaluate the level of rigor implied by the expectations for attainable, productive goals. Strategies relate to the understanding of how likely it is that a goal can be met. (SLD)

The book reviewed is a compendium of current thinking about measurement theory and test use. It includes content by 26 authors at 3 levels: (1) accessible to educators, policy makers, and graduate students; (2) suited for technical students; and (3) written for qualified measurement specialists. Strengths and weaknesses are noted. (SLD)

The Internet is a large and growing resource for those interested in educational assessment issues. Internet resources of particular interest to the assessment community are identified and discussed. These include gopher sites, Web sites, and listservs. (SLD)

Whether the measurement profession should consider developing and adopting a code of professional conduct is explored after a brief review of existing references to standards of conduct and a review of other professional codes. Issues include the need for a code of ethics, its usefulness, and its enforcement. (SLD)

In this paper I describe and illustrate the Roussos-Stout (1996) multidimensionality-based DIF analysis paradigm, with emphasis on its implication for the selection of a matching and studied subtest for DIF analyses. Standard DIF practice encourages an exploratory search for matching subtest items based on purely statistical criteria, such as a…

This article examines how psychometric models based on certain assumptions have come to be used counterproductively by many practitioners in ways that limit the kinds of conclusions that can be made. The general problem of the context's influence on performance is discussed, and some implications are drawn. (SLD)

This study explores the use of multiple measures to enhance the validity and reliability of inferences about school and district effectiveness. Using data from the state of Ohio, a framework for combining measures is applied to examine the individual and collective impact of multiple measures on both the federal AYP designations and state ratings.…

This paper seeks to identify ways of making measurement more relevant to classroom teachers, and making classroom realities more apparent to measurement specialists. Measurement elements of teacher education textbooks and courses, nontraditional assessment topics, informal classroom measurement techniques, terminological issues, and three types of…

The collection of verbal reports is one way in which cognitive and developmental psychologists gather data to formulate and corroborate models of problem solving. The current use of verbal reports to design and validate educational assessments reflects the growing trend to fuse cognitive psychological research and educational measurement. However,…

College instructors (N=24) responded to a questionnaire on educational measurement instruction provided to students in preservice teacher education programs. Roughly half the students received measurement and evaluation as separate courses; the rest received them as part of another course. Many students are inadequately prepared for classroom…